Rights of Way Enforcement in Northumberland

In Northumberland there are over 5000km (3000 miles) of public rights of way (footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways and byways open to all traffic).  Public rights of way are paths that you have a right to use at any time.  Landowners or not allowed to obstruct or otherwise prevent you from using a public right of way.

On a footpath you have a right to pass on foot, and you are allowed to take a dog with you as long as your dog is kept under close control. You are also allowed to take a wheel chair (although often the path surfaces are too soft or uneven to allow this).

On a bridleway you have all the rights of a footpath, and in addition you can ride or lead a horse, or take a bicycle.

On a restricted byway you have all the rights of a bridleway and in addition you can take a non-mechanically propelled vehicle.

On a byway open to all traffic all users including those in mechanically propelled vehicles have a right to use the path.  

You can find out where your local public rights of way are by looking at an Ordnance Survey map or by following this link to the Council's Definitive Map of Rights of Way.

The County Council’s responsibilities

• The County Council, as Highway Authority is responsible for:
• Asserting and protecting the rights of the public to use public rights of way
• Ensuring that the public rights of way network is properly maintained
• Ensuring that public rights of way are free from obstructions
• Ensuring that public rights of way are signposted where they leave metalled roads
• Ensuring that landowners and managers comply with their legal responsibilities in relation to the maintenance of stiles and gates on public rights of way, and the reinstatement of paths that have been disturbed through cultivation

The landowner or occupier’s responsibilities

• The landowner or occupier is responsible for:
• Providing and maintaining stiles and gates
• Cutting back overhanging vegetation that may obstruct a public right of way
• Not obstructing, or damaging the surface of a right of way
• Ensuring that field edge paths are left free from cultivation for the legal minimum width of 1.5m for a public footpath and 3m for a public bridleway.
• Reinstating cross field paths so that the route is visible on the ground, within 14 days of ploughing or within 24 hours of any subsequent disturbance of the path surface
• Ensuring that paths through arable crops are free from obstructing crop growth to the legal minimum width of 1m for a footpath and 2m for a bridleway.

Reporting a problem

If you encounter a problem while using a public right of way you can report it to us and we will investigate the problem and seek to resolve it as soon as possible.  You can contact us to report a problem by email by clicking here.