
"Open Country" is a designation used for some
access land
The freedom to roam, or "everyman's right", is the general public's right to access certain public or privately owned land, lakes, and rivers for recreation and exercise. The right is sometimes called the right of public access to the wilderness ...
in
England and
Wales.
It was first defined under the
National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (and extended by the
Countryside Act 1968), and was land over which an appropriate access agreement had been made. In particular significant upland areas of the northern
Peak District received the designation, where there had been much dispute over access prior to
World War II, including the 1932
mass trespass of Kinder Scout.
The term is also used in the
Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to describe 'areas of mountain, moor, heath and down' that are generally available for access under that Act. (It appears that the rights conferred by this new definition are in general less comprehensive than those conferred under the 1949 Act, but will apply to a wider area.)
The
Countryside Agency's publication ''Managing Public Access'' appears to envisage that most land originally designated under the 1949 Act will in due course receive redesignation under the CRoW Act, as the original access agreements lapse.
Natural England website: Managing Public Access
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See also
* Country park
A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.
United Kingdom
History
In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a special meaning. There are around 250 recognised coun ...
* Open country
References
External links
Open Country
BBC Radio 4
Law of the United Kingdom
Walking in the United Kingdom
Freedom to roam
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