Follow The Country Code - The Country Code Book 1982

The Country Code and The Countryside Code are sets of rules for visitors to rural, and especially agricultural, regions of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The Country Code dates back to the 1930s and the Countryside Code replaced it in 2004.

The original rules

The Country Code evolved from the work of various organisations and had several different versions from the 1930s. The most widely accepted version of The Country Code was published in 1981 by the

Countryside Commission The Countryside Commission (formally the Countryside Commission for England and Wales, then the Countryside Commission for England) was a statutory body in England and Wales, and later in England only. Its forerunner, the National Parks Commissio ...

: #Enjoy the countryside and respect its life and work #Guard against all risk of fire #Fasten all gates #Keep your dogs under close control #Keep to public paths across farmland #Use gates and stiles to cross fences, hedges and walls #Leave livestock, crops and machinery alone #Take your litter home #Help to keep all water clean #Protect wildlife, plants and trees #Take special care on country roads #Make no unnecessary noise In the 1960s and 70s the Country Code was publicised by several

public information film Public information films (PIFs) are a series of government-commissioned short films, shown during television advertising breaks in the United Kingdom. The name is sometimes also applied, ''faute de mieux'', to similar films from other countries, ...

s shown in cinemas and on television. At some point after 1981, the instruction to fasten all gates was replaced with one to instead leave gates as found.

The Countryside Code

In 2004 The Country Code was revised and relaunched as The Countryside Code (Côd Cefn Gwlad in Welsh) to reflect the introduction of new open access rights and changes in society over the preceding years. The revised Code was produced through a partnership between the

Countryside Agency The Countryside Agency was a statutory body set up in England in 1999 with the task of improving the quality of the rural environment and the lives of those living in it. The agency was dissolved in 2006 and its functions dispersed among other bod ...

and the

Countryside Council for Wales The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW; cy, Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru (CCGC)) was a Welsh Assembly sponsored body responsible for wildlife conservation, landscape and countryside access authority for Wales. It was merged with Forestry Commis ...

*Be safe - plan ahead and follow any signs *Leave gates and property as you find them *Protect plants and animals, and take your litter home *Keep dogs under close control *Consider other people

COVID-19 version

In early July 2020, the Westminster government published an amended short version of the code online during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...

was being eased across England to help manage public access to the countryside under the changed circumstances.

The Scottish Outdoor Access Code

In Scotland, where there is a more general right of access,

Scottish Natural Heritage NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and s ...

developed ''The Scottish Outdoor Access Code'', which was approved in draft form by the Scottish Parliament in July 2003 following the passing of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act of the same year, and was accepted in February 2005. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code differs significantly from The Country Code in that it promotes access rights that include crossing over land and non-motorised recreational activities like walking, cycling, angling and horse riding, and will normally apply in all rural settings. The basis of access rights over land (in Scotland) is of shared responsibilities, in that those exercising such rights have to act responsibly, following the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, while land owners/managers have a reciprocal responsibility in respecting the interests of those who exercise their rights. The Scottish code "is based on three key principles

hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...

apply equally to the public and to land managers": # Take personal responsibility for your own actions. # Respect people's privacy and peace of mind. # Help land managers and others to work safely and effectively. Three additional principles apply to visitors:"Scottish Outdoor Access Code", pp.17–19 # Care for your environment. # Keep your dog under proper control. # Take extra care if you are organising an event or running a business. Both the Countryside Code and the Scottish code provide guidance for land managers as well as visitors.

References

External links