Access in Wales
One hundred and seventeen long years after Tom Ellis first proposed it, and following seventy years of concerted Ramblers’ Association campaigning, the freedom to roam the Welsh countryside on foot is now a reality. From its launch on May 28th2005. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 has added over 350,000 hectares of open, uncultivated land to the walker’s map of Wales, land that includes some of our most spectacular mountain, moor, heath, and downland scenery. This new law doesn’t mean you can go wherever you like, but it will give you new rights to enjoy specially mapped ‘Access land’, lots of which you won’t have been able to walk on before.
This really is a great achievement for everyone who loves the scenic beauty of Wales, and will have wide-ranging social and economic benefits throughout the community, bringing increased tourist revenue into our rural communities and providing great new opportunities to enjoy healthy outdoor recreation on foot.
Under this new Act landowners or others with a legal interest in any access land (tenants, for example, or those who hold sporting rights) can exclude or restrict access for any reason for up to 28 days a year without seeking permission. So, before you plan a walk, remember to check with the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) that the land is open and no restrictions are in place.