The right to roam?

[angief]

i have been told that when it comes to walking in our countryside that there several laws and rules to abide by. However i have been told that there is a "right to roam" law, which means.....what exactly.... please can you shed any light? I have also been told that when it comes to camping in the great outdoors that you are allowed to pitch your tent anywhere in the countryside for one night only? again...how right is that and can any one elaborate at all.
many thanks: confused:

[eeyore]

right to roam is an incredibly misleading term - in most of britain you do have to stick to the footpaths, bridleways etc , but there are chunks of "access land" which are marked on OS maps where you can go anywhere within the boundary.

with regard to camping the existence of a right of way or access land technically only gives you the right to walk (or cycle/ride on bridleways or drive on byways), it doesnt imply an automatic right to other activities such as camping.

However in wild areas (generally but not always defined as being above the mountain wall) "wild camping" is an accepted practice - the proviso being that you dont take the p, and you dont leave any sign that you have been there. It is worth noting that this is a practice accepted "by tradition" rather than a right , so the landowner is perfectly within their rights to tell you not to or to move on.

[Richard G.]

First thing to note is that England and Wales are not equal to Scotland.

In Scotland you have the Land Reform Act 2003, which pretty much does give you the right to roam anywhere and wildcamping is legal, though you do have to exercise this right responsibly.

In England and Wales there's the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which does provide some areas where you have the right to roam freely, away from traditional rights of way. These generally tend to be in 'outdoors' hotspots like National Parks. Map detail can be found on the Natural England website and many OS maps also show access land. Wildcamping in England and Wales is officially illegal, though again, if done responsibly, it's tolerated, especially in Upland areas where your presence should go unnoticed, if you're doing it properly

[angief]

Ah ha! Thank you Eeyore, that makes better sense now. Thought it sounded at bit to "liberal".
I will continue to camp and walk the way i always have, along marked routes or with the landowners permission!! I will look deeper into these marked boundaries on the os map in my area however. Thanks very much x

[angief]

Thank you for this information Richard G, Even better seeing as i live on the English/Scottish border! i shall have a look at the link and have an in-depth read.
i wished i had come on here in the first place! thanks guys! x