Walkers in Borrowdale copyright Charlie Hedley

FAQs - Rights of Way

The Lake District National Park contains more than 3,200 kilometres of Public Rights of Way. They're used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders and vehicles.

What is a public right of way?

All public rights of way are highways in law. They are normally just simple paths and tracks through woods, farmland, in countryside or near towns.

What's the difference between a footpath and a bridleway?

See Rights of Way for this information

How many rights of way are there in the Lake District National Park?

As of October 2019, the total length of Rights of Way was 3,203 km (1,927.5 miles).

  • Footpaths - 2208 km
  • Bridleways - 923 km
  • Restricted Byways - 20 km
  • Byway Open to all Traffic - 29 km

Useful links and documents

Definitive Map Modification Orders

Public Path Orders