What are public rights of way?Public rights of way are routes, usually over

private land along which members of the

public have a right to travel. There are

approximately 385 miles of public rights of

way in the City and County of Swansea.

Public rights of way are available to the following users:

What is Access Land?Access land is specifically designated land

including registered common land and land

classed as mountain, moorland, heath or

down that you can walk across without

having to keep to footpaths. All such land in

Wales is shown on maps of open country

prepared by the Countryside Council for

Wales.

Members of the public are now able to walk,

run climb, bird-watch, sightsee, and picnic

on access land. The right does not extend

to riding a horse or bicycle, or driving a

vehicle.

2

Footpaths - Walkers

� There are over 300 miles of footpath in

the City and County of Swansea

Bridleways - Horse riders, cyclists, walkers

� There are 80 miles of bridleway in the

City and County of Swansea

Byway - All forms of traffic

� There are only 11⁄4 miles of byway in the

City and County of Swansea

Access rights will normally include the right

to walk dogs but, between 1 March and 31

July, or at any other time near livestock,

dogs must be kept on a lead.

Finding public rights of wayOrdnance Survey Explorer maps show

most public rights of way and

access land but are a

guide only, the

information on the

maps comes

from the City

and County of

Swansea’s

definitive map

and the

Countryside

Council for Wales

Access Maps

which are the most

reliable guides.

Registered public rights of way

are shown on the definitive map and

statement — a legal record maintained by

the City and County of Swansea. The

public can view the definitive map at the

Civic Centre during office hours, where the

Countryside Access Team can assist with

any enquiries.

The Countryside Access Team is also

responsible for marking rights of way on

the ground.

3

Footpaths are signed like this at the start

With yellowarrows like thisalong the route.

Bridleways are signed like this at the start

With bluearrows like thisalong the route

Byways are signed like this at the start

There are some permissive paths in the

City and County of Swansea. These have

no legal status and are provided in

agreement with the landowner,

an agreement which can be

withdrawn at any time. These

paths would usually be marked

with green arrows like this.

Frequently Asked Question’s

What can I do or take with me onpublic rights of way?

You can do things which are incidental to

your journey, such as stopping to rest,

admire the view or take a photograph.

However a landowner may consider other

activities to be trespass.

�LLWYBR TROEDFOOTPATH

�LLWYBR CEFFYLBRIDLEWAY

�LLWYBR CERDDEDCANIATAEDIG

PERMISSIVE PATH

BYWAYCLIFFORDD

4

You can also take with you things that are

considered to be usual accompaniments.

These may include such items as

rucksacks, binoculars or prams,

pushchairs and wheelchairs where

practicable, provided such items do not

cause damage.

What about stilesand gates onrights of way?

All stiles and

gates must be

safe to use

and must not

interfere

unreasonably

with the use of

a public right of

way. Stiles that

are broken or

difficult to use and

locked gates can be

classed as obstructions and therefore

should be reported to the Countryside

Access Team.

Where possible, the team works with

landowners to seek permission to replace

stiles with gates.

Does a public right of way cease toexist if it is not used?No. Public rights of way can only be closed

by an official order made by the City and

County of Swansea, though this is very rare.

5

What can I do if I find the way blocked?You can bypass the obstruction by taking

the shortest detour possible around it. You

may also remove enough of the

obstruction to get by it. However, in either

case you should be careful not to cause

damage otherwise you may be held liable.

It is best to report any obstructions to the

Countryside Access Team. (Contact details

are available in this booklet).

Can I take my dog with me?Yes, provided you keep it on a lead or

otherwise under close control and on the

line of the path, especially on land with

livestock. The Countryside Access Team

occasionally install dog stiles but only with

the agreement of the landowner, as there is

no statutory duty to provide easy access

for dogs. Dog fouling is a major problem on

rights of way in the City and County of

Swansea, If you allow your dog to foul in a

public place without cleaning it up, you

could be given a “fixed penalty notice” of

£75 or you may be prosecuted and fined

up to £1000. It is every dog owners duty to

clean up after their dog. Even in remote

areas, dog fouling is a particular nuisance

to landowners.

Can I cycle or ride a horse on a footpath?There is no right to push or cycle a bike or lead

or ride a horse along public footpaths. Cyclists

and horse riders may only use bridleways and

byways. Cyclists must give way to walkers and

horse riders on bridleways.

6

What are landowner’s responsibilities?Landowners must ensure that they do not

obstruct public rights of way that cross

their land or cause a nuisance to anyone

using them. Generally landowners have the

responsibility to maintain gates and stiles in

a safe condition on public rights of way

across their land. They are also responsible

for cutting back overhanging vegetation

and ensuring crops do not grow on or

alongside the path so as to obstruct it.

Landowners should also have regard for

public safety and should not keep any

animal considered to be dangerous in an

enclosure through which a public right of

way passes.

A path I have walked for many yearshas recently been blocked so that Ican no longer use it. Is there anything Ican do?The path may or may not be a registered

public right of way. If it is registered, the

Countryside Access Team has powers to

remove the obstruction. If the path is not a

registered public right of way, a claim may

be made to register it and the Team can

advise claimants on what is required to

make a claim. In either case, the problem

should be reported to the Countryside

Access Team.

7

Coast Path

Llw

ybryrArford

ir

8

Promoted Walks

Regular walking and cycling can benefit

your health and the risk of heart disease

and stroke can be reduced.

To gain the maximum benefits

from walking, you should try

to walk briskly for at least

30 minutes 5 times a

week.

The City and County of

Swansea promotes

a number of

walks

designed to

encourage

people to start

walking.

Walking by bus:

A range of five easy walks

between 1¼ and 3 miles long

starting and finishing close to bus

stops. Leaflets for these walks, which

have arrows like the one shown above

along them, are available on our website or

from Tourist Information Centres.

Gower Coast Path:

A 38 mile coastal route from

Crofty to Mumbles is currently in

development. Marked with these

arrows. This is part of the all

Wales Coast Path

•Sw

ansea Walks

•Te

lthiau

CerddedAbertawe

Gower Walks:

Shorter circular routes off of

the Coast Path, some of

which are promoted by the

National Trust. Marked with

these arrows.

Routes promoted by others

Gower Way:

A 35 mile route promoted by

the Gower Society across the

old lordship of Gower

(Penlle’r Castell to Rhossili).

Marked with these arrows.

Mumbles Way:

A 6.5 mile route promoted by the Mumbles

Development Trust

from Blackpill to

Oystermouth.

Marked with

these arrows.

Gower Walks

TeithiauCerdde

d

Gwr

The Gower Way

LlwybrGwyr

The

Mumbles Way

Llw

ybrMwmbwls

The

Mumbles Way

Llw

ybrMwmbwls

9

Responsibilities of the City and County of Swansea

The City and County of Swansea’s

Countryside Access Team has a range of

statutory duties regarding public rights of way.

These include:

� Asserting and protecting the public’s

right to use public rights of way

� Maintaining public rights of way in a

condition adequate to allow public use

throughout the year

� Keeping the definitive map up to date

� Ensuring that landowners comply with

the law and do not interfere with the

public’s right of passage

� Signposting public rights of way where

they meet a public road

Further information about the

duties and policies of the

Countryside Access Team

can be found in the

Countryside Access

Plan, a copy of which

can be downloaded

from our website.

Alternatively you can

contact us to request a

hard copy.

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If you would like any further information on

rights of way in the City and County of

Swansea, please contact us;

Write to us at:

Countryside Access Team

Room 2.6.3

Civic Centre

Swansea

SA1 3SN

Call us on:

01792 635736/635230

Email:

countryside.access@swansea.gov.uk

Office Hours

Monday—Thursday:8.30—5.00

Friday:8.30—4.30

Should you encounter

any problems whilst

using public rights of way

in the City and County of

Swansea please contact us

using one of the methods above.

Our website:

www.swansea.gov.uk/countrysideaccess

contains further information about the

work of the Countryside Access Team.

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Whilst in the countryside, please…

Remember that public rights of way usually

run across private land so:

� Keep to the path—follow

waymark arrows

� Leave gates and property

as you find them

� Consider other people

� Keep dogs under close

control

� Take your litter home

This guide

should not

be used

as a legal

document.

Details correct

at date of publication

December 2009 and are

subject to change.

�LLWYBR TROEDFOOTPATH

12

This publication has been funded by the

Countryside Council for Wales.

Images on front cover © Crown Copyright (2009) Visit Wales