Editing Freedom to roam (section)

=====England and Wales=====
{{See also|Open Country|Trespass in English law#Trespass to land}}
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2019}}

In [[England and Wales]], after a polarised debate about the merits, rights and benefits of private landowners and public recreation, in 2000 the Government legislated to introduce a limited ''right to roam'', without compensation for landowners. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW) was gradually implemented from 2000 onwards to give the general public the conditional right to walk in certain areas of the English and Welsh countryside: principally [[downland]], [[moorland]], [[heathland]] and coastal land.<ref>{{Cite web|date=30 November 2000|title=Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/37/introduction|access-date=10 June 2020}}</ref> Forests and woodlands are excluded, other than  publicly owned forests, which have a similar right of access by virtue of a voluntary dedication made by the [[Forestry Commission]]. Developed land, gardens and certain other areas are specifically excluded from the right of access. Agricultural land is accessible if it falls within one of the categories described above. People exercising the right of access have certain duties to respect other people's rights to manage the land, and to protect nature.

The new rights were introduced region by region through England and Wales, with completion in 2005. Maps showing accessible areas have been produced. This added to the legal right to use established [[footpath (right of way)|public footpaths]] and [[bridleways]], some [[common land]] and access to the [[foreshore]]. Land owners may prevent access to other areas (or charge a fee for access).

Angling interests successfully lobbied for the exclusion of rivers in England and Wales from CROW, leaving other river users such as [[swimmer]]s and [[canoeing|canoeists]] with access restricted to less than 2% of navigable water. The [[British Canoe Union]] is running the [[Rivers Access Campaign]], to highlight the level of restrictions the public face in gaining access to inland waterways in England and Wales.

Since the [[Dartmoor Commons Act 1985]], much of the [[Dartmoor National Park]] has been designated as "access land", with no restrictions on where walkers can roam, although it remains privately owned.<ref>[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/localact1985/pdf/ukla_19850037_en.pdf Dartmoor Commons Act 1985] on the OPSI website</ref> Because of the 1985 act, Dartmoor was largely unaffected by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which established similar rights in other rural parts of the country, but in 2006, this act opened up much of the remaining restricted land to walkers. In 2025, the [[UK Supreme Court]] upheld the right to roam on the park, with judges saying regulation would be more effective at protecting it than private enforcement by property owners.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Davis |first=Miles |last2=Morris |first2=Jonathan |date=21 May 2025 |title=Wild camping on Dartmoor backed by Supreme Court |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwywwq5zkqwo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250521103552/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwywwq5zkqwo |archive-date=21 May 2025 |access-date=21 May 2025 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The [[Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009]] extended access rights to land near the English coast.