Welcome to Suffolk's public rights of way website
This web site is a partnership between Suffolk County Council and Suffolk's district councils.
There are approximately 9800 registered public rights of way in Suffolk, adding up to a network of routes with a distance exceeding 3600 miles, almost as long as all the public roads in the county. Suffolk also has 5000 hectares of open access land. The rights of way network covers the whole county from the coastline inland to the Brecks and fenlands. Our rights of way cross all of our varied landscapes, from woodland to wetlands and from our historic towns and villages to open farm land.
These pages have been written for the public and land managers and will help you find out more about the different types of rights of way and what your rights and responsibilities are when using or managing them.
There are four categories of public right of way:
- Public footpath – The public has a right to pass and repass on foot with normal accompaniment such as a pram, a wheelchair or with a dog.
- Bridleway – The public has a right to pass and repass on foot, on horseback and on a pedal cycle.
- Restricted byway – Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 all RUPPs have been re-classified as restricted byways unless they carried full vehicular rights. The public has a right of way on foot, on horseback or leading a horse, or for vehicles other than mechanically propelled vehicles.
- Byway open to all traffic (BOAT) – The public has the right to pass and repass on foot, horseback, pedal cycle or with a vehicle but the route is mainly used by pedestrians and/or horses.
Latest rights of way news.
The National Grid are refurbishing overhead power lines between Bramford, near Ipswich and Twinstead Tees, near Sudbury. The work will take place between April and October 2012 and some public rights of way will be temporarily closed to enable the refurbishment to be safely carried out. For further information about these works please follow this link to the National Grid's website.