http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/37/section/1/2016-05-21Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000An Act to make new provision for public access to the countryside; to amend the law relating to public rights of way; to enable traffic regulation orders to be made for the purpose of conserving an area’s natural beauty; to make provision with respect to the driving of mechanically propelled vehicles elsewhere than on roads; to amend the law relating to nature conservation and the protection of wildlife; to make further provision with respect to areas of outstanding natural beauty; and for connected purposes.2000-12-07texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-03-18Expert Participation2016-05-21 Part I Access to the countrysideChapter I Right of access General Principal definitions for Part I.11In this Part “access land” means any land which—ais shown as open country on a map in conclusive form issued by the appropriate countryside body for the purposes of this Part,bis shown on such a map as registered common land,cis registered common land in any area outside Inner London for which no such map relating to registered common land has been issued,dis situated more than 600 metres above sea level in any area for which no such map relating to open country has been issued, ...dais coastal margin, oreis dedicated for the purposes of this Part under section 16,but does not (in any of those cases) include excepted land or land which is treated by section 15(1) as being accessible to the public apart from this Act.2In this Part—“access authority”—in relation to land in a National Park, means the National Park authority, andin relation to any other land, means the local highway authority in whose area the land is situated;“the appropriate countryside body” means—in relation to England, Natural England , andin relation to Wales, the Natural Resources Body for Wales ; “coastal margin” means land which is of a description specified by an order under section 3A; “excepted land” means land which is for the time being of any of the descriptions specified in Part I of Schedule 1, those descriptions having effect subject to Part II of that Schedule;“mountain” includes, subject to the following definition, any land situated more than 600 metres above sea level;“mountain, moor, heath or down” does not include land which appears to the appropriate countryside body to consist of improved or semi-improved grassland;“open country” means land which—appears to the appropriate countryside body to consist wholly or predominantly of mountain, moor, heath or down, andis not registered common land or coastal margin or land dedicated as coastal margin for the purposes of this Part under section 16.3In this Part “registered common land” means—aland which is registered as common land under the Commons Registration Act 1965 (in this section referred to as “the 1965 Act”) (but is not coastal margin) or land dedicated as coastal margin for the purposes of this Part under section 16 and whose registration under that Act has become final, or land which is registered as common land in a register of common land kept under Part 1 of the Commons Act 2006. bsubject to subsection (4), land which fell within paragraph (a) on the day on which this Act is passed or at any time after that day but has subsequently ceased to be registered as common land under the 1965 Act on the register of common land in which it was included being amended by reason of the land having ceased to be common land within the meaning of that Act.4Subsection (3)(b) does not apply where—athe amendment of the register of common land was made in pursuance of an application made before the day on which this Act is passed, orbthe land ceased to be common land by reason of the exercise of—iany power of compulsory purchase, of appropriation or of sale which is conferred by an enactment,iiany power so conferred under which land may be made common land within the meaning of the 1965 Act in substitution for other land.1965 c. 64. S. 1(2) excluded (24.3.2005) by New Forest National Park Authority (Establishment) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/421), art. 1, Sch. 4 para. 1Words in s. 1(2) substituted (1.10.2006) by Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (c. 16), s. 107, Sch. 11 para. 154; S.I. 2006/2541, art. 2 (with Sch.)Words in s. 1(2) inserted (12.1.2010) by Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c. 23), ss. 303(2)(b), 324(2)(d) (with s. 308)Words in s. 1(2) inserted (12.1.2010) by Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c. 23), ss. 303(2)(c), 324(2)(d) (with s. 308)Words in s. 1(3) inserted (12.1.2010) by virtue of Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c. 23), ss. 303(2)(d), 324(2)(d) (with s. 308)Word in s. 1(1)(d) repealed (12.1.2010) by Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c. 23), ss. 303(2)(a), 324(2)(d), Sch. 22 Pt. 7 (with s. 308)S. 1(1)(da) inserted (12.1.2010) by Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c. 23), ss. 303(2)(a), 324(2)(d) (with s. 308)S. 1(3) modified (temp.) (6.4.2010) by The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (England) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/558), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 24(2)Words in s. 1(2) inserted (E.) (6.4.2010) by The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (England) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/558), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 24(1)(a)Words in s. 1(3) inserted (E.) (6.4.2010) by The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (England) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/558), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 24(1)(b)Words in s. 1(2) substituted (1.4.2013) by The Natural Resources Body for Wales (Functions) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/755), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 401 (with Sch. 7)Words in s. 1(3) substituted (31.10.2011 for E. in relation to the pilot areas, 12.11.2014 for E. for specified purposes, 15.12.2014 for E. for specified purposes) by Commons Act 2006 (c. 26), s. 56, Sch. 5 para. 7(2)(a) (with s. 60); S.I. 2011/2460, art. 2(b); S.I. 2014/3026, art. 3(1)(h) (with art. 5)S. 1(3)(b) repealed (31.10.2011 for E. in relation to the pilot areas, 12.11.2014 for E. for specified purposes, 15.12.2014 for E. for specified purposes) by Commons Act 2006 (c. 26), s. 56, Sch. 5 para. 7(2)(b), Sch. 6 Pt. 1 (with s. 60); S.I. 2011/2460, art. 2(b); S.I. 2014/3026, art. 3(1)(h) (with art. 5)S. 1(4) repealed (31.10.2011 for E. in relation to the pilot areas, 12.11.2014 for E. for specified purposes, 15.12.2014 for E. for specified purposes) by Commons Act 2006 (c. 26), s. 56, Sch. 5 para. 7(3), Sch. 6 Pt. 1 (with s. 60); S.I. 2011/2460, art. 2(b); S.I. 2014/3026, art. 3(1)(h) (with art. 5)