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Public Rights of Way Open Data and Licensing

This page is my attempt to record the availability and licensing of open data on Public Rights of Way from each of the Surveying Authorities in England and Wales. (Scotland and Northerin Ireland have different approaches to Rights of Way.) Rows with grey text correspond to Inner London Boroughs and the Isles of Scilly, which are exempt from the requirement to maintain a Definitive Map and Statement. To ensure everything is verifiable, the entries in the table are based on statements and data coming directly from the councils concerned, or via an official OpenData portal. The Rowmaps website has a lot more data, but a lot of that has been provided privately. If you spot any errors in the tables or anything that needs updating, then please get in touch.

Note that only datasets that have been released under the Open Government Licence or another licence that is compatible with the ODbL may be used in OpenStreetMap (provided the required attribution statement has been added to the Contributors wiki page). The online maps produced by many authorities cannot be used if they contain a third-party (unlicensed) base map. See Use of Rights of Way Data in OpenStreetMap for further details. I have a PRoW progress tool that makes use of the Council data to help with OSM mapping. When suitable data is published, I am happy add more authorities (see conditions). In the tables below, authorities with a star (*) in the second column are ready to be imported if/when anyone requests it. Those with a plus sign (+) need the licence clarifying. Those with a cross (×) need a look-up table to convert parish reference numbers to names.

Authorities in England

Surveying Authority RM Type OM GIS Data DS TROs LoS PT DSI Notes LU
Barking and Dagenham LBO  
Barnet LBO Definitive maps can be found in the FOI Disclosure Log https://barnetportal.icasework.com/cases?&public=true&byCaseType=false&byKeyword=true&max=20&title=Barnet%20Disclosure by searching for 26/01/2017.  
Barnsley * BL MTD OGL 3  
Bath and North East Somerset BS UTA OGL 3 4y
Bedford BF UTA  
Bexley BX LBO N/L  
Birmingham × BI MTD OGL 3 EIR & RoPSIR request made at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_an_7 ; accepted following internal review and data sent to me personally and passed on to Rowmaps. Rowmaps got an update in October 2020. I've sent a new request in December 2021: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_12  
Blackburn with Darwen * BB UTA OGL 3 OGL 3 FOI request at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_data_2  
Blackpool BP UTA N/L  
Bolton * BO MTD OGL 3 (dl) Three-letter codes are used for parishes/areas in GIS data, but I have a list from the council.  
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole UTA The three former councils, each seem to have their own PRoW pages: https://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/travelandtransport/Walk/PublicRightsofWay.aspx https://www.christchurch.gov.uk/roads-highways-maintenance/rights-of-way/public-rights-of-way-maintenance.aspx https://www.poole.gov.uk/streets-and-travel/cycling-and-walking/public-rights-of-way/  
Bracknell Forest * BC UTA OGL 3 (dl) N/L  
Bradford * BA MTD OGL 3 (dl) Download of RoW GIS data is in two parts; one for the former borough and one of the outer area.  
Brent LBO N/L Previously had an online PRoW map, but this doesn't seem to exist any more.  
Brighton and Hove BH UTA  
Bristol BZ UTA  
Bromley * BR LBO OGL 3 (dl)  
Buckinghamshire BM UTA OGL 3 (dl) N/L GIS file uses three-letter abbreviations for the parishes. 16m
Bury BY MTD N/L  
Calderdale CA MTD  
Cambridgeshire CB CTY OGL 3 (dl) OGL 3 N/L N/L 10m
Camden LBI    
Central Bedfordshire BK UTA  
Cheshire East CH UTA  
Cheshire West and Chester CC UTA  
City of London LBI    
Cornwall CN UTA OGL 3 (dl) N/L Parishes only identified by numbers in GIS data. Lookup table requested at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/parish_numbers_in_public_rights . Also foudn online at https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/5khpmvvl/public-rights-of-way-parish-list.pdf , linked from https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/environment/countryside/public-rights-of-way-mapping/ . 6m
Coventry × CV MTD OGL 3  
Croydon LBO N/L N/L  
Cumbria × CU CTY OGL 3 N/L Definitive Statements not held in electronic form as of 2017. Dataset released excludes National Park area, and uses 3-digit parish codes in place of names. Request made to clarify: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_5  
Darlington UTA  
Derby UTA  
Derbyshire DY CTY OGL 3 (dl) N/L 18m
Devon DN CTY OGL 3 (dl) 16m
Doncaster DR MTD  
Dorset DT UTA OGL 3 As of 2021-10, the GIS file from the council appears to include data for parishes (E61,E62,E63) now in the BCP Unitary Authority. 16m
Dudley DZ MTD  
Durham DU UTA  
Ealing LBO  
East Riding of Yorkshire EY UTA OGL 3 5y
East Sussex ES CTY OGL 3 (dl) Data.gov.uk links are broken, including the one at https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/discover-east-sussex/rightsofway/about-the-online-rights-of-way-map/rights-of-way-open-data/ . I've contacted their RoW team on 2021-03-33 to enquire. 4m
Enfield LBO  
Essex EX CTY OGL 3 (dl) OGL 3 N/L N/L Data and re-use request for GIS data and statements at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_an_8 . New request for GIS data and updates made at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_8 3m
Gateshead GH MTD N/L  
Gloucestershire GR CTY OGL 3 Statements not held in electronic form: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_an_6 12m
Greenwich LBI    
Hackney LBI    
Halton UTA  
Hammersmith and Fulham LBI    
Hampshire HP CTY OGL 3 (dl) OGL 3 OGL 3 OGL 3 Permission to re-use the Statements, List of Streets, and list of TROs granted at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/re_use_of_definitive_statements 19m
Haringey LBO  
Harrow LBO  
Hartlepool UTA  
Havering LBO N/L N/L  
Herefordshire HE UTA OGL 3 OGL 3 Data can be downloaded from https://restservices.herefordshire.gov.uk/opendata/services/publicrightsofwayservice via https://restservices.herefordshire.gov.uk/publicrightsofway/mapsearch?Query=POLYGON((-3.2%2051.8,-2.3%2051.8,-2.3%2052.4,-3.2%2052.4,-3.2%2051.8))&Simplify=1&Type=all&Version=1&format=json but only under OS-ODL. Also Definitive Map REST service at https://restservices.herefordshire.gov.uk/highways/definitivemap/mapsearch under PSMA. 3y
Hertfordshire HD CTY OGL 3 (dl) N/L N/L 3y
Hillingdon LBO  
Hounslow LBO  
Isle of Wight IW UTA OGL 3 N/L 6y
Isles of Scilly UTA Under s100 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/37/section/100/enacted) the Isles of Scilly are excluded from the duties to record and map Public Rights of Way.  
Islington LBI    
Kensington and Chelsea LBI    
Kent KT CTY OGL 3 OGL 3 N/L 7m
Kingston upon Hull KH UTA  
Kingston upon Thames LBO  
Kirklees KL MTD  
Knowsley MTD  
Lambeth LBI    
Lancashire LA CTY OGL 3 GIS data and Definitive statements supplied on a CD in response to https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_definitive_2 5y
Leeds × LD MTD OGL 3  
Leicester LC UTA N/L N/L  
Leicestershire LT CTY  
Lewisham LBI    
Lincolnshire LL CTY OGL 3 GIS data requested and supplied at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_11 . Statements not held electronically. Second request at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_fo to get parish conversion file and check on prow_ref format. 2y
Liverpool MTD GIS data held according to https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/prow_data_23  
Luton UTA WFS server quoted at https://data.gov.uk/dataset/0537cdbd-60ad-462f-ace6-2e94fc6d90ba/public-rights-of-way appears not to be working  
Manchester * MA MTD OGL 3 Online map and GIS download cover the whole of the Greater Manchester area  
Medway ME UTA N/L  
Merton LBO  
Middlesbrough UTA  
Milton Keynes UTA  
Newcastle upon Tyne MTD  
Newham LBO  
Norfolk NK CTY OGL 3 (dl) OGL 3 OGL 2 No central list of TROs; would need to search each parish file individually for those affecting Rights of Way. 11m
North East Lincolnshire UTA  
North Lincolnshire NI UTA N/L N/L N/L TRO page only seems to include recent orders.  
North Northamptonshire NN UTA N/L TROs in three lists: seasonal, permanent, and temporary.  
North Somerset NS UTA  
North Tyneside MTD  
North Yorkshire NY CTY OGL 3 (dl) 7m
Northumberland ND UTA Page at https://data.gov.uk/dataset/92081172-2856-47d0-8034-a37b57f50c60/public-rights-of-way-northumberland claiming PRoW data under OGL, but link doesn't seem to work.  
Nottingham + NG UTA OS-ODL Conflicted description of licence for GIS data. Site says OGL, but then includes OS-ODL additions.  
Nottinghamshire NT CTY  
Oldham × OH MTD OGL 3 (dl) N/L Abbreviations used for parishes in GIS file, but only 8 values and can identify manually. Links from data.gov.uk are broken as of 2021-03. Email sent to the council to ask for them to be fixed.  
Oxfordshire ON CTY OGL 3 OGL 1 9m
Peterborough PE UTA  
Plymouth × PY UTA OGL 3 (dl) N/L N/L GIS file uses numerical codes for parishes. Need to obtain lookup table.  
Portsmouth PO UTA N/L  
Reading RG UTA  
Redbridge LBO  
Redcar and Cleveland RC UTA WFS sever previously link from https://data.gov.uk/dataset/aa40ec4b-5f03-4e4e-aad1-64ce74c9c7cb/redcar-and-cleveland-borough-council-public-rights-of-way but that page has now gone. Direct download link was previously http://inspire.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/geoserver/RCBC_INSPIRE_WFS/wfs?request=getfeature&version=2.0.0&typeName=RCBC_INSPIRE_WFS:RCBC-PROW&outputformat=SHAPE-ZIP .  
Richmond upon Thames LBO N/L  
Rochdale RD MTD  
Rotherham RO MTD N/L (dl)  
Rutland RL UTA  
Salford * SC MTD OGL 3 (dl)  
Sandwell MTD  
Sefton SE MTD  
Sheffield * SP MTD OGL 3 OGL 3  
Shropshire SH UTA  
Slough YT UTA Previously had an online RoW map at http://www.slough.gov.uk/connect/analyst/mobile/#/main?mapcfg=walkingcyclingmap but this doesn't seem to exist any more.  
Solihull MTD  
Somerset ST CTY OGL 3 (dl) Licence to re-use GIS granted at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/licence_for_re_use_of_public_rig . Details of numbering scheme at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/rights_of_way_numbering_query . OGL also stated implicitly at https://www.somerset.gov.uk/our-information/the-re-use-of-our-information/ . 2y
South Gloucestershire SG UTA OGL 3 GIS data and statements requested at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_an_9 11m
South Tyneside MTD  
Southampton SO UTA N/L  
Southend-on-Sea UTA N/L  
Southwark LBI    
St Helens SN MTD  
Staffordshire SF CTY N/L See http://www.rowmaps.com/datasets/SF/ for PRoW GIS licence details.  
Stockport * YY MTD OGL 3 Abbreviations used for parishes/areas in the GIS file, but only a few and they can be worked out manually.  
Stockton-on-Tees + SM UTA OS-ODL  
Stoke-on-Trent UTA  
Suffolk SK CTY OGL 3 OGL 3 OGL 3 OGL 3 GIS Data and statements previously obtained via https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_an and . But now parties can request to be added to a mailing list to receive quarterly updates. Permission to use List of Streets at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/list_of_streets_maintainable_at 5m
Sunderland MTD  
Surrey * SU CTY OGL 3 (dl)  
Sutton LBO  
Swindon UTA N/L GIS data held according to https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/prow_data_38  
Tameside TS MTD  
Telford and Wrekin UTA  
Thurrock TU UTA  
Torbay TB UTA  
Tower Hamlets LBI    
Trafford × TR MTD OGL 3 Online map and GIS download cover the whole of the Greater Manchester area  
Wakefield WE MTD  
Walsall WA MTD  
Waltham Forest LBO  
Wandsworth LBI    
Warrington WG UTA  
Warwickshire WK CTY OGL 3 N/L Previous successful request at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_information . Rowmaps has got more recent data. 11m
West Berkshire WB UTA N/L N/L  
West Northamptonshire NN UTA N/L TROs in three lists: seasonal, permanent, and temporary.  
West Sussex WS CTY    
Westminster LBI    
Wigan * WN MTD OGL 3 N/L  
Wiltshire WT UTA OGL 3 FOI Request made at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_9 12m
Windsor and Maidenhead WC UTA — (dl) N/L EIR Request and permission to re-use under OGL documented at https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/home/council-and-democracy/strategies-and-policies/freedom-information/information-requests/75720-er-public-rights-way  
Wirral × WR MTD OGL 3 (dl) N/L  
Wokingham WJ UTA  
Wolverhampton MTD  
Worcestershire WO CTY OGL 3 OGL 3 OGL 3 OGL 3 Statements available as TIFF files from links in the online map. Only Byways with TROs listed in the link. Re-Use of Statements granted at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_an_4 . Reuse of List of Streets and TRO data at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/re_use_of_classified_and_unclass . GIS update requested at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_rights_of_way_gis_data_6 15m
York × YK UTA OGL 3 GIS download is in two parts; there's a second page for Bridleways at https://data.gov.uk/dataset/eb384980-3151-4ddd-b833-b65af3646df5/bridleways . GIS file uses numerical codes for parishes. Need to obtain lookup table.  

Authorities in Wales

Surveying Authority RM Type OM GIS Data DS TROs LoS PT DSI Notes LU
Blaenau Gwent BG UTA  
Bridgend UTA  
Caerphilly × CF UTA OGL 3 OGL 3 Information about naming convention and Statements at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_right_of_way_naming_conve 2y
Cardiff CD UTA  
Carmarthenshire UTA  
Ceredigion CE UTA  
Conwy UTA  
Denbighshire UTA  
Flintshire FL UTA  
Gwynedd GY UTA  
Isle of Anglesey IA UTA  
Merthyr Tydfil MT UTA  
Monmouthshire UTA  
Neath Port Talbot UTA  
Newport UTA  
Pembrokeshire PB UTA  
Powys * PW UTA OGL 3 (dl) N/L 20 features in the GIS Shapefile are missing the "Community" (i.e. "Parish") field. Council emailed to see if there's a reason. Also, it appears the DM&S is in three parts (for the three former councils of Radnorshire, Mongomeryshire, and Brecknockshire) and each part uses a different numbering scheme. 5y
Rhondda Cynon Taf RH UTA  
Swansea SS UTA  
Torfaen TF UTA  
Vale of Glamorgan VG UTA GIS data licensed under OGL according to http://www.rowmaps.com/datasets/VG/ but no public statement of this.  
Wrexham WX UTA  

Summary Statistics

Measure Number Percent
DM&S Maintining Authorities 160 100.0%
Data available on Rowmaps.com 113 70.6%
Online map on authority website 108 67.5%
Data publicly available 56 35.0%
Re-Use permitted under OGL3 48 30.0%
Direct download link available 24 15.0%

Download data as JSON (CC0)

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