Exclusive: Campaigners call for government to introduce right-to-roam bill that allows people to walk around their local woodlands

Nearly three-quarters of England’s woods inaccessible to public, study finds

Exclusive: Campaigners call for government to introduce right-to-roam bill that allows people to walk around their local woodlands Helena Horton Environment reporter Fri 13 Mar 2026 06.00 CET Prefer the Guardian on Google

Nearly three-quarters of England’s woods are off-limits to the public, buried government documents show.

The study by Forest Research, which is a government-funded quango, found that 73% of English woodland is publicly inaccessible.

The research also found that more than a third of the trees on the Woodland Trust’s ancient tree inventory are inaccessible to the public.

  • Korhaka@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    6·
    3 days ago

    Would love some decent right to roam laws. People following the law are the least likely people to cause problems and they are the only people you are blocking out with the current law.

    Trespass isn’t a concern to someone stomping across crops and fly-tipping. It might be to someone going on a walk.

      • blackn1ght@feddit.ukEnglish
        91·
        4 days ago

        No, I’m British. But as humans we tend to ruin places where we go, even unintentionally. I think it’s fine to have a % of woodland that should be left alone.

          • blackn1ght@feddit.ukEnglish
            6·
            4 days ago

            I probably should have read the article :D I jumped to the conclusion that the woodlands were just off limits to everyone, but they’re being used by private entities.