The Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000) gave the public the right to walk over a great deal of private land although by this time the Abbeystead estate had already recognised and acknowledged the benefits of allowing visitors greater access.

Presently some 1,500 acres of Open Access land have been designated near Tarnbrook with just over 7 miles of paths and shooting tracks linking the access strip and Ward's Stone. It is intended that this will give walkers some interesting new opportunities to explore the local moorland.

The Lancashire Countryside Service has been managing acess to the fells for almost three decades and in total manages a further 4,000 acres of Access Area across Lancashire. Full-time and volunteer Rangers play a key role in this important work, for example by maintaining stiles and information signs and by providing walkers with advice and assistance.

We carefully consider the impact of visitors to the estate, monitoring ground erosion and taking remedial action where necessary. In very dry weather, for example, the condition of the peat in this region needs to be monitored regularly, and access can be suspended at times of exceptionally high fire risk in order to reduce the potential for damage to important wildlife and economic resources.

To see maps of Access Areas in the Forest of Bowland please click  here.