Explore how law shapes open spaces and the rights of way that connect communities to the countryside.
This practical treatise gathers the key rules and recent changes that govern the use of rural England for recreation. It explains the public interest in open spaces, and how rights of way and common lands are managed, protected, or adjusted through statutory processes.
- Learn the difference between regulation and inclosure under the Commons Act and how rights are determined, preserved, or modified.
- Understand the role of local authorities and the Board of Agriculture in safeguarding pathways, commons, and rural amenities.
- See how recent legislation affects park-like open spaces, common lands, and the means to prevent loss of public access.
- Get a clear overview of procedures for applying for regulation, and what constitutes a benefit to the public and to those who hold related rights.
Ideal for readers of property, public access, and rural recreation law who want a practical, readable guide to the subjects that affect countryside enjoyment and the protection of open spaces.
As solicitor to the Commons Preservation Society, Sir Robert Hunter (1844-1913) was an authority on common land. First published in 1896, this work is an expert account of nineteenth-century legal developments which both government and charitable bodies have since used in preserving the heritage of the nation.