New access rights

Open Access Land in Cambridgeshire applies to registered Common Land.

There is no right of access to farmland other than along existing Public rights of way.  

We have about 300 Registered Commons.  Approximately half of the sites are small village greens, already open and looked after by parish councils.

Of the rest, many are commons which are already fully accessible with a network of public rights of way, such as the commons within Cambridge city. 

Larger commons were surveyed and seven sites identified for access improvements. 
East Fen and Quy Fen Commons in Soham and Portholme, Godmanchester Eastside and Westside, St Neots Common and Hawkesden Leys in Huntingdonshire.

Improvements were made to the sites with the installation of kissing gates replacing stiles across all sites, two self closing bridle gates, a footbridge and a 2 in 1 gate. Over 40 signs are in place providing people with information on their new rights of access and on the common and it's wildlife.

This work was funded by an Access Management Grant awarded by the Countryside Agency. 

Further work is planned that includes installing more gates in the Soham area and interpretation boards for Portholme and St Neots. This work will take place in the future when funding allows.

To view a map of the new open access land, and for further information on open access, please select the link to the Countryside Access web site. 
Our copyright agreement does not allow us to display these commons on our rights of way map.

Please note that the new right of access is on foot only.  Where higher rights exist on public rights of way these will be unchanged, but a right to ride a horse or bicycle on a bridleway across a common, for example,  does not imply a right to ride anywhere on that common.

Help and advice

To help you plan where to go and what to do in the countryside, check out the Countryside Access link on the right for advice on the new public right of access to open country and registered common land, and details of national trails, national parks, rights of way and links to many related organisations.