Byways and Bridleways Trust facts for kids
The Byways and Bridleways Trust (BBT) is a special charity that helps protect public paths in England and Wales. It started in 1979 and became a registered charity in 1980. Its main goal is to make sure that paths like bridleways and byways stay open and are looked after for everyone to enjoy.
What is the Byways and Bridleways Trust?
The Byways and Bridleways Trust works to keep public paths safe and open. These paths are like small roads or tracks that people can use to explore the countryside. The Trust focuses on two main types of paths:
- Bridleways: These are paths where you can walk, ride a horse, or cycle.
- Byways: These are paths that can be used by walkers, horse riders, cyclists, and sometimes even vehicles. They are often old tracks or lanes.
The Trust believes these paths are important because they let people connect with nature, enjoy outdoor activities, and learn about history.
How Does the Trust Protect Paths?
The BBT plays an important role in protecting these paths. When changes are planned for public paths, the government, local councils, or even people building new things have to ask the Trust for their opinion. This is because the Trust is an expert on these paths.
The Trust looks at proposed changes and gives advice to make sure that public paths are not lost or damaged. They also respond to new laws or plans from the government, like those about the countryside or planning new buildings.
The main aim of the Trust is: To protect, keep, improve, and develop public paths for everyone. This helps make life better for people, especially by making sure that all public paths, like byways, green lanes, and bridleways, are properly mapped and recorded in England and Wales.
What is a Definitive Map?
To protect paths, it's important to know exactly where they are. That's why there's something called the Definitive Map and Statement. This is a very important legal record of all public paths. Local councils are in charge of keeping this map updated.
The Definitive Map shows where all the public footpaths, bridleways, and byways are located. It's like an official guide that proves which paths are truly public and should be kept open for everyone to use. This map is required by a law from 1949, called the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act.
