Waymarks: The Colour-Coded Language of the Footpath

When you see a painted arrow on a wooden post, you are reading a legal sign. In England and Wales, the colour and shape of a waymark tells you who may use that path and what you can expect underfoot. It is a simple system, but it rewards a moment’s attention.

• Yellow arrow – a public footpath. Walkers only, on foot.
• Blue arrow – a public bridleway. Walkers, horse riders and cyclists.
• Red arrow – a restricted byway. Walkers, riders, cyclists and horse-drawn vehicles, but not motor vehicles.
• Purple arrow – a byway open to all traffic. These are often green lanes, and you may meet the occasional vehicle.
• Acorn symbol – a National Trail, waymarked across long distances.

In Scotland, access rights are broader and waymarking is often less formal, but the same principle applies: the sign is there to guide you, not to decorate the post. If a path is signed as permissive rather than public, the landowner has chosen to allow access and may close it on certain days.

Stiles, Gates and the Small Courtesies

Stiles and gates are not obstacles; they are the punctuation marks of a path. A kissing gate lets you through without letting livestock follow. A wooden stile may have steps or a squeeze gap, so take your time, especially with a rucksack or a dog. A bridle gate is wider, built for horses as well as walkers.

The golden rule is to leave every gate as you find it. If it is closed, close it behind you. If it is open, leave it open – a farmer may have opened it deliberately to move stock. Lift latches fully, do not climb over fences beside a gate, and never block a gateway while you check a map. A few seconds of care keeps the path open for everyone.

Reading the Land Beyond the Sign

A public footpath often crosses a field with no visible trodden line. The legal route still exists, usually as a straight line between two waymarks or hedge gaps. Look for a worn strip in the grass, an arrow on a far gatepost, or a gap in the hedge. If a crop is growing, keep to the field margin or the marked line – do not trample the plants. Farmers are legally required to reinstate paths across arable land, but patience and good humour help.

In woodland, waymarks may be sparser. Some paths are permissive: the owner has allowed access, but there is no public right of way. Signs may say “permissive path” or “access by permission”. Follow any temporary diversions, usually marked with yellow notices, and do not assume that a faint track is a right of way. A good map and a sharp eye will keep you honest.

Rights, Responsibilities and Livestock

On a public right of way, you have the right to pass and repass, and to stop for a short rest. You do not have the right to stray into fields, light fires, or camp. Dogs must be under control at all times, and on a lead around livestock. On open access land in England, dogs are usually kept on a lead between 1 March and 31 July to protect ground-nesting birds, and always near farm animals.

Cattle can be curious, especially young bullocks, and cows with calves can be protective. Move calmly, do not run, and if you feel threatened, let your dog off the lead so it can escape. Do not feed or touch livestock, and never leave a gate open because a herd is blocking the path – find a safe way round or turn back. A smile and a wave to a farmer who is working nearby go a long way.

When the Sign Is Missing or the Path Is Obstructed

Waymarks fade, gates seize, and crops sometimes swallow a path. If a stile is broken or a gate is locked across a right of way, do not damage anything. Note the location, take a grid reference if you can, and report it to the local authority’s rights of way team. They hold the definitive map, the legal record of public paths, and they can advise on the correct route.

An electric fence across a path can often be stepped over carefully, but if it is unsafe, find another way and report it. Landowners may divert a path temporarily for safety or farming reasons, but there should be a clear notice. If no alternative is marked, trust your map and your judgement – and never put yourself at risk to prove a point.

Walking with Confidence, Leaving Only Footprints

Reading footpaths well is a quiet skill. Carry a detailed map, check the local authority’s online path records before a new walk, and learn the waymark colours for your area. Give wildlife space, keep to the path through nesting season, and take all litter home. The countryside is a working place as well as a playground, and every walker who closes a gate and respects a crop makes access easier for the next person.

So next time you reach a stile, pause for a second. The sign, the gate and the worn grass are all telling you the same thing: you are welcome here, on certain terms. Learn those terms and you will walk with confidence, through farmland and woodland, for years to come.