Woods For All

Abstract The Woods for All (WfA) dataset indicates woodlands, or parts of woodlands, to which the public is indicated to have access. This includes areas designated for statutory public access or with permissive access, as well as 20-metre-wide woodland linear corridors along Public Rights of Way (PRoW). These corridors indicate parts of woodlands that people can experience while using public paths. It is important to note that the dataset has not been ground-truth tested, meaning there is potential for errors or omissions. There are known data gaps, so this it is likely to be a significant underestimate of the woodland access available. Additionally, it may not yet include all updates from highway authorities, or landowners regarding permissive access. For these reasons, whether or not the public has access to a particular woodland should always be verified through alternative sources or direct consultation with relevant authorities or landowners. Summary What is this layer and what can it be used for? The Woods for All (WfA) dataset is derived from a wide range of datasets and data sources, based primarily on the National Forest Inventory England 2022. Its primary purpose is to inform internal FC staff about woodland public access provision. The dataset is particularly valuable when planning or designing woodland creation grant-funded schemes to link or improve access for people. What source data was used? • Forestry Commission: National Forest Inventory 2022 • Forestry Commission: National Forest Estate Ownership England 2019 • The Woodland Trust: Estate • The Woodland Trust: Small Landowners • RSPB: Public Reserve Boundaries (filtered on public access) • Natural England: Millennium Greens • Natural England: Countryside Rights of Way (CRoW) Access • Natural England: Countryside Rights of Way (CRoW) Section 15 • Natural England: Countryside Rights of Way (CRoW) Section 16 • Natural England: Public Rights of Way (PRoW) • Natural England: King Charles III England Coast Path Route • Natural England: National Trail (10 metre buffer) • National Trust: Open Access • National Trust: Limited Access • Royal Parks: Boundaries • Rural Payments Agency: Woodland Supplement 4 (Access for people) • Westacre Estate: Permissible Routes (Cycle, 10 metre buffer) • Westacre Estate: Permissible Routes (Footpaths, 10 metre buffer) • Forestry England: Access • Forestry England: Unrestricted Access • Forestry England: No access • Forestry England: Access Permitted • Forestry England: Access Constrained • Forestry England: De Facto Access Assessment of Public Access The Woods for All (WfA) dataset identifies woodlands, or parts of woodlands, that are indicated as having public access. This includes areas of statutory or permissive access as well as 20-metre-wide woodland linear corridors along Public Rights of Way (PRoW), allowing the public to experience parts of the woodland while on the PRoW. It is important to note that the linear corridor does not create access to the whole woodland, nor does it imply any right of access beyond the route of the PRoW itself. Furthermore, the inclusion of a woodland in the dataset as having public access does not mean it is “fully accessible” (in other words that it has all-ability access). For example, it does not indicate the presence of infrastructure suitable for people using a full range of mobility aids. Users should consult the local Definitive Map to confirm the legal route and status of any recorded PRoW. Limitations and caveats While the WfA dataset is a valuable tool for indicating public access to woodlands, it is important to consider the following limitations and caveats: 1. No guarantee of access rights: inclusion of a woodland in the dataset does not create or guarantee any legal right of access. 2. Gaps in PRoW data: where PRoW data were unavailable, woodlands accessible via PRoW could not be mapped. As a result, some linear access corridors may not appear in the dataset. 3. Potential for errors: the dataset has not been ground-truth tested, which means there is a possibility of inaccuracies. Verification of public access to specific woodlands should always be conducted through alternative sources or direct consultation with relevant authorities or landowners. 4. Delayed updates: constituent datasets, such as those provided by local highway authorities, may not always reflect the most recent updates. For example, modifications made by local highway authorities to the Definitive Map showing PRoW can only be incorporated into WfA after updates are made to the national PRoW dataset. 5. Permissive access: the dataset only includes permissive access where this information has been provided by landowners. 6. Exclusion of informal access: informal access to woodlands, without a legal right or stated permission, is not included in the dataset. Guidance for using the Woods for All (WfA) dataset Filtering for accessible woodland To identify woodland areas with public access, the dataset should be filtered using two key columns. First, apply filters on the ift_ioa column to include the following woodland types: Broadleaved, Conifer, Mixed mainly broadleaved, Mixed mainly conifer, Young trees, Coppice, Coppice with standards, Shrub, Low density, and Assumed woodland. These values capture the diverse categories of woodland covered in the inventory. Next, use the access column to filter for areas classified as having public access. This ensures the dataset focuses on woodlands that are open to the public, supporting analyses of existing woodland public access and potential improvements, for example by applying Forestry Commission public access grants. Enhanced features of linear routes The dataset includes enhanced functionality for analysing linear routes (such as trails and paths) in relation to NFI woodland polygons. Routes are buffered by 10 metres on either side to capture areas immediately adjacent to the path. If a route physically traverses a woodland polygon, the dataset records the length of the route within the polygon. In cases where the buffer intersects a woodland polygon but the actual route does not, this scenario is flagged using columns suffixed with _buffer and _length. By filtering for cases where the buffer is Yes and the length is 0, users can identify routes that are close to woodland (within 10 meters) but not directly in woodland areas. This enhanced feature provides the potential to take into account the possibility to deliver a "woodland experience" without requiring routes to pass through the woodland itself. Practical Use Cases Using these filters and enhanced features, several practical applications of the dataset emerge: 1. Identifying woodland with public access By applying the ift_ioa and access filters, users can isolate areas of woodland that are open to public use, supporting woodland design, management and recreational projects. 2. Analysing woodland proximity The enhanced _buffer and _length columns allow users to assess routes that provide a woodland experience by being near, but not within, woodland areas. This can inform analyses of woodlands access experienced through wider access networks. 3. Integrating routes within woodlands For routes that traverse woodland polygons, the dataset provides precise measurements of route lengths within the woodland. This can be used to evaluate the connectivity and provision of public paths in woodland areas. Contact If you have any questions about the dataset, or need to report potential issues please contact: [woodlandaccess@forestrycommission.gov.uk] with the objectid if appropriate.