There are about 145,600 km (91,000 miles) of public footpaths in England. They are legally ‘highways’ and allow a right to “pass and repass” on foot, which essentially means that someone can walk or run along public footpaths but they don’t have a ‘recorded right of access’ for anything bigger (like a horse or bicycle). The user may take what is termed as a “natural accompaniment” though – a pram or pushchair for example – or use a mobility aid like a mobility scooter. A user may stop to rest or admire the view, but must stay on the path and not cause an obstruction (the Countryside Code says “Stay on marked paths, even if they’re muddy”). Unless the footpath is on open access land users can not roam over land at will, and must not deviate from the line of the footpath (or any right of way) unless it is to pass an obstruction. There is no law requiring dogs to be on leads when being walked on a public footpath. Horses may NOT be walked ‘in hand’ on a public footpath.