Managing people and public access in your woodland
Source: gov.uk (2025-06-26)

Access to forests and woodland improves physical and mental health. It creates a better understanding of nature, and why we need to protect and nurture it.

Woodlands provide a wide range of benefits including recreational spaces, habitat for wildlife, clean air, water and sources of income.

Woodlands also make a crucial contribution towards one of the government’s Environment Improvement Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-improvement-plan) commitments to enhance access to green spaces, ensuring everyone can reach them within 15 minutes of their home.

This commitment is supported by the Woodland Access Implementation Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/woodland-access-implementation-plan/woodland-access-implementation-plan), which sets out the government’s ambitions to improve the quality, quantity and permanency of public access to new and existing woodlands in England.

Managing people with dogs in your woodland

If you are a woodland owner or manager, read about managing visitors with dogs in woodland (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-visitors-with-dogs-in-your-woodland).

Watch the video ‘Managing dogs in woodland (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfI5LFtCLjQ)’ for advice on how to apply this guidance.

Financial support for public access to woodland

Get support for providing and managing access to woodland through these grant supplements:

England Woodland Creation Offer

Funding is available for providing recreational access to woodlands for the public to enjoy under the England Woodland Creation Offer (http://www.gov.uk/guidance/england-woodland-creation-offer).

Countryside Stewardship: permissive access

Get payments for providing permissive access and upgrading existing access, and for accessible infrastructure. Read more about the permissive access offer in the Agricultural Transition Technical annex: the combined environmental land management offer) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-transition-plan-2021-to-2024/technical-annex-the-combined-environmental-land-management-offer#access-and-engagement:~:text=wildfires%20across%20habitats-,Access%20and%20engagement,-This%20covers%20payments).

Forest-based education and learning

Woodland and forests are inspiring places to learn about yourself, the nature around you and how the trees and land are managed.

The Forest Education Network for England (https://rfs.org.uk/fene/) is a network of organisations with an interest in improving understanding through learning experiences in woods and forests. They provide resources aimed at all ages and stages of learning.

Developing a woodland space for educational access (Royal Forestry Society) (https://rfs.org.uk/fene/fene-resource-hub/woodland-educational-access-guidance/) provides guidance for woodland owners considering opening up their space for educational access.

Financial support for woodland educational access

Get support through grant supplements for providing and managing educational access to woodlands:

Countryside Stewardship: access and engagement

You can get payments for providing educational visits to groups to increase their understanding of forestry and woodland management, farmland, wildlife, and the landscape through the Countryside Stewardship educational access offer (https://www.gov.uk/capital-grant-finder/ved1-educational-access-visits).

You can also get payments for educational access infrastructure, see Agricultural Transition Technical annex: the combined environmental land management offer (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-transition-plan-2021-to-2024/technical-annex-the-combined-environmental-land-management-offer#access-and-engagement).

Research, case studies, and the benefits of public access

Read Forest Research’s studies and research on public access to woodlands:
- Understanding and supporting public access to woodlands (https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/research/understanding-and-supporting-public-access-to-woodlands/)
- Valuing the mental health benefits of woodlands (https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/publications/valuing-the-mental-health-benefits-of-woodlands/)
Case studies

Read about the benefits of opening woodland to the local community: Woodland offers a natural health service to the community (https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/woodland-restoration-at-whitewoods-offers-a-natural-health-service-to-the-community).

Learn how a woodland addressed anti-social behaviour and dog-related issues: The Woodland Trust, Uffmoor Wood (https://www.share-withcare.org/peri-urban-woodland/uffmoor-wood/).

Read how the National Forest’s community groups support sustainable woodland management (https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/managing-woodlands-with-community-groups-in-the-national-forest) as well as improve health and wellbeing, enhance woodland access, and support wildlife.

Further reading, resources and videos

Find out more about woodland access:
- creating a lasting legacy of accessible woodlands and forests (https://forestrycommission.blog.gov.uk/2023/12/07/creating-a-lasting-legacy-of-accessible-woodlands-and-forests/) (Forestry Commission blog)
- why are forests and woodlands so good for our mental health and wellbeing? (https://forestrycommission.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/21/why-are-forests-and-woodlands-so-good-for-our-mental-health-and-wellbeing/) (Forestry Commission blog)
- rights of way and accessing land (https://www.gov.uk/right-of-way-open-access-land) (Defra)
- public rights of way: landowner responsibilities (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/public-rights-of-way-landowner-responsibilities) (Natural England)
- open access land: management, rights and responsibilities (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/open-access-land-management-rights-and-responsibilities) (Natural England)
- the Countryside Code (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code) (Natural England)
- video: Unlocking Nature - a short introduction to gaps, gates and stiles (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-KVut1hCJA&t=6s) (Natural England)
- video: Unlocking Nature - gaps, gates and stiles on footpaths (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJBBMBmyN8c&t=7s) (Natural England)
- video: Unlocking Nature - gaps and gates on bridleways (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9yGi8uPII8&t=15s) (Natural England)
Contact us

Email us with any questions regarding this page or woodland access: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).