SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 67: Learn What to Do if the Landowner Asks You to Move On

When you spend time outdoors, you may meet a landowner, farmer or land manager who asks you to leave an area. It can feel awkward, particularly if you believe you are following a public route, but arguing on the spot rarely helps.

The important thing is to stay calm, understand the difference between private land and land where public access is permitted, and respond sensibly.

Your Challenge

Learn how to respond respectfully if a landowner asks you to move on, and find out how to check whether you have a legal right to be on that land.

What You’ll Need

• A map showing public footpaths or access land
• Access to official countryside access guidance
• A notebook to record what you learn

Take the Challenge

1. Stay calm and polite. If a landowner asks you to move on, stop and listen. Avoid shouting, arguing or behaving aggressively. Ask politely whether there is a particular reason for the request, such as livestock being moved, dangerous work or a temporary closure.
2. Work out where you are. Check your map and any signs to establish whether you are on a public right of way, open access land, a permissive path or private land without public access rights. These are different categories, and the rules are not the same everywhere in the UK.
3. Understand your access rights. In England and Wales, public rights of way can be used by the public according to their designated status. Certain mapped open access areas also allow walking, subject to restrictions. Private land outside these access rights generally requires permission. Scotland has a different access framework, so check the guidance that applies locally.
4. Consider safety and temporary restrictions. Even where access is normally permitted, there may be lawful restrictions, diversions or immediate hazards. If the landowner explains that there is a genuine safety issue, take it seriously and avoid putting yourself or others at risk.
5. Choose a sensible response. If you are on private land without permission, apologise if appropriate and leave by a safe route. If you believe you are on a public right of way, remain calm, explain politely that you are following the marked route and ask whether there is a diversion or access issue. Do not force your way past anyone or escalate a confrontation.
6. Check afterwards if necessary. If you believe a public right of way has been wrongly blocked or access has been challenged, make a note of the location and check the official map or contact your local highway authority or access authority for advice. Do not try to resolve a disputed legal question through an argument in the field.

You can read the official guidance on rights of way and accessing land and the Countryside Code.

Check Your Results

Check your understanding against these points:

• Can you explain how to respond calmly to a landowner?
• Do you know the difference between a public right of way and private land without access rights?
• Can you explain why access rules vary across the UK?
• Do you know where to check whether a route is a public right of way?
• Can you describe what to do if you believe a route has been wrongly blocked?

Complete the Challenge

Your challenge is complete when you can explain how you would respond to a landowner’s request, identify how you would check your access rights and describe a sensible next step if you believed the route was a public right of way.

You can submit a photograph of a public footpath sign or a map showing a route you have checked. Do not photograph or identify a landowner without their permission.

How to Submit Your Challenge

Submit your evidence

1. Go to your SGUK member profile.
2. Open Social Activity.
3. Upload a photograph of your evidence to the activity wall.
4. Add the hashtag #SGUKChallenge67.
5. Share it for verification.

Challenge 67 Checklist

Want to Push Yourself?

Choose a local walking route and check its access status using an official map. Find out whether it is a public footpath, bridleway, open access land or a permissive path, and explain how the rules differ.

What’s Next?

If you haven’t completed the previous challenge, try SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 66: Walk Safely Along a Road Without a Pavement. You can complete the SGUK Challenges in any order.

Once you’ve shared your evidence and it has been verified, the SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 67 is complete and the completed challenges figure will be updated on your profile.

Learn. Practise. Master.

That’s what the SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge is all about.