Paths in Exmoor National Park may be public rights of way or permitted paths.

Public rights of way are paths along which the public has a legal right to pass and repass.  Permitted paths constitute access available by landowner permission rather than by legal right.  

Public Rights of Way

Public rights of way fall into four main categories according to the type of use allowed.

Permitted Paths

There are numerous permitted paths in the National Park some available under agreement between the landowner and an authority and many which are not currently part of an agreement. .  Permitted paths under agreement will sometimes be closed temporarily by landowners for land management reasons.  Permitted paths without agreements can be closed temporarily or permanently by the landowner at any time for any reason.  Landowners can choose what kind of access they wish to allow.  Usually this will be similar to public rights of way (eg footpath or bridleway) but a landowner can be very specific about the access they wish to permit, for example by allowing only one category of user or allowing access only at certain times of the year.

Permitted paths will usually be waymarked with white arrows but are sometimes shown with coloured waymarks to indicate the type of users to whom permission is given to use the route.