Who can use them

Types of Rights of Way
Rights of way are paths and tracks which you can use to cross private land. If a member of public strays off a right of way onto land which they have no other rights of public access they will be committing a trespass against the landowner. There are four types of path on which you are allowed to do different things. It is a criminal offence to prevent the public exercising the rights below.

Look out for these waymarks

A Footpath is a highway over which the public has a right of way on foot only.

A bridleway is a highway over which the public has a right of way on foot, horseback and on a pedal cycle (including mountain-bikes). There may also be a right to drive animals along a bridleway

A restricted byway is a highway over which the public is entitled to travel on foot, horseback and with non-mechanically propelled vehicles (such as pedal cycles and horsedrawn vehicles). There may also be a right to drive animals along a restricted byway.

A Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT) is a highway over which the public is entitled to travel on foot, horseback or pedal cycle and by wheeled vehicle of all kinds, including horse-drawn vehicles, but which is used by the public mainly for walking or for riding. Most of these highways do not have a surface suitable for ordinary motor traffic.

A permissive path is not a public right of way, but the public is allowed to use it with the permission of the land owner.

A green lane is an unsurfaced track or path, bounded by hedges or walls, and often of some antiquity. The term has no legal meaning, and, if there is a public right of way along such a track, it will usually be classified under one of the above headings