ROW Byways: Public Rights of Way Line Data from the Definitive Map

A working copy extract of the Definitive Map and Statement, the legal record of Public Rights of Way (PROW). The data is maintained by the Government Digital Service and is provided in line form. The dataset is a snapshot for a given time and is updated on a frequent basis.

Use Cases

• Mapping approximate public footpath and bridleway networks based on the line data.
• Analyzing the density of public rights of way in a region for accessibility studies.
• Providing a foundational layer for recreational route planning applications.
• Conducting historical or comparative analysis of public access routes over time.

Strengths

• Derived from the Definitive Map and Statement, which is the legal record of Public Rights of Way.
• Data is updated on a frequent basis, suggesting ongoing maintenance.
• Provided by the Government Digital Service, indicating an authoritative source.

Limitations

• The description explicitly states the data should not be used for legal purposes and may not be up to date, complete, or entirely accurate.
• Lines only indicate approximate location and do not define precise route, center, width, or edge.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Extract of the Definitive Map and Statement, the legal record of Public Rights of Way.

Time Range

Snapshot for a given time; temporal coverage is unknown.

Freshness

Changes are made on a frequent basis, but the last update date is unknown.

Geography

Covers the geographic area of the source Definitive Map, likely a specific jurisdiction (e.g., a UK region).