Footpaths and Rights of Way

If you wish to explore Public Rights of Way in and around Lacock, please follow the link Wiltshire Council Rights of Way Explorer and search using the Postcode “SN15 2LQ”, this will zoom the map on the centre of the village. Please also note that, whilst there are many other footpaths commonly being used around Lacock, these are generally in use by the “grace and favour” of the landowner, please respect their right to “graze and farm” their land as they see fit: if walkers continue to act responsibly and respectfully, then the landowner is more likely to allow their use to continue.

The North West Wilts Ramblers regularly arrange walks in and around Lacock, a link to their website and their forward calendar of events is here:
North West Wiltshire – Ramblers

They have also produced a booklet entitled “12 Walks around Chippenham” (3rd Edition, ISBN 978-1-5272-2194-9), Walk 10 features Lacock, Bowden Hill and Naish Hill and is highly recommended.

The National Trust have documented 4 walks around the Village, which are available to view and download by following this link: National Trust – Our Favourite Walks at Lacock

If you are considering a walking a bit further afield from Lacock, the Wiltshire Canal Trust has an interactive map which will enable you to understand the region in greater detail, where you can filter on different categories of information, and learn which wildlife populates the different areas, it can be found at: https://www.wbct.org.uk/enjoy-discover/interactive-map

There are also guided and self guided walks available from the Cotswolds National Landscapes Wardens: Walking & Exploring – Cotswolds National Landscape (cotswolds-nl.org.uk) Their 2024 Avon valley calendar for guided walks is available on this flyer.

If you identify a problem with a Public Right of Way, it can be reported by anyone using the MyWilts on-line facility at https://my.wiltshire.gov.uk/

Alternatively, you are not comfortable using this on-line application, please send an e-mail to Simon.wise@lacockparishcouncil.gov.uk with as much detail as possible (if possible, an attached digital photograph is incredibly useful), he will then raise the matter to the appropriate authorities, and monitor any resolution on your behalf

The Wiltshire Council Rights of Way Explorer also allows you to confirm the status of a route, and check for any restrictions, closures or diversions. As a reminder for any visitors, there are a number of different ROW categories, with differing allowed uses:

Footpath – for use by walkers

Bridleway – for use by walkers, horse riders and push bikes.

Restricted Byway – for use by walkers, horse riders and push bikes.

Byway – for use by walkers, horse riders and push bikes and motor vehicles.

Be aware that some footpaths and bridleways may follow farm tracks, and you may encounter farm vehicles and machinery.