Doncaster's Open Access Land The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 created a new statutory right of access on foot to open countryside and common land. The area of land where the right applies has been specifically designated. In the Borough of Doncaster this is restricted to Thorne Moors, part of Hatfield Moor and some small spots of woodland. Access land is shown on the OS Explorer map highlighted with a yellow wash and a pink border.

The Doncaster Borough has four areas of Access Land

 

Thorne Moors

The majority of Doncaster's 1300 hectares (approx) of Open Access land is located within Thorne Moors; part of the Humberhead Peatlands a Natural England National Nature Reserve (NNR).
Thorne Moors adjoins Crowle and Goole Moors, which lie within the neighbouring local authorities of East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, approximately 15 km west of Scunthorpe. It is separated from Hatfield Moor (also part of the Humberheads Peatlands) to the south by the M180. Although totalling over 3000 ha, the NNR consists of a 2888 ha area of lowland raised bog, the largest area of its type in lowland Britain. The two sites are invaluable for wildlife, despite a history of peat cutting spanning the period from the Middle Ages right through to 2004.
Access to Thorne Moors can be gained via public footpaths from Moorends (Grange Road and Wilkinson Avenue) or via Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust's Crowle Moors.
The NNR has an active volunteer team who carry out a variety of tasks at the NNR from practical habitat management to wildlife surveys or wardening. For more details of how to get involved visit Natural England's website.Humberhead Peatlands

Hatfield Moors

Hatfield Moor lies within the Humberhead Peatlands and is sited to the south of the M180. It shares many characteristics with the neighbouring Thorne Moors and is also owned and managed for its wildlife by Natural England. Hatfield too is a National Nature Reserve.
Part of the site has been dedicated as Open Access Land.
Access to the site is available off the A614 at Boston Park (parking) and from the public bridleway along Moor Lane leading out of Wroot.

Sandwith Hill

Auckley Common is a very small area of heath and scrub grassland lying off Common Lane, a rural unclassified road, running between the village of Auckley and the A614 close to the village of Blaxton.
Sandwith Hill is owned and managed by Doncaster Council.

Wet Holt

This site lies along the western boundary of Wadworth Wood, a large private estate woodland that straddles the M18 to the southwest of Doncaster. The site comprises broadleaved woodland, owned and managed by the Forestry Commission (FC). Many of the trees are young, vegetation is quite dense and there are no existing tracks or footpaths within Wet Holt itself. There is currently no public access to Wet Holt.

 

Contact

For further information regarding open access land in Doncaster  email: publicrightsofway@doncaster.gov.uk

For further information regarding open access land in general contact Natural England

Natural England Open Access Land

 

 

 

Last updated: 20 February 2024 11:32:55

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