National Trails

National Trails are long distance walking, cycling and horse riding routes through the best landscapes in Wales. After World War II the desire to keep areas of Britain 'special' and to protect them from post-war development led to the establishment of Long Distance Routes (now called National Trails). Each Trail has a Trail Partnership made up of the local authority or national park responsible for the path on the ground. There is a dedicated National Trail Officer with responsibility for keeping the Trail up to the high standards set for National Trails. Maintenance work is carried out by the local highway authorities together with landowners often with the help of volunteers.


The approved line is the route that went through an establishment process under sections 50A-55 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and generally follows public rights of way and adopted highways.


Over the years the route that is walked/signed may have altered (e.g. a landowner gives permissive access so that a road can be avoided, sections have eroded or, simply, a path is created by footfall that is away from the legal line). This is the walked line (the route as it appears on the ground).

Identification

Identifier
NRW_DS99415
Alternative Title
  • National Trails (Walked Line).LYR
  • National Trails (Approved Line).LYR
Metadata Language
English
Lineage

Line datasets showing the extent of National Trails in Wales were digitised into ArcGIS format. These datasets shows the walked lines and the approved line.
Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
2026-07-27

Temporal Extent

Begin date
1998-01-01
End date
2022-01-31
 
Topic category
  • Society
  • Health
  • Utilities communication
Originator
  Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -
Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales
http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en
Originator
  Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) -
Countryside Council for Wales, Maes y Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW
http://naturalresourceswales.gov.uk/splash?orig=/
Owner
  Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -
Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales
http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en
 

Extent

Extent

Geographic Extent
Wales (WLS)
N
W
E
S
Map representing the geographic extent of the dataset


 
 

Distribution

Distribution

Format Type and Description
  • Geographic Information System ( Unknown )

    Specification

    ESRI Feature Class

Resource Locator
View and Download ( WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link )
Resource Locator
Web Mapping Service ( OGC:WMS )
 

Quality

Data quality

Quality Scope
Dataset
Conformity
Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
Explanation

This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation.
Degree
false
Lineage

Line datasets showing the extent of National Trails in Wales were digitised into ArcGIS format. These datasets shows the walked lines and the approved line.
 

Keywords

Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
Type
Theme

Citation

Date (Publication)
2008-06-01
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme

Keywords

NRW Thesaurus
  • access (see also rights of way)
  • Rights of Way survey
  • Public Rights of Way (PROW)
  • national trails (national trail)
  • geographical information systems (GIS)
Type
Theme

Citation

Date (Publication)
2026-07-24
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords

Keywords

NRW SMNR Keywords
  • Regulating Services (SMNR)
  • Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR)
  • Management Areas (SMNR)
  • Mountains, Moorland and Heaths (SMNR)
  • Soil and Land (SMNR)
  • Urban (SMNR)
  • Semi-natural Grasslands (SMNR)
  • Provisioning Services (SMNR)
  • Coastal Margins (SMNR)
  • Woodlands (SMNR)
  • Physical Geography (Physiography) (SMNR)
  • Ecosystem (SMNR)
  • Natural Resources (Incl. Features and Processes) (SMNR)
  • Enclosed Farmlands (SMNR)
  • Cultural Services (SMNR)
  • Ecosystem Services (SMNR)
Type
Theme

Citation

Date (Publication)
2024-06-26
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-smnr-keywords
 

Spatial Reference System

Code
British National Grid (EPSG::27700)
 

Content

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

 

Constraints

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Restriction type
Other restrictions
 

Access Constraints Directive

Limitations
no limitations
 

Access Constraints Text

Other constraints

There are no access restrictions to this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely.
 

Use Constraints

Use constraints type
Other restrictions
Other constraints

© CNC/NRW All rights Reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right. Data may be re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing it is done so, acknowledging both the source and copyright of the owners. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose.
 

Attribution Statement

Other constraints

Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right.
 

Licence

Other constraints
Open Government Licence
 
 
 

Metadata

Metadata

File Identifier
4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-3939343135 XML
Metadata Language
English
Resource type
Dataset
Metadata Date
2026-08-18T15:09:42.322Z
Metadata Standard Name
NRW
Metadata Standard Version

1.0

pointOfContact
  Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -
Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales
http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en
 
 

Publishing Body

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