There are for types of highways in the UK:
But what when the pedestrian wants to walk their dog along a footpath? Or when they want to carry something? Is that allowed?
Fortunately for us, the courts have considered this very question. Although, we need to go back a long time before the relatively modern Definitive Map and Statement.
Interestingly, the case of R v Mathias (1861) was an assault case and not directly concerned with the rights on a highway. Mathias was a landowner and he was charged with "laying hands" on a lady pushing a pram. He accepted that the lady had a right to walk along the footpath but not to push the pram, which he considered to be a vehicle.
The judge, Justice Byles, told the jury that Mathias had two rights: firstly, as a member of the public, he had a right to remove a public nuisance and secondly, as the landowner, to remove anything encumbering his land. The judge then told the jury that a nuisance is anything that "prevents convenient use of the way by passengers".
The prosecution successfully argued that a pram is a "usual accompaniment". It does not fit the description of a vehicle because it was common, and a large number of pedestrians pushed prams. It was also of such a size that it could be picked up and carried.
The jury agreed with the prosecution and the concept of "usual accompaniment" was established.
So we know that we can push a pram along a footpath. The same principle applies to dogs. Although a footpath has no expressed right for dogs and they would not be permitted on their own, a dog is a "usual accompaniment" when being taken for a walk by a person using a footpath.
What about other animals?
Horses have a special mention because bridleways can be used on horseback and leading a horse. It, therefore, follows that horses are not permitted on footpaths. Unless the footpath also has higher rights which is a different matter.
But there are other animals where the situation is far less clear. There was a time when elephants would regularly be led from town to town to appear at the circus. More recently, llama trekking has become popular so there is the question as to whether llamas are permitted on footpaths.
Only the courts can categorically rule on such matters. However, we feel that the question comes down to whether the animal under consideration accompanies a large number of the public. It seems to us that fewer people walk either elephants or llamas than walk dogs. So these two examples are restricted to bridleways and byways.