A NEW guide highlights the beauty of the moors above Huddersfield.

It centres on the areas around Huddersfield which have been opened to walkers under new ``right to roam" legislation.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act came into force last September and gave the public rights to reach privately-owned land in areas of south-east and north-west England.

The Act means private heath, moorland, mountain, downland or registered common land mapped by The Countryside Agency is now open to the public.

The agency hopes to have mapped all England and Wales by the end of this year.

To help delighted walkers enjoy their new right to roam, the Ramblers' Association has teamed up with publishers Frances Lincoln to produce paperback guides to the newly-mapped areas.

The guides are entitled Freedom To Roam.

Islington MP Chris Smith, president of the Ramblers' Association, said: "The right to roam brings huge new areas of land into walking use.

"It's a proud day for us to have these opportunities at our feet.

"These guides will help us to make the most of them."

The first five of these guides focus on the Peak District and Pennine regions.

One of them - The Pennine Divide - covers moorland between Huddersfield and Manchester.

Places in the guide include Holme Moss, Buckstones Moor, Standedge Tunnel, Pule Hill at Marsden and Meltham Moor.

The guides give facts about the areas' landscapes, history and wildlife and offers 12 walking routes, which vary in difficulty.

Each walk has its own Ordnance Survey map, with special features and points of interest indicated.

The guides also include information on what rights of access the public have and what rules they should follow.

The guides, which cost £7.99 each, have been edited by Andrew Bibby, an author and outdoor pursuits journalist.

For more information about the guides, visit www.franceslincoln.com