So, them needing to write all that in illustrates towpaths are not a public ROW. Special measures are needed to give the public a right of access.
"Right of way (no hyphens), is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e., by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_of_way
Arguably the clauses you list comprise a "grant from a landowner", so perhaps a ROW does exist!
No doubt a court could make a ruling at enormous expense.