The Ramblers has launched a campaign to walk every footpath, bridleway and byway in England and Wales by the end of 2015. The Big Pathwatch makes it easy for members of the public to “adopt” an area, log their walks and report any problems or positive features they find.
A recently cleared footpath with waymarking stone in East Sussex.
The Big Pathwatch is the biggest ever on-the-ground survey of English and Welsh rights of way. This ambitious campaign aims to build a national overview of the state of our path network. The Ramblers wants to gather reliable, consistent data about frequently encountered path problems and the severity of these problems.
While rapid undergrowth in summer and mud in winter can be addressed relatively easily with a pair of secateurs and sturdy boots, other issues are not so simple to overcome. Lionel Pringle, Treasurer of the Rother Ramblers, said, “Broken and difficult to negotiate stiles and footbridges, excessive use of barbed wire and blocking of paths with farm machinery and various forms of detritus can deter the average walker. The Big Pathwatch should help pinpoint any of these problems in our area and bring them to the attention of East Sussex County Council, who have a legal responsibility to ensure that our public rights of way are accessible.”
The Ramblers hopes the survey data will highlight patterns of footpath problems within and across different highway authorities. This is particularly important as continued central government cuts to county council funding have seen many areas direct resources away from rights of way maintenance.
While rapid undergrowth in summer and mud in winter can be addressed relatively easily with a pair of secateurs and sturdy boots, other issues are not so simple to overcome. Lionel Pringle, Treasurer of the Rother Ramblers, said, “Broken and difficult to negotiate stiles and footbridges, excessive use of barbed wire and blocking of paths with farm machinery and various forms of detritus can deter the average walker. The Big Pathwatch should help pinpoint any of these problems in our area and bring them to the attention of East Sussex County Council, who have a legal responsibility to ensure that our public rights of way are accessible.”
The Ramblers hopes the survey data will highlight patterns of footpath problems within and across different highway authorities. This is particularly important as continued central government cuts to county council funding have seen many areas direct resources away from rights of way maintenance.
Walking in mid-Wales, note the waymarking post to the left and in front of the hiker.
But it’s not all doom and gloom! The Big Pathwatch app is also designed to celebrate the beauty and wonder of our countryside and rights of way, so data on positive features is also being collected. Participants are encouraged to upload photos and notes about great views, well-maintained paths, sites of interest, flowers and wildlife.
The survey is open to everyone, and the Ramblers hopes that many of the UK’s six million walkers will take part. “The larger the number of people who participate in this initiative, the more clout the Ramblers will have in seeing the project through to a satisfactory conclusion for all,” said Mr Pringle.
After registering for the Big Pathwatch, walkers choose a 1km by 1km square (based on Ordnance Survey data) and walk all the rights of way within that square. People can adopt up to 10 squares at a time in England and Wales - whether in their home parish or near their summer holiday destination. Walkers then record any features, as well as the general state of the path/s within the square, using the Big Pathwatch smartphone app or the online form.
(There is also an option to report features without adopting a whole square, for example, if someone is out on a walk and encounters a broken stile or overgrown path. This data won’t be included in the Big Pathwatch report, but any problems will be forwarded to the relevant highway authority to look into.)
The survey is open to everyone, and the Ramblers hopes that many of the UK’s six million walkers will take part. “The larger the number of people who participate in this initiative, the more clout the Ramblers will have in seeing the project through to a satisfactory conclusion for all,” said Mr Pringle.
After registering for the Big Pathwatch, walkers choose a 1km by 1km square (based on Ordnance Survey data) and walk all the rights of way within that square. People can adopt up to 10 squares at a time in England and Wales - whether in their home parish or near their summer holiday destination. Walkers then record any features, as well as the general state of the path/s within the square, using the Big Pathwatch smartphone app or the online form.
(There is also an option to report features without adopting a whole square, for example, if someone is out on a walk and encounters a broken stile or overgrown path. This data won’t be included in the Big Pathwatch report, but any problems will be forwarded to the relevant highway authority to look into.)
The Big Pathwatch runs until 31 December 2015 and the Ramblers will be publishing their findings in spring 2016. Register here, or find updates on social media using the hashtag #BigPathwatch.
This article was first published in the Hastings Independent, Issue 36, 7 August 2015, p5.
This article was first published in the Hastings Independent, Issue 36, 7 August 2015, p5.
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