Play your part in first ever footpath challenge
[15 December 2005]
The Ramblers’ Association (RA), the national walking charity,
is challenging the public to walk every single footpath in
England and Wales, a staggering 140,000 miles, during the first
ever ‘Use Your Paths Challenge’ which begins on 20 March
2006.
The 18-month project, which ends on 22 September 2007, is being
launched to get the public using footpaths in urban and rural
areas and to make it easier for people to enjoy their natural
surroundings while getting fit and healthy.
And it couldn’t be easier to take part. Choose a path and simply
visit the interactive website
specially created where you highlight the grid square you have
walked. A grid square is a 1kmx1km square of the national grid
as found on an Ordnance Survey map. All the public paths in the
grid square chosen must be walked but many only have one or two
paths in them. Those who don’t have internet access can contact
the RA by phone, letter, e-mail or fax to register the paths
they have walked.
If anyone encounters a problem on their walk they are asked to
contact their local authority. Details of how to do this can be
found on the website. Sadly many public paths are in a poor
state. Figures published by the Audit Commission show that only
70% of footpaths are walkable – that means that a third are
obstructed or badly signposted.
Adrian Morris, Head of Footpath Campaigns at the RA said: “By
challenging the public to walk all paths in England and Wales we
hope to raise the profile of footpaths and show people that
there’s a free outdoor gym on their doorsteps. Many people
taking part will discover new paths local to them and hopefully
will feel greater ownership of their path network as a result.
Through the reporting of path problems we want to connect the
public to the people responsible for the state of footpaths, and
hopefully see a large number of path problems resolved.”