FAQs for Don't Lose Your Way

What does the map show?

The map shows potential lost rights of way identified by a comparison of two historical maps and the current ordnance survey map. We have undertaken this identification in order to understand the scale of lost paths across England and Wales and identify paths which require further research for possible recording as legal rights of way. Over the coming months we will be whittling down the paths identified – removing those which have been legally diverted or extinguished and prioritising those which could bring the most benefit to the network. You can read more about the map and our approach to identifying lost rights of way here and in the other FAQs below.

Can I walk these paths now?

We do not advise trying to walk (or access in any other way) these routes as they are only potential public paths. This means they are not currently recorded as public rights of way. Additional historical research needs to be undertaken for each path and then an application made to the relevant local authority for them to be legally recorded as a right of way. Only once a path has been legally recorded as a right of way, is public access assured.

Will all these paths go back on the map? 

The Ramblers want to focus on the paths that bring the most benefit to the rights of way network. For paths that we want to save, we will need volunteers to collect enough evidence to show that they were used by the public in the past - this simply won't be possible for all paths. In addition, some of these paths would have been legally stopped up or diverted and therefore won't be able to be claimed on their historical alignment. We will be working with volunteers over the coming months to prioritise the paths based on their usefulness and how possible they are to claim.

What criteria was used to select these potential lost rights of way?

These paths were marked up as they met the criteria outlined here. Each kilometre square of England and Wales (excluding Inner London)was checked by two participants. Submissions were then double checked by a smaller pool of more experienced ‘verifier’ volunteers, who confirmed whether these submissions met the criteria. If you see a line marked on the map, you can double check this by looking at it on the different map layers available.

I know of something that I think is a lost right of way, and I’m concerned it hasn’t been marked up on your map. What should I do?

We understand that not all lost ways will be reflected on our map. The approach taken to identify paths earlier in 2020 was one of a number of possible methodologies, chosen due to its scalability and relative simplicity. Over the coming months we will be working with these volunteers to bring more data together and working to introduce a mechanism through which people will be able to add other paths that have been identified through other methods or missed off.

Something is on the map that I don’t believe is a lost right of way. What should I do?

The criteria used to identify potential lost rights of way is not perfect, and we understand that some paths that have been marked up may have been identified erroneously or that there may be insufficient evidence to make a viable application for a lost right of way. As the project continues, we will produce guidance and resources for prioritisation which will help participants avoid these.

A path drawn on the map goes through land I own – what can I do about that?

Volunteers were asked to mark-up paths which appeared on historical maps and we recognise that some areas have seen a significant development in the last 120 years. We want to add paths to the map which will improve the network for all. Identifying a potential lost right of way is the start of the process and further research and consultation is required before the local authority confirms a right of way

The map only shows part of a particular lost right of way – why is that, and what will happen about it?

There are a few reasons this might happen; volunteers may have felt that only part of the lost way met the project criteria, or simply a section was missed by a volunteer. Either way, don’t worry. If something is missing from the map we will be able to amend this at a later date as we develop our Don’t Lose Your Way tools.

Can I just send you a screenshot of a map, or a photo/description of a lost right of way?

While we would love to be able to accept suggestions like this, we do not have the capacity to accept or act on these at the moment. Later in the project, we’re aiming to introduce a means of ‘adding’ to the map of what has been identified already. Please sign up to join the movement so you can be amongst the first to know when you can add additional lost rights of way to the map.

A path I drew during the path identification exercise is not reflected on the map. Why is this, and what can be done about it?

All parts of the project area were checked by two different volunteers, before being verified by a third. The checking, and verification, were based on specific criteria which are outlined here.

If a path was not verified, it is likely that it was not seen as meeting the exercise’s criteria. If a mistake has been made, the path could be added on as the project progresses.

I am having trouble viewing the map – what devices and browsers are supported?

In development, the map was tested on versions of internet explorer as far back as IE11, and current versions of the other major browsers: Firefox, Edge, Chrome and Safari. Please note that there is currently a small glitch when using Safari on iPhone - we are working to address this. The experience of using the map may be better if on a PC or larger screen.