Blogs

The Ramblers doesn’t want to see the erosion of people’s rights to access and enjoy the countryside on the back of a Home Office consultation on strengthening police powers to deal with unauthorised encampments.

We all use paths to access the countryside, whether we consider ourselves ramblers or just use them as somewhere to walk the dog. Or sometimes as a short-cut, the easiest way to get from one place to another. We may well notice our surroundings, the places we walk through, but how many of us consider just why the path is there, why it even exists? Ramblers volunteer and social historian, John Bainbridge, tells us the histories of our paths.

What3Words has divided the globe into 3m x 3m squares, each with a unique three-word code. As more groups adopt the mapping software for their walks, Rambler and Royal Institute of Navigation fellow Bob Cockshott considers the system’s advantages over alphanumerical coordinates.

When one man joined the Ramblers a decade ago, he couldn’t possibly have imagined quite how much it would change his life. Or that he’d clock up 20,000 miles.

By mapping and connecting every bit of wild habitat, from historic paths and forests, to pocket parks and urban street trees, we can stem to loss of biodiversity and enjoy more interactions with nature.

New research published by the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter has found that people who have access to nature in cities are much more likely to behave in environmentally friendly ways.

As we enter into the final few weeks of the general election campaign, policy and advocacy officer, Stephen Russell rounds up the parties’ pledges that could impact on walking and the places we love to walk.

The 298-mile/480km Cambrian Way from Cardiff to Conway through the spine of Wales, was devised by long-time Ramblers stalwart Tony Drake MBE who encountered considerable and enduring opposition for it to gain official recognition. It is a story that is almost as exciting as the trail itself.

From a crisp winter amble along the Grand Union canal in Edinburgh and a tramp among giant redwoods, to views across the Wye Valley, there are some lovely walks to enjoy along Sustrans’ 16,000-mile network of signed paths.

Hedgerows laden with berries are a draw for robins, thrushes, redwings and fieldfares at this time of year - and watch out for animal tracks in the landscape while out walking. By Tom Hibbert, The Wildlife Trusts