We can count ourselves lucky to live in a country full of stunning countryside and dramatic coastal landscapes, all ripe for exploration. In fact, Britain’s world-class walking network stretches across 140,000 miles of paths, with millions of acres of open-access land, as well as the freedom to roam across Scotland.
But what happens when those paths fall into disrepair or become overgrown? What if there simply isn’t enough information on those routes, or any detailed maps? Whatever prevents people from walking on a particular path, it’s the Ramblers’ mission to remove these barriers and improve both Britain’s most popular and least-known places, so more people can enjoy the pleasures of walking.
And it’s the dedication and care for their fellow walkers with which Ramblers volunteers everywhere carry out this work that makes it such a special organisation, something chair of the Ramblers Rebecca Dawson knows all too well. Read on as she explains just how the Ramblers works to remove barriers to walking for everyone in the country.
Some of the Ramblers’ most vital access work is taking place as part of its Don’t Lose Your Way campaign. Rebecca explains: “Don’t Lose Your Way is all about claiming potentially lost paths. We have enlisted the public to help and we’ve found more than 49,000 miles of potentially lost paths, which is amazing. It's really important that we try to claim as many of the useful paths as possible, to help connect communities.”
For Rebecca, Don’t Lose Your Way perfectly exemplifies the Ramblers’ mission to protect walking access. “If you can link up paths, then people can access them much more easily,” she says. “We generated massive enthusiasm and interest from the public. The job now is to assess each potential path and put the work into claiming them, because there's quite a lot of historical evidence that we have to gather for each one.”
Find more information about the Don’t Lose Your Way campaign here.
So what does the Ramblers actually do to maintain paths? Oliver Taylor of Huddersfield Ramblers is a footpaths volunteer with his local group, and has had some success in encouraging volunteers to get involved with path clearing.
“People only need to come for an hour or so, with their loppers, secateurs or a spade, but it makes a big difference,” explains Oliver. “We also encourage members to keep a pair of secateurs in their rucksack when they are out on their own walks and do bits of clearing work as they go along – it all helps to keep paths open.”
“It is hard graft, but it’s fun – opening paths up that have been blocked for many years, building new stiles or boardwalks, etc. Our Ramblers group now really understands the importance of footpaths work. Britain’s rights of way network is unique in the world, and it is so important that we realise this.”
And Keith Weller of Ramblers Avon has similarly been helping his local community maintain paths, and as he explains, there’s no end to the hard work the Ramblers does: “We’re often asked to replace a stile with a kissing gate which, for walkers, can be easier on the knees than clambering over a stile.”
“We improve ditch crossings, like the one at Shoscombe, and do bridge repairs like replacing rotten boards, as we did at Keynsham. We’ve also done quite a few major clearances; we’ve used brush cutters and pruning saws to clear fallen trees and overgrown paths at places like Pensford and World’s End, Saltford and High Littleton.”
Another achievement that’s helped the Ramblers provide more access to Britain’s walking network is online visibility. As Rebecca explains: “When I became a trustee four years ago we had very little in the way of digital capabilities or presence.”
“One of my goals was to improve that, and I'm really pleased that after four years we’ve moved on and even have a members’ app now, which is so exciting. The Ramblers needs to be a modern, inclusive, dynamic organisation,” she says.
“Having things like an app and a modern website makes us accessible to everybody. The tools that we’ve developed are helping people to find amazing walking routes, wherever they live, and they can join a group walk wherever they want across Great Britain.”
And that’s not all you can find on the Ramblers app. There’s plenty of local news, plus updates on ongoing work and path maintenance – something Rebecca enjoys both as chair and as a member. “Everything's on my phone, including my membership number and my discount codes. I can find a group walk wherever I am. I don't need a computer or a book or anything with me. All this makes us more welcoming and accessible to everybody who wants to walk, and that's one of the things I'm really glad we've achieved.”
So if you want to start walking more in your local area, or indeed somewhere you might be visiting, become a member of the Ramblers now, download the app and get exploring!
The Ramblers is generously supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, as part of the lottery’s Climate Challenge initiative. People’s Postcode Lottery manages lotteries on behalf of 20 Postcode Trusts.
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