Why miles of public footpaths in Blackpool could be lost forever - and how to stop it

Volunteers from Ramblers have searched maps covering England and Wales and found over 49,000 miles of unrecorded rights of way – 14 of them here in Blackpool.

The charity says it is important not to lose access to the paths, which were missed off the record of rights of way when local authorities drew it up in the 50s and 60s.

Unless they are registered by the Government’s deadline of January 1, 2026, they will not be protected as public rights of way.

Ramblers has set up its Don’t Lose Your Way project to identify and record the paths that are most useful to people who live near them – for example, those which help connect communities, or which link circular routes.

Programme manager Jack Cornish said: “We have a fantastic rights of way network in England and Wales, but we know that in some places it doesn’t make complete sense – paths that stop in the middle of nowhere or whole communities with few legally recorded paths.

“These are rights of way that have been built up over hundreds of years, an important part of our collective heritage, and once they are lost, they are lost forever.”

Paths on the official register are legally protected, meaning landowners must maintain them properly.

Marian Spain, chief executive at Natural England, said: “The evidence is clear that access to nature is good for our mental and physical health.”

Find out more about the Don't Lose Your Way campaign here.

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