Fears over future of footpaths in Devon

THOUSANDS of miles of historic paths could be lost across Devon, ramblers have warned as a drive to preserve tracks in the north of the county is launched.

They say 49,000 miles in England and Wales, 3,000 miles in Devon and 500 miles in north Devon of historic paths could be lost forever if they are not properly registered.

The Ramblers, the UK’s largest walking charity, says that Government legislation has given charities and the general public until December 31, 2025 to make a claim on historic paths or lose them forever.

The Ramblers North Devon group wants to look at the whole of the local area and return as many footpaths to public rights of way as possible.

To do this, the group is appealing for volunteers to look at the 130 parishes in North Devon and Torridge.

Each volunteer will adopt a parish and examine the proposed paths, which have already been listed, to determine the validity of each path. This is done via the Ramblers website https:// dontloseyourway.ramblers.org. uk/

Coordinator Steve Evans said: “Anyone who loves the countryside, walking and maps will have great fun especially when looking at areas they are familiar with. During the 18 months of the Covid pandemic, access to the countryside has never been more important.”

He said public access to land has reduced over the centuries, adding: “This is a one-off opportunity to reclaim old footpaths and we need to act quickly by collecting the historical, documentary evidence needed to build and submit applications to restore the most important paths for future generations.”

For further information contact Steve Evans 07974 374308 or at sandaevans@me.com.