[Travel] Public Footpath Map

Alba Badger · Apr 14, 2020

I hope you are all well surviving in these strange times.

One of few the nice things that has come from being in lockdown has been that my family and I have been able to discover some lovely walks that we did not know were accessible from our doorstep. I found these routes through public footpaths map website https://footpathmap.co.uk/ We have a dog so we did know lots of walks around our area but had no idea quite how many more we had not discovered.

I was quite upset that we'd not see the bluebells this year but the maps helped us fond some woods near us that I didn't even know where accessible from our door step.

There is a paid version of the site and an app but I have just used the free one so far and that seems to do the job.

You can zoom into your area and discover all the public footpaths, byways and bridleways in their area. I have discovered lots of lovely new walks and bike rides the family can do where we can responsibly socially distance from others while enjoying the fresh air.

As we are all in “lockdown” and only allowed out once a day for exercise it is extremely important for our mental health to get out and get a change of environment. I hope that this website can help you find some new ways of doing just that as well as keeping fit in these trying times.

Please remember to keep your distance when out and about, 2 meters minimum!

I hope this help some people.

https://footpathmap.co.uk/

Chicken Run · Apr 14, 2020

Alba Badger said:
I hope you are all well surviving in these strange times.

One of few the nice things that has come from being in lockdown has been that my family and I have been able to discover some lovely walks that we did not know were accessible from our doorstep. I found these routes through public footpaths map website https://footpathmap.co.uk/ We have a dog so we did know lots of walks around our area but had no idea quite how many more we had not discovered.

I was quite upset that we'd not see the bluebells this year but the maps helped us fond some woods near us that I didn't even know where accessible from our door step.

There is a paid version of the site and an app but I have just used the free one so far and that seems to do the job.

You can zoom into your area and discover all the public footpaths, byways and bridleways in their area. I have discovered lots of lovely new walks and bike rides the family can do where we can responsibly socially distance from others while enjoying the fresh air.

As we are all in “lockdown” and only allowed out once a day for exercise it is extremely important for our mental health to get out and get a change of environment. I hope that this website can help you find some new ways of doing just that as well as keeping fit in these trying times.

Please remember to keep your distance when out and about, 2 meters minimum!

I hope this help some people.

https://footpathmap.co.uk/

Stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

Brok · Apr 14, 2020

http://www.rowmaps.com/

LamieRobertson · Apr 14, 2020

Chicken Run said:
Stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

And follow the directive re exercise ..did you not see the bit that says near his home ..off the beaten track ..ie pavement less inclined to meet anyone.

Exercise is good for you ..helps protect the NHS ....although there maybe an increase in workloads for physios ..treatment via a broom handle :moo:

Chicken Run · Apr 14, 2020

LamieRobertson said:
less inclined to meet anyone.

:

He’s just posted a ****ing link to a map, encouraging people to get out in the countryside, there will be hundreds of wanabee ramblers now mincing around the footpaths.

Joke is rewind time before Covid 19 lockdowns half these people couldn’t give less of a shit about their entitlement of daily exercise [emoji23]

Norman Potting · Apr 14, 2020

..And for the East Sussex side Brighton people you can look at the free map on the ESCC website. Contains footpath number details and reference numbers for all the assets thereon that they maintain - bridges, stiles gates and stuff.

https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/countryside/rightsofway/map/

Grombleton · Apr 14, 2020

Chicken Run said:
He’s just posted a ****ing link to a map, encouraging people to get out in the countryside, there will be hundreds of wanabee ramblers now mincing around the footpaths.

Joke is rewind time before Covid 19 lockdowns half these people couldn’t give less of a shit about their entitlement of daily exercise [emoji23]

But if they do now and it becomes a regular thing for them post Covid-19 then there will have been positive change coming out of this.

Harry Wilson's tackle · Apr 14, 2020

Alba Badger said:
I hope you are all well surviving in these strange times.

One of few the nice things that has come from being in lockdown has been that my family and I have been able to discover some lovely walks that we did not know were accessible from our doorstep. I found these routes through public footpaths map website https://footpathmap.co.uk/ We have a dog so we did know lots of walks around our area but had no idea quite how many more we had not discovered.

I was quite upset that we'd not see the bluebells this year but the maps helped us fond some woods near us that I didn't even know where accessible from our door step.

There is a paid version of the site and an app but I have just used the free one so far and that seems to do the job.

You can zoom into your area and discover all the public footpaths, byways and bridleways in their area. I have discovered lots of lovely new walks and bike rides the family can do where we can responsibly socially distance from others while enjoying the fresh air.

As we are all in “lockdown” and only allowed out once a day for exercise it is extremely important for our mental health to get out and get a change of environment. I hope that this website can help you find some new ways of doing just that as well as keeping fit in these trying times.

Please remember to keep your distance when out and about, 2 meters minimum!

I hope this help some people.

https://footpathmap.co.uk/

That is STUNNING. Thanks for posting.

Interesting to see a couple of places I know, where there are 'private' this and that notices, the access is actually public.

KZNSeagull · Apr 14, 2020

Some of the farmers around here are getting very arsey about people using the footpaths on their properties at the moment. None of them, however, have provided any alternative routes or any means of sanitising hands after opening gates etc, which appears to be their main objection.

goldstone · Apr 14, 2020

Chicken Run said:
Stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

Stop bloody preaching. We've heard quite enough of it already.

beorhthelm · Apr 14, 2020

Chicken Run said:
Stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

exercise and keep healthy, protect the NHS.

Chicken Run · Apr 14, 2020

goldstone said:
Stop bloody preaching. We've heard quite enough of it already.

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]Make sure your out Thursday too clapping....

Bodian · Apr 14, 2020

Being a Public Rights of Way Officer, I'm ashamed that I didn't know about that first link. Pretty good stuff - what it is is data downloaded from a national site in progress, which are all the digitised 'Definitive Map of Public Rights of Way' (one for each county / unitary authority). Just be aware that some of them are a few years out of date, and don't show recent changes. I have just checked my local one, and it hasn't got some alterations from 10 years ago - so it looks as though they downloaded a dataset then, and haven't updated them.

(Although from a professional's point of view, it's irritating they've used the 'wrong' colours - whereas ESCC have the 'correct' legal colours (the ones we have to use on the Definitive Map))

But to be honest, to navigate properly, you can't do better than a proper Ordnance Survey map - and for a local area you can view them on bing maps https://www.bing.com/maps - choose OS in top right, and zoom into the 1:25,000 scale. They tend to show changes within a year or two of them happening on the ground. But I don't think you can use these on your mobile.

The rowmaps one isn't great, as many authorities didn't supply them with data.

Lower West Stander · Apr 14, 2020

Chicken Run said:
He’s just posted a ****ing link to a map, encouraging people to get out in the countryside, there will be hundreds of wanabee ramblers now mincing around the footpaths.

Joke is rewind time before Covid 19 lockdowns half these people couldn’t give less of a shit about their entitlement of daily exercise [emoji23]

Well I think it was an interesting, sensible and very helpful post.

I can see a number of public footpaths near where I live which didn’t know existed. And I will use them, so thanks OP.

If people are going to be prats and ignore the guidelines I don’t think posting this site on here is going to make much difference.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Alba Badger · Apr 15, 2020

Chicken Run said:
He’s just posted a ****ing link to a map, encouraging people to get out in the countryside, there will be hundreds of wanabee ramblers now mincing around the footpaths.

Joke is rewind time before Covid 19 lockdowns half these people couldn’t give less of a shit about their entitlement of daily exercise [emoji23]

As said in my OP, we walk the dog twice daily so know many of these footpaths so yes I do regularly get out there, but I was stunned how few of my neighbours did know about these footpaths. Many were taking their walk up and down the pavement of our village where many young ones were no practicing social distancing and if they wanted to they have to step into the road. For them to go on public footpaths they had more room to “get 2 meters away” without having to step in the road risking being hit by a car or cyclist.

Also I have 2 young kids, not sure if anyone has noticed but the quieter roads seem to have been some sort of “green light” to the people that are on them to speed up. The roads, although quieter than normal have me worried for the safety of my kids and Public footpaths do not have that danger of speeding cars close to your young ones.

Re the gates issue, we take out hand gel and clean our hands if we touch anything. We even now take a walking stick to help us open and close gates so we don't come into contact with them.

With this post I am in no way encouraging people to endanger anyone and not follow the guide lines set up by the government. My intention was to aid people who may be going a bit stir crazy at home to find some new routes and less beaten tracks to aid their mental and physical health.

There are plenty of “new ramblers” out there and as long as the practice social distancing I for one welcome more people becoming more aware of what is around them and at risk of being destroyed with new housing developments etc.

Alba Badger · Apr 15, 2020

Bodian said:
Being a Public Rights of Way Officer, I'm ashamed that I didn't know about that first link. Pretty good stuff - what it is is data downloaded from a national site in progress, which are all the digitised 'Definitive Map of Public Rights of Way' (one for each county / unitary authority). Just be aware that some of them are a few years out of date, and don't show recent changes. I have just checked my local one, and it hasn't got some alterations from 10 years ago - so it looks as though they downloaded a dataset then, and haven't updated them.

(Although from a professional's point of view, it's irritating they've used the 'wrong' colours - whereas ESCC have the 'correct' legal colours (the ones we have to use on the Definitive Map))

But to be honest, to navigate properly, you can't do better than a proper Ordnance Survey map - and for a local area you can view them on bing maps https://www.bing.com/maps - choose OS in top right, and zoom into the 1:25,000 scale. They tend to show changes within a year or two of them happening on the ground. But I don't think you can use these on your mobile.

The rowmaps one isn't great, as many authorities didn't supply them with data.

That job sounds brilliant! Keep up the good work and thanks for the tips.

dazzer6666 · Apr 15, 2020

Chicken Run said:
He’s just posted a ****ing link to a map, encouraging people to get out in the countryside, there will be hundreds of wanabee ramblers now mincing around the footpaths.

Joke is rewind time before Covid 19 lockdowns half these people couldn’t give less of a shit about their entitlement of daily exercise [emoji23]

I walked about 8 miles on local footpaths on Monday, saw around a dozen people in total. Everyone respecting social distancing. I know 2 or 3 people who have suddenly discovered local footpaths and are 'amazed' at what is on our doorstep, but away from those very close to town most of these paths are virtually unused. Increasing awareness of all the paths out there will REDUCE density as people might decide to venture away from the more well-trodden areas.........there is a large nature reserve right behind my house that gets pretty busy with walkers, dog walkers, families etc but I know if I walk a mile off the reserve using footpaths the number of people drops dramatically.

Anyway....

GMaps pedometer is another decent site that allows you to plot routes and distances and includes loads of map types including OS, satellite, road, hybrid etc. You can create a route at home and upload a gpx file to a phone/watch too.

https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

Notters · Apr 15, 2020

dazzer6666 said:
I walked about 8 miles on local footpaths on Monday, saw around a dozen people in total. Everyone respecting social distancing. I know 2 or 3 people who have suddenly discovered local footpaths and are 'amazed' at what is on our doorstep, but away from those very close to town most of these paths are virtually unused. Increasing awareness of all the paths out there will REDUCE density as people might decide to venture away from the more well-trodden areas.........there is a large nature reserve right behind my house that gets pretty busy with walkers, dog walkers, families etc but I know if I walk a mile off the reserve using footpaths the number of people drops dramatically.

Anyway....

GMaps pedometer is another decent site that allows you to plot routes and distances and includes loads of map types including OS, satellite, road, hybrid etc. You can create a route at home and upload a gpx file to a phone/watch too.

https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

Thanks for this. I tend to use Hug maps which has all the OS maps on: https://maps.the-hug.net/

Tom Bombadil · Apr 15, 2020

Thanks for the links people , these are great. Oh and Chicken Run stop being a dick.

Chicken Run · Apr 15, 2020

Voroshilov said:
Thanks for the links people , these are great. Oh and Chicken Run stop being a dick.

Stay at home, protect the NHS & Save lives x

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