A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail , nature trail ) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles , bicycles and horses . They can be found in a wide variety of places, from the centre of cities, to farmland, to mountain ridges. Urban footpaths are usually paved, may have steps, and can be called alleys , lanes, steps, etc.
31-526: A steig (Low German: Stieg ) is a German term meaning "steep path" that originally referred to a narrow footpath over hills or mountains that could not be negotiated by horse-drawn vehicles . Today the term occurs in German-speaking countries as a synonym for all kinds of footpaths, e.g., Bürgersteig , a term for "pavement" in Austria or Switzerland . The term steig and its dialectical variations
62-473: A legally protected right to travel. Other public rights of way in England and Wales, such as bridleways , byways , towpaths , and green lanes are also used by pedestrians. In Scotland there is no legal distinction between a footpath and a bridleway and it is generally accepted that cyclists and horse riders may follow any right of way with a suitable surface. The law is different in both Northern Ireland and
93-1207: A number of countries. These can be rural in nature, such as the Essex Way , in southern England, which crosses farmland, or urban as with various routes in London, England , or along a coastline like the South West Coast Path in the West of England , or in the high mountains, like the Pacific Crest Trail in the US, which reaches 13,153 feet (4,009 m) at Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada . Many footpaths require some maintenance. Most rural paths have an earth or grass surface with stiles , and or gates, including kissing gates . A few will have stepping stones , fords, or bridges. Urban footpaths may be constructed of masonry , brick , concrete , asphalt, cut stone or wood boardwalk . Crushed rock , decomposed granite , fine wood chips are also used. The construction materials can vary over
124-534: A one-tier system) has a statutory duty to maintain a definitive map, though in national parks the national park authority usually maintains the map. The Inner London boroughs are exempt from the statutory duty though they have the powers to maintain a map: currently none does so. Currently, the number of footpaths in the UK totals 427,301 (around 81% of all rights of way) with a net combined route length of 105,125 miles. In Scotland different legislation applies and there
155-476: A park is found along the seawall in Stanley Park , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada. This is a segregated path, with one lane for skaters and cyclists and the other for pedestrians. In the US and Canada, where urban sprawl has begun to strike even the most rural communities, developers and local leaders are currently striving to make their communities more conducive to non-motorized transportation through
186-422: A route along a country path can be impeded by ploughing, crops, overgrown vegetation, illegal barriers (including barbed wire ), damaged stiles , etc. There have been numerous problems over the years in England and Wales with landowners. One notable example was with the millionaire property tycoon Nicholas Van Hoogstraten who had a long-standing dislike of and dispute with ramblers, describing them as "scum of
217-486: A variety of forms (as is also the case in the US, where there is no standard). As well as having a variety of forms, modern stiles also sometimes include a 'dog latch' or 'dog gate' to the side of them, which can be lifted to enable a dog to get through. Where footpaths cross dry stone walls in England a squeeze stile is sometimes found, a vertical gap in the wall, usually no more than 25 centimetres (9.8 in) wide, often formed by stone pillars on either side to protect
248-631: Is Britain's oldest national conservation body. The society was founded as the Commons Preservation Society and merged with the National Footpaths Society in 1899, and adopted their present name. Much of the Open Spaces Society's work is concerned with the preservation and creation of public paths. Before the introduction of definitive maps of public paths in the early 1950s, the public did not know where paths were, and
279-580: Is a narrow, usually paved, pedestrian path, often between the walls of buildings in towns and cities. This type is usually short and straight, and on steep ground can consist partially or entirely of steps. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a right of way or ancient footpath. Similar paths also exist in some older North American towns and cities. In some older urban development in North America lanes at
310-488: Is a structure or opening that provides passage for humans – rather than animals such as livestock – over or through a boundary. Common forms include steps , ladders , or narrow gaps. Stiles are often built in rural areas along footpaths , fences , walls , or hedges that enclose domestic animals. In the United Kingdom many stiles were built under legal compulsion (see Rights of way in
341-572: Is an integrated walkway system that has over 160 kilometers (99 mi) of footpaths which link every major park, river, pond, and green space in six municipalities. In London , England, there are several long-distance walking routes which combine footpaths and roads to link green spaces. These include the Capital Ring , London Outer Orbital Path and the Jubilee Walkway , the use of which have been endorsed by Transport for London . An alley
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#1732856095217372-789: Is commonly found in many placenames . Steige in hill or mountain areas, often run over exposed , rocky terrain and are therefore more uneven than normal footpaths. They should only be attempted with mountaineering boots or high sports shoes , which extend above the ankles (to reduce the risk of going over on one's ankle ). On hiking maps and large- scale topographical maps (typically 1:50,000 scale) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, steige and klettersteige are usually portrayed by short dashes or dotted lines, while wider tracks are often indicated by longer dashes (cart tracks may also be portrayed by dots and dashes). Popular climbing mountains often have several steige on each side (see e.g.
403-518: Is no legally recognised record of rights of way. However, there is a National Catalogue of Rights of Way (CROW), compiled by the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society (Scotways), in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage, and the help of local authorities. The Open Spaces Society is a charitable British organisation that works to protect public rights of way and open spaces in the United Kingdom, such as common land and village greens . It
434-469: Is often used nowadays in the names of major long distance paths of tourist significance. German examples include: Footpath National parks , nature preserves , conservation areas and other protected wilderness areas may have footpaths ( trails ) that are restricted to pedestrians. The term footpath can also describe a pavement/ sidewalk in some English-speaking countries (such as Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland). A footpath can also take
465-474: The Isle of Man . He became frustrated at the lack of privacy at his home when ramblers deviated from a pathway to take photographs of his dwelling. Clarkson's property bordered a small 250-metre strip of land that had no definitive status as a public right of way but was used by walkers regardless. Clarkson aimed to close access to this small strip of his land, thereby forcing ramblers to take a small diversion to stick to
496-634: The Rax , Hochkönig or Zugspitze ). Regional books, websites, climbing and hiking guides give more detailed information on the routes and elevations, the opening times of mountain huts and the duration of walks. They may also identify and describe potential emergency exit routes. Narrow or steep paths through a gorge or leading to other tourist attractions such as old mines , nature trails , waterfalls etc. are called steige . Those that are especially popular are almost always secured with ropes, steps, ladders or small footbridges. The suffix -steig or -stieg
527-538: The Republic of Ireland and there are far fewer rights of way in Ireland as a whole (see Keep Ireland Open ). Footpaths and other rights of way in England and Wales are shown on definitive maps . A definitive map is a record of public rights of way in England and Wales. In law it is the definitive record of where a right of way is located. The highway authority (normally the county council , or unitary authority in areas with
558-728: The Republic of Ireland , but are usually subject to Ireland's complicated rights of way law. Corpse roads provided a practical means for transporting corpses, often from remote communities, to cemeteries that had burial rights, such as parish churches and chapels of ease . In Great Britain , such routes can also be known by a number of other names: bier road, burial road, coffin road, coffin line, lyke or lych way, funeral road, procession way, corpse way, etc. Nowadays footpaths are mainly used for recreation and have been frequently linked together, along with bridle paths and newly created footpaths, to create long-distance trails . Also, organizations have been formed in various countries to protect
589-563: The Old Kings' Road) in Norway. Some landowners allow access over their land without dedicating a right of way. These permissive paths are often indistinguishable from normal paths, but they are usually subject to restrictions. Such paths are often closed at least once a year, so that a permanent right of way cannot be established in law. A mass path is a pedestrian track or road connecting destinations frequently used by rural communities, most usually
620-499: The Open Spaces Society helped the successful campaign for paths to be shown on Ordnance Survey maps. It advises the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and National Assembly for Wales on applications for works on common land. Local authorities are legally required to consult the society whenever there is a proposal to alter the route of a public right of way. The Ramblers are another British organisation concerned with
651-445: The United Kingdom ). Recent changes in UK government policy towards farming have encouraged upland landowners to make access more available to the public, and this has seen an increase in the number of stiles and an improvement in their overall condition. However stiles are deprecated and are increasingly being replaced by gates or kissing gates or, where the field is arable, the stile removed. Many legacy stiles remain, however, in
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#1732856095217682-657: The destination of Sunday Mass . They were most common during the centuries that preceded motorised transportation in Western Europe, and in particular the British Isles and the Netherlands (where such a path is called "kerkenpad" (lit. Church path). Mass paths typically included stretches crossing fields of neighboring farmers and were likely to contain stiles , when crossing fences or other boundaries, or plank footbridges to cross ditches. Some mass paths are still used today in
713-488: The earth". In 1999 Hoogstraten erected a large fence across a footpath on his country estate in East Sussex. Local ramblers staged a protest against the erection of the fence outside the boundary of Van Hoogstraten's estate. On 10 February 2003 and after a 13-year battle and numerous legal proceedings, the path was finally re-opened. Another conflict involved Jeremy Clarkson , a TV presenter and Top Gear host who lives on
744-476: The form of a footbridge , linking two places across a river. Public footpaths are rights of way originally created by people walking across the land to work, market, the next village, church, and school. This includes mass paths and corpse roads . Some footpaths were also created by those undertaking a pilgrimage . Examples of the latter are the Pilgrim's Way in England and Pilgrim's Route (St. Olav's Way or
775-735: The length of the footpath and may start with a well constructed hard surface in an urban area, and end with an inexpensive soft or loose surface in the countryside. Stairs or steps are sometimes found in urban alleys , or cliff paths to beaches. The main issues in urban areas include maintenance, litter, crime, and lighting after dark. In the countryside there are issues relating to conflicts between walkers and livestock, and these occasionally result in people being injured or even killed. Dogs often contribute to such conflicts – see in England and Wales The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 . Also footpaths in remote locations can be difficult to maintain and
806-498: The official public right of way and therefore protecting his claimed right to privacy on his own property. In May 2010 the former transport minister, Hon. David Anderson MHK, accepted the conclusions of a public inquiry that all except five of the paths claimed at the inquiry as public rights of way have been dedicated as public rights of way and should be added to the definitive map. [REDACTED] Media related to Public footpaths at Wikimedia Commons Stile A stile
837-414: The protection of footpaths. There are a variety of footpaths in urban settings, including paths along streams and rivers, through parks and across commons . Another type is the alley , normally providing access to the rear of properties or connecting built-up roads not easily reached by vehicles. Towpaths are another kind of urban footpath, but they are often shared with cyclists. A typical footpath in
868-455: The rear of houses, to allow for deliveries and garbage collection, are called alleys. Alleys may be paved, or unpaved, and a blind alley is a cul-de-sac . Some alleys are roofed because they are within buildings, such as the traboules of Lyon , or when they are a pedestrian passage through railway embankments in Britain. The latter follow the line of rights-of way that existed before the railway
899-580: The right to use public footpaths, including the Ramblers Association and the Open Spaces Society in England. Footpaths are now also found in botanic gardens , arboretums , regional parks , conservation areas , wildlife gardens , and open-air museums . There are also educational trails , themed walks , sculpture trails and historic interpretive trails. In England and Wales , public footpaths are rights of way on which pedestrians have
930-561: The use of less traditional paths. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has established the Active Living by Design program to improve the livability of communities in part through developing trails, The Upper Valley Trails Alliance has done similar work on traditional trails, while the Somerville Community Path and related paths, are examples of urban initiatives. In St. John's , Newfoundland , Canada The Grand Concourse ,
961-515: Was built. Because of topography , steps ( stairs ) are the predominant form of alley in hilly cities and towns. This includes Pittsburgh (see Steps of Pittsburgh ), Cincinnati (see Steps of Cincinnati ), Portland, Oregon , Seattle , and San Francisco in the United States, as well as Hong Kong , and Rome . Footpaths (and other rights of way) have been combined, and new paths created, so as to produce long-distance walking routes in