The Path More Travelled

Electronic book text

The secret history of Britain's footpaths

Walking is a cornerstone of British identity and the most popular form of exercise in the UK. But how much do we know about the paths that we walk? What is their history? Why do they follow the routes that they do? Are they permanent? Can we designate more of them?

In A Path More Travelled, acclaimed geographer and writer Nicholas Crane explores this coast-to-coast web that is both ancient and futuristic. Starting with the stone age paths walked by European migrants 12,000 years ago, he traces their development - from early pilgrim paths and coffin tracks, through to the industrial revolution and the birth of the bicycle and car, sat-nav and walking apps. We discover how land-grabbing Norman barons set a precedent for the enclosure of our countryside, and how out of the ashes of World War Two came our beloved national parks. Along the way, Crane takes the reader along some of his most memorable walks, including the Hadrian's Wall Path, the outer reaches of the Cairngorms, and the banks of the Severn where he discovers footprints from over 7,000 years ago..

From one of our most beloved travel writers, The Path More Travelled is an ode to footpaths and a call to rediscover this most fundamental part of our landscape.