The Path More Travelled

Electronic book text

Downloadable audio file

The Secret History of Britain's Footpaths

Walking defines us as human beings. But how much do we know about the paths that we walk? Why do they matter? What caused so many to be lost? Can we create more of them?

In The Path More Travelled, acclaimed geographer and travel writer Nicholas Crane explores the hidden history of this coast-to-coast web, from prehistoric routeways walked by European migrants 12,000 years ago to pilgrim ways and coffin roads, turnpikes, towpaths and city pavements. We discover how land-grabbing Norman barons began the enclosure of our countryside, and how our beloved national parks and long-distance trails emerged from the ashes of two world wars.

Along the way, Crane takes the reader on some of his most memorable walks: along the Hadrian's Wall Path, into the icy Cairngorms and to the banks of the Severn where he discovers footprints from over 7,000 years ago. The Path More Travelled is a passionate ode to walking, and a call to rediscover and protect the lifeblood of our landscapes.