Ramblers call for secret path to be recognised
02/07/2007
The chairman of the Ramblers' Association, Kate Ashbrook, joined the association's activists in Northamptonshire on Saturday (30 June) to call for a secret footpath, between Lilford and Barnwell, to be put on the official map of public paths.
Although the path has been used by the public for many years, it has not been recognised officially as a public route and so is not shown on Ordnance Survey maps, which most people use for walking.
Said Kate: 'This lovely path provides a peaceful route for walkers and would be a much safer alternative to the promoted Nene Way, avoiding two crossings of the lethal A605 road. Most people are nervous about doing the wrong thing and so they won't walk this path until it is shown on the Ordnance Survey maps.
'We shall write to the landowner, the Merchant Venturers, to ask if they will dedicate the route as a public highway, since it has been enjoyed by the public for many years. If they refuse, we shall ask Northamptonshire County Council to add the path to the definitive map (the official map of public rights of way), and we shall provide evidence of its use and history to justify this action.(1)
'The route is only 500 metres, along the edge of the fields, but it provides a vital link in the network. Without it we have two dead-end routes which are of little value to walkers. We want to help people from nearby communities, as well as visitors, to enjoy the superlative paths and views this lovely county offers.
'The Ramblers are working for the public at large to improve conditions for walkers everywhere,' Kate concluded.
NOTE (1): A route may be added to the definitive map of public rights of way, held by the county or unitary council, if (a) the public has used the route without permission or being stopped for 20 years, or (b) there is historical evidence that it was once a public highway, and it has never been closed, or (c) there is a combination of the two.