More than 49,000 miles of paths lost from maps in England and Wales

Citizen project led by Ramblers makes discovery after poring over historical maps

More than 49,000 miles of footpaths are missing from modern maps in England and Wales and risk being lost for ever, according to a “citizen mapping” effort led by the Ramblers.

The walking charity established an online tool for the public to search historical maps for footpaths that were missing from the official maps that today record legal rights of way.