THE countryside could lose thousands of public footpaths and bridleways warns Phil Wadey, vice-chairman of the Open Spaces Society, Britain’s oldest national conservation body, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.

The society wants people to mobilise and help record public paths that have not been already been recorded on official maps in England and Wales before the deadline, in 2026.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 contained a provision which will extinguish certain paths which existed before 1949. Some rights of way established before then may have been left off official maps held by county councils.

Phil, an expert in recording public paths on the definitive maps of rights of way, said: “On January 1, 2026, old footpaths and bridleways not recorded on the councils’ official map of rights of way may cease to carry public rights.

“This raises the prospect of stiles being changed into fences, field gates being locked and urban alleyways subsumed into adjoining properties.

“The challenge is to find out which paths are not officially recorded and to get your application in. We have only 10 years in which to complete the record of public paths in England and Wales.

• Phil is co-author of the book Rights of Way, Restoring the Record.