Editing Footpath (section)

==Rights of way==
In [[England and Wales]], public footpaths are [[Rights of way in England and Wales|rights of way]] on which pedestrians have a legally protected right to travel. Other public [[Right of way (transit)|rights of way]] in England and Wales, such as [[bridleway]]s, [[Byway (United Kingdom)|byway]]s, [[towpath]]s, and [[Green lane (road)|green lanes]] are also used by pedestrians. In Scotland there is no legal distinction between a footpath and a [[bridleway]] and it is generally accepted that cyclists and horse riders may follow any right of way with a suitable surface. The law is different in both [[Northern Ireland]] and the [[Republic of Ireland]] and there are far fewer rights of way in Ireland as a whole (see [[Keep Ireland Open]]).

===Definitive path maps===
Footpaths and other rights of way in England and Wales are shown on [[definitive map]]s. A definitive map is a record of public [[Right-of-way (transportation)|rights of way]] in England and Wales. In law it is the definitive record of where a right of way is located. The highway authority (normally the [[county council]], or unitary authority in areas with a one-tier system) has a statutory duty to maintain a definitive map, though in national parks the [[national park authority]] usually maintains the map. The [[Inner London]] boroughs are exempt from the statutory duty though they have the powers to maintain a map: currently none does so.<ref>See: [http://www.ramblers.org.uk/footpaths/law/definitivemap.html Public Paths and the Definitive Map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918042427/http://www.ramblers.org.uk/footpaths/law/definitivemap.html |date=2008-09-18 }} from the [[Ramblers Association]] and 
[http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/pins/appeals/rights_of_way/rights_way.htm Definitive Map Orders: Consistency Guidelines] from the [[Planning Inspectorate]].</ref>

Currently, the number of footpaths in the UK totals 427,301 (around 81% of all rights of way) with a net combined route length of 105,125 miles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roughton |first=Rafe |title=Rights of Way Statistics |date=7 February 2024 |url=https://rightsofway.uk/rights-of-way-statistics/ |access-date=2024-02-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Statistics {{!}} UK Bridleway Finder |url=https://bridleways.uk/statistics |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=bridleways.uk |language=en}}</ref>

In Scotland different legislation applies and there is no legally recognised record of rights of way. However, there is a National Catalogue of Rights of Way (CROW), compiled by the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society (Scotways), in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage, and the help of local authorities.<ref name="Rights of way in Scotland">{{cite web|url=http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/access/sr-sprow.pdf|title=Rights of way in Scotland|publisher=Snh.org.uk|access-date=2015-04-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726005816/http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/access/sr-sprow.pdf|archive-date=2015-07-26|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Open Spaces Society===
[[File:Stepping Stones - geograph.org.uk - 5528.jpg|left|thumb|[[Stepping stones]] in the [[River Rothay]], [[Lake District]], England.]]
The [[Open Spaces Society]] is a charitable British organisation that works to protect public rights of way and open spaces in the United Kingdom, such as [[common land]] and [[village green]]s. It is Britain's oldest national conservation body. The society was founded as the Commons Preservation Society and merged with the National Footpaths Society in 1899, and adopted their present name.<ref name="oss">[http://www.oss.org.uk/ Open Spaces Society]</ref>

Much of the Open Spaces Society's work is concerned with the preservation and creation of public paths. Before the introduction of [[definitive map]]s of public paths in the early 1950s, the public did not know where paths were, and the Open Spaces Society helped the successful campaign for paths to be shown on [[Ordnance Survey]] maps. It advises the [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]] and National Assembly for Wales on applications for works on common land. Local authorities are legally required to consult the society whenever there is a proposal to alter the route of a public right of way.<ref name="oss"/>

[[The Ramblers]] are another British organisation concerned with the protection of footpaths.