Ordnance Survey – Great Britain's national mapping agency

Hebden Bridge has 'most footpaths in England'

04 December 2007

A small patch of land in Hebden Bridge has more footpaths than anywhere else in England.

The area located in the Old Town of Hebden Bridge was highlighted for its wealth of footpaths in Andrew Bibby's talk Rediscovering Our Footpath Network at a recent meeting of the Hebden Bridge Local History Society, reports The Hebden Bridge Times.

A survey by the Ramblers Association, which examined the grid references in Ordnance Survey maps covering the whole country, made the discovery.

However, Andrew Bibby warned rambling enthusiasts in the Calderdale borough of West Yorkshire that they should not become complacent.

Mr Bibby stressed that under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 all footpaths must be identified and registered by 2026, after which any footpaths which remain unlisted may not receive protection and could be lost.

Hebden Bridge is located in the Yorkshire Pennines and has a strong history of rambling.

In October this year a Ramblers Association trustee kicked-off the first ever UK-wide Walkers are Welcome in Town conference in Hebden Bridge.

The conference aimed to encourage local communities to work with their councils to promote the use of walking trails in their district.

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