The Countryside Act became law in 2000 and included a clause which set a deadline of 1st January 2026 for claiming rights of way based on historic evidence of long-term public use. The national Ramblers’ Association, which the CRC is affiliated to, is spear-heading the campaign ‘Don’t Lose Your Way’ to identify and record as many of these routes as possible. They have studied historic maps and have produced a detailed dossier, showing potential rights of way at parish level. Locally, Club and Ramblers’ member Paul (email: DLYW@cambridgeramblers.org.uk) is co-ordinating responses. Help is needed!
People are encouraged to look at the map of Lost Ways at:
https://dontloseyourway.ramblers.org.uk
after first registering (signing up). Then users can take a look at the blue lines on the map to see where footpaths used to go in the past, but are not currently recorded as a Right of Way. Users can make suggestions (on the map) on the priority for each lost footpath that they think should be recovered. You don’t need to be an individual member of the Ramblers to get involved.
Just one word of warning… Some paths shown on the Ramblers’ map have been legally diverted, so cannot be reinstated as rights of way. Paul can help with identifying these.
