HISTORIC
RIGHTS OF WAY
Earlier this year we flagged a new project British
Canoeing is working on to protect our world-leading
Public Rights of Way network.
Photo credit: VSPYCC
Photo credit: Tim Green
By 2026, all unrecorded Rights of Way
(Public Footpaths and Bridleways) could be
lost. For paddlers this could mean losing
potentially vital access points to our rivers.
Old ferries, wharfs, fords and other water-side routes
may have been unused for years - but they could carry
public rights, providing additional access to our rivers.
On some rivers public access is especially lacking,
meaning historic routes could see entire stretches
of river become more accessible to canoeing.
Since our last article we’ve been building our links
with others in the outdoor recreation sector. The
Outdoor Spaces Society (OSS), Ramblers, and British
Horse Society (BHS) have been particularly active in
recording potentially unrecorded routes across England,
and we’ve been strengthening our partnerships with
them to flag the importance of waterside paths.
In October we attended a training session with the
BHS, looking at the process for both identifying
and confirming new paths and bridleways.
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www.britishcanoeing.org.uk