Peak and Northern Footpath Society – The Old Roads of Derbyshire

An early sign being restored

Have you ever found your footpath ploughed up, or a stile that would challenge a mountain goat? Help is available, thanks to one of Britain’s oldest societies for the protection of walkers’ rights. The Peak and Northern Footpaths Society was formed in 1894, but has its roots in an even older Manchester footpaths society dating back to 1826. Today, post-pandemic, the Society is stronger than ever, with about 1,300 members spread over Lancashire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire and nearby areas. Although it does organise regular walks on both sides of the Pennines it is far more than a walking club, liaising with local authorities on a range of issues, and most noticeably erecting signs throughout its region.

A more modern version

There’s something very reassuring for a walker who finds one of their signs at an uncertain crossroads, and currently there are 551, maintained by a dedicated team who also repaint them when necessary. In addition the Society has 172 footpath inspectors who are responsible for monitoring the paths in one or more parish. All these, as well as the staff at the Stocktport base, are volunteers, so that thousands of miles of paths, spread over five or more counties, are effectively kept open by the combined efforts of hundreds of unpaid people who share an enthusiasm for the right to walk freely.

Bridge at Kirklees partially funded by the PNFS

Quite recently the Society has also started helping to pay for footbridges at critical points on the footpath network. This is a recognition that local authorities, who are actually largely responsible for footpath maintenance, either can’t or won’t do their job. Although there are responsive councils, due to years of ‘efficiency savings’ rights-of-way staff have been repeatedly cut back, so that in this region we are lucky to have such a dedicated voluntary body doing part of the job for them!

There are many benefits to joining the Society, which only costs £15 a year for an individual, but perhaps the main one is the knowledge that you are contributing to the maintenance of one of our greatest unsung assets, our footpath network. See:

http://www.peakandnorthern.org.uk/membership/index.htm

*Sign at the junction of five paths near Alderwasley*

Many progressive social movements, such as the Cooperative Society, started in the Manchester area, and in 1894 this was the birthplace of one of Britain’s oldest footpath protection clubs, the Peak and Northern Footpath Society. Today it operates in Lancashire, parts of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire, with its headquarters in Stockport. Partly thanks to the pandemic, which drove so many people to explore their local areas, the society has become even stronger and more active, with over 1,300 members. To some extent this may also be the result of so many local authorities being unable or unwilling to maintain the footpath network.

Originally founded to obtain access to the high moors of Kinderscout, the society developed a concern for all rights of way for walkers in its area. It soon started to mark these with its distinctive signposts, a vital reassurance at a time when many walkers could not afford maps (while map apps hadn’t even been dreamed of!) Today there are over 550 distinctive aluminium signposts scattered around the five counties, maintained by a team of dedicated volunteers. In fact the PNFS is entirely run by volunteers, a remarkable example of cooperative achievement. These volunteers include 172 footpath inspectors in 730 parishes who regularly walk the paths and report any faults to a path database.

Although a great deal of fuss is made of the so-called ‘Mass Trespass’ of 1932 the PNFS has been effectively defending the rights of walkers for well over 100 years, challenging planning applications and forcing landowners to open up paths that they were trying to block. In addition, the Society has also helped pay for many footbridges at crucial points of the path network, and organises a regular programme of long-ish (and longer) walks on both sides of the Pennines. A quarterly magazine, inevitably called ‘Signpost’ keeps members informed of developments. Why not join – it’s only £15 per year? See: http://www.peakandnorthern.org.uk/

The Old Roads of Derbyshire

Tag: Peak and Northern Footpath Society

551 signs … and counting!

Signposting the Peaks and Paths