Planning a stroll this winter break? For many, a simple walk can feel like a game of chance. With millions of people hitting the roads on foot, some find themselves forced onto narrow or heavily trafficked lanes, bordered by private fields. There is no pavement or footpath.
The predicament begs the question: should walking directly on busy roads be a person’s only option?
A recent poll for Slow Ways suggests most people think there ought to be alternatives. It revealed that 7 in 10 UK adults (71%) believe individuals should be permitted to walk on the edges of privately owned fields, acting responsibly, if the only other route involves taking a narrow or busy road without safe pathways.
“Going for a walk in the countryside can mean risking narrow lanes, blind bends and fast vehicles,” explained Dan Raven-Ellison, founder and CEO of Slow Ways.
“According to the Department for Transport, two pedestrians die and 34 are seriously injured by vehicles on rural roads each week.
The government can save thousands of lives and bring millions of people so much joy by ensuring there is always a safe way to walk.”
The poll also indicates there is considerable enthusiasm for a widespread upgrade to paths and overall walking access.
According to the YouGov survey, 70% of respondents support the creation of a national walking network so people can safely walk to any address in the UK. This plan would require installing new paths and walking routes on private land where necessary.
Slow Ways itself is a grassroots effort aimed at creating a national walking network, an idea Dan Raven-Ellison launched in 2020. He notes that these routes are designed to make traveling on foot both safer and more enjoyable.
His vision is about ensuring there is always a realistic and secure pathway to reach essential destinations—no matter if you’re heading to a school, hospital, or a local grocery store.
“Slow Ways is founded on the principle that we should always be able to walk safely and enjoyably to the places we need to get to.
We have that expectation for driving places. We should have the same expectation for walking, which is the healthiest, greenest, most inclusive, most affordable and – I think – most enjoyable way of getting around.
“We know there is a need for this. Over the last three years thousands of volunteers have been helping to develop the Slow Ways national walking network.
Thanks to their efforts, making use of existing rights of way, we have mapped thousands of walking routes that connect Britain’s towns, cities and national landscapes.
“We know from our work that there are no safe or reasonable footpaths to thousands of Britain’s shops, pubs, schools, villages and homes.
The only option people have is to walk alongside traffic on roads and lanes – many of which have replaced the paths people used to travel on foot.
“Like many people, I have experienced the dangers of narrow lanes, fast cars and large lorries first-hand.
“The current situation is no good for walkers or drivers, neither of whom want to surprise or scare each other at any time of the year.
“The government can make walking places safer and more direct, enjoyable and inclusive for us all.
While hikers would benefit from improved access, the people who would benefit most of all would be the 10 million people who live in the countryside and feel these issues day-in-day-out. Many people who live in rural areas are surrounded by fields, but effectively live on islands that they can only venture in or out of by car.”
While hikers clearly benefit from better access, Raven-Ellison highlights that those living in the countryside might gain the most.
Rural dwellers—some 10 million people—often find themselves hemmed in, unable to leave their home areas on foot without confronting treacherous roadways.
Moreover, the popularity of an expanded walking network was evident. Forty percent of those surveyed said they would be likely to walk more if such a setup existed—translating to roughly 27 million people (40% of the UK’s population), according to Slow Ways estimates.
“What a gift to the nation it would be if the government ensured there was always a safe way for people to walk home, see loved ones, be healthy or enjoy connecting with nature.
“Walking can improve our health, save us money, tackle the climate crisis and spread money through the economy. Not helping people to walk to where they want to go just doesn’t make sense!
“It would be a wonderful and inspiring legacy that people could enjoy for generations to come.
Slow Ways is urging the government to collaborate with individuals and organizations on creating a more inclusive, widely accessible, and straightforward national walking network, including a major expansion in access to privately owned land where possible.
The team welcomes public participation through volunteering, sharing, and verifying potential routes, including new expansions expected later in 2025.
To learn more about Slow Ways or take part in their volunteer efforts, visit www.slowways.org.
There, participants can contribute to mapping trails and routes that might one day become a core part of “Safe Walks” across the country.