Cumbria Lost Ways Project

Use and Condition research

The Rights of Way Improvement Plan needs a 'use and condition' survey.  This tells us about which parts of the network or which types of routes are reported to be most in demand, as well as a snapshot about what condition the routes are in.  

In the part of Cumbria outside of the Lake District National Park and the Yorkshire Dales National Park, this survey was undertaken by volunteer parishes, and coordinated by the Cumbria Lost Ways project (not to be confused with the national 'Discovering Lost Ways' project!)  The Rights of Way Improvement Plan part-funded the survey, which took place in 2005.  

The following information was collected:

• The physical condition of the public rights of way network,
• The levels of use the network receives, 
• Identification of overgrown or obstructed routes,
• Information on mapping issues, such as footpaths stopping at parish boundaries
• Potential missing links and
• Routes suitable for people with limited mobility (a 1-3 grading system was used).    

The Cumbria Lost Ways project was also asking for information about, for example, old hedge boundaries - but this was not part of the Rights of Way Improvement Plan.  

You can download a copy of the survey sheet and accompanying instructions that volunteer surveyors filled in for each route.  Detailed results of the survey are also available to download.