Hundreds of thousands of miles of paths connect communities across England and Wales. More than just a practical way for us to move around, they reveal how our ancestors interacted with their landscapes. Jack Cornish uncovers the creation of this millennia-old network and its evolution – from prehistoric trackways to modern towns – reflecting on the contours of the past and the changing fortunes of society.
Jack Cornish is head of paths at the Ramblers Association, Britain’s largest walking charity. In 2017, he walked across the country from Land’s End to John O’Groats, and he has dedicated the last seven years of his life to walking and recording the forgotten routes of England and Wales. He is ten years into an attempt to walk every street in London, where he lives.