Stretching the same distance as Leicestershire to Greenland, the county's public rights of way span 1,925 miles and are used by thousands of people every day.
Public rights of way are a network of footpaths, bridleways and byways that allow the public to explore and enjoy the environment across Leicestershire and can often be found right on your doorstep. Used daily by walkers, cyclists, riders and joggers, the paths snake through every part of the county.
Work by Leicestershire County Council officers takes place day in and day out throughout the year to maintain these routes, which even include ancient monuments like the Pack Horse bridge in Anstey and listed structures, such as Thurcaston’s Sandham Bridge.
The 100 mile ‘Leicestershire Round’ is the most popular long-distance path, which sends walkers strolling and hiking in a circle route stretching around county hotspots including Bradgate Park, Bosworth Battlefield and Foxton Locks.
Our brilliant team looking after public rights of way quite literally keep us on the right path, dealing with resident's queries to help maintain these much-loved rights of way to a high standard.
We encourage all residents to get out and explore the beautiful Leicestershire countryside. Our public rights of way are there for all to use and can be found even in the most remote areas of the county.
Person:Councillor Ozzy O'Shea, cabinet member for highways and transport
Upkeep of the public rights of way involves maintaining 7,000 ‘finger posts’ and more than 12,000 yellow topped posts guiding the way ahead. This work is in addition to looking after nearly 40,000 waymarkers that help everyone follow each path’s route.
The county council’s officers are dedicated to helping maintain the near 2,000 miles of public footpath. This includes work to trim down vegetation, complete surfacing works and make sure gates and stiles at boundaries are kept in good condition.
Volunteers help the team by carrying out surveys and undertaking small jobs that make a big difference to these public rights of way.
Richard Bye, Rights of Way Inspector at Leicestershire County council said: “We can't walk every mile of our public footpaths every day, so the public are a huge help by making us aware of any issues that we can respond to and help resolve.
“The team deal with 2,000 queries a year and work hard to ensure they keep the county’s walkways in as best shape possible.”
The Choose How You Move website lists a range of walking routes for the public to explore.
Any issues or problems with public footpaths can be reported on the county website.