PATRICK BARKHAM
The Lost Paths: A History of How We Walk from Here to There
By Jack Cornish
Michael Joseph £20
‘An old path electrifies weary legs,’ wrote Alfred Barron. That must be one reason for the increasing number of sprightly walkers afoot in Britain. There are 140,000 miles of officially recognised footpaths weaving through England and Wales – and many are far older than our most fêted ancient monuments.
Unlike monuments such as standing stones, these path portals into our past
