Britain's footpaths and bridleways form a gossamer web over the face of the land. These tiny byways, marked by their lines of stiles and fingerposts, are a uniquely distinctive feature of the British landscape. Legally, they are part of the King's Highways network, enjoying the same status as a motorway. Old as the hills, constantly fought over, cheekily penetrating to some of the most private of places, these thin strips of grass and mud have for centuries aroused high passions as well as delight. The nation's quiet country walkways have a tumultuous history.

The result of more than thirty years of research, this book tells the full story of Britain's 'rights of way system', a prosaic term for a unique and priceless national legacy like no other.