The Lost Paths

A rallying cry to reclaim lost routes and preserve this precious resource for future generations

Walk Magazine

A celebration of an ancient network and a rallying cry to reclaim what has been lost and preserve it for future generations

The Best of UK

Marvellous. Cornish is the ideal companion on the road: interested in everything, learned, acute, and a splendid story-teller

Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast

A nostalgic amble through the history of travel in England and Wales, and an examination of the routes that make up our modern path network. Jack Cornish interlaces titbits of travel, history, personal reflection and anecdote. His passion for walking, natural beauty and the abundant history of these old ways shines through. Cornish's motivation to protect heritage and relish our spectacular countryside is admirable

The Times

Cornish’s book delves back in history and is written with a sense of urgency. On each page you discover an enticing new vista

Mail on Sunday

[A] fascinating history of path-making and path-taking . . . our guide excels at historic story-telling . . . Cornish’s celebration of our grand wealth of history ways, and the different motivations for walking over the centuries, is a worthy clarion call for us to keep treading paths – so we don’t lose our way . . .

The Oldie

A lively account of millennia of movement, and a call to action to preserve an endangered heritage

Inkcap Journal

Fascinating

Country Walking

By 2026, some 16,000km of forgotten footpaths around Britain stand to be lost. Jack Cornish’s fascinating book sets out to ensure they aren’t, and en route explains why Britain’s history is buried in these historic rights of way.

Wanderlust

There are many books about walking, but there are few that are as compelling, informed, curious and inspiring as The Lost Paths. Jack Cornish shows us that every path has a story to tell

Mary-Ann Ochota