# Parish Footpath Maps

![](https://kent.ngx-ramblers.org.uk/api/aws/s3/site-content/daa17dc7-bc8b-4004-af03-d9da442f076c.jpeg)

In last year's Annual Review I introduced our project to help refresh the footpath maps that are found on many village greens and other strategic (and in some cases not-so-strategic, such as hidden in a bus shelter) locations. These are 15 to 20 years old and many are in a poor condition thanks to the passage of time and the impact of the elements.

For reasons on which I will not dwell, it has taken an astonishingly long time to get the project going but we have now agreed some basic designs with Kent County Council who installed the original maps and should be able to replicate these across the county.

There were originally 129 maps in various locations across Kent. Colin Sefton and others have been scouring Kent to see how many can be found. Some have been straightforward, some have been moved but found and others have vanished without trace. We advertised the project in the magazine of the Kent Association of Local Councils which goes out to parish councils and we have had responses not only from parishes wanting to renew their maps but also from councils that were missed out of the original provision of maps and would like one now.

Our budget is based on re-using the original steel frames which in general, apart from glazing, are in good condition but we will do what we can to help councils wanting a map for the first time. With 129 original boards and over 300 parishes in Kent, some with two boards, there are clearly a lot of parishes that don't have one.

I hope that the project will be full steam ahead in early 2025.