Postman's Paths

The Postman's Path at Holmrook, Cumbria

MY tweet on 1st January 2023 sparked rather more interest than I expected in my latest project to rediscover and walk some of the Postman's Paths in Great Britain so I thought I had better breathe new life into this blog with some background on the subject.

Who am I? Alan Cleaver - a former journalist, now an author of books on local walks in my home county of Cumbria. I've previously published 'Corpse Roads of Cumbria' and 'Get Lost' in addition to other books and booklets.

What is a Postman's Path? A path used by rural postmen and women up until the 1970s (when the Post Office decided to deliver everything by van - bikes were phased out in 2014) to reach remote farms and homes. Although I use the term 'postmen' for brevity there were just as many 'postwomen'; 'Postie' is a more generic term used in some parts of the UK. The paths often  already existed but in some instances they were officially or unofficially created as short-cuts by the postman. Most paths were about 10 or 12 miles long but some were 18 miles or more. Some were circular routes and other linear - the postman returning the same way he came later in the day. 

Why are they of interest? Simply because many of them are nice walks. But the rural postman has played an important part in the country's social history and their routes and work should probably be recorded.

Is there a Postman's Path near me? Almost certainly but there is no catalogue or gazetteer listing them all. Start by asking your local history society or older postmen. Rural postmen had route cards which defined the precise routes they had to take but very few of these remain. Your local archive office may have newspaper cuttings or books detailing the lives of the rural postmen and women in your area. Some work is involved but the exciting thing is that this is your chance to be the first to record and walk many of these paths.

How can I walk Postman's Paths around the UK? A number of old postal paths have been promoted as tourist walks. Scotland has stolen the march on this and ScotWays lists a number of postman's paths as part of its Heritage Paths project. You'll also find some Cumbrian ones detailed by me in my book, Get Lost. I've also included one or two on this blog (see entry below). I hope to publish a book specifically on Postman's Paths early in 2024.

I've found a Postman's Path near me. What should I do now? Spread the word! Certainly, write up your research and detail the route. Log this with your local history society so it's preserved for future generations. Then set about promoting the walk in your community; perhaps the local council or tourist authority would be happy to help (see what has been achieved at Stiperstones, Shropshire with Elsie's Walk).

Useful links:

• My Google map of references I've found about Postman's Paths in the UK and intend to follow up.
• An article about the project published in The Guardian in 2022.
• A typical Postman's Path - this one from Boot, Eskdale, Cumbria