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C O N T E X T 1 7 9 : M A R C H 2 0 2 4 19 HADRIAN’S WALL POLLY MARTIN Hadrian’s Wall Path and the national trails Winding through, and sometimes over, listed buildings, archaeological sites, world heritage sites and scheduled monuments, the trails are heritage assets in their own right. Our national trails are a special shared asset, golden threads that connect us with national parks and national landscapes, link town to countryside and offer everyone a chance to con- nect to nature, to each other and to ourselves. The 20 national trails in England, Scotland and Wales, covering over 6,000 miles, are visited by over 83 million people a year. The oldest is the PennineWay, completed in 1965, and the newest the King Charles III England Coast Path, due for completion this year. What makes national trails different from other footpaths or bridleways is their designa- tion. Each route is established and approved by government, in England and Wales through the National Park and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 , the same legislation as our national parks and national landscapes, (previously known as areas of outstanding natural beauty), and in Scotland through the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967 . The recognition of the need to protect special outdoor spaces at that time is an inter- esting one. In 1948, the Labour Government led by Clement Attlee had created the National Health Service to make healthcare accessible for all. In debates in Parliament for the 1949 Act, there were discussions about the need to create a complementary ‘Natural Health Service’. National Trails UK, a new organisation, was created to provide a collective voice for the national trails so that the multiple benefits of these trails can be properly realised and acces- sible to all. We are the independent champion of the UK’s designated national trails; we are the only place where all the national trails in England, Scotland and Wales come together to share best practice, develop opportunities and speak with a single voice. We prioritise collaboration and co-creation to make sure that we are learning from the experience of our national trails and partners to deliver impactful projects which do something new rather than repeat existing work. Part of the wider family of protected landscapes, we work closely with the UK’s national landscapes and national parks as part of the newly formed Protected Landscape Partnership, as well as other environment and heritage groups. January sunshine and mist at the wall (Photo: Hadrian’s Wall Path)

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