Description
This event, originally titled ‘Paths Through Britain’, took place on 25 June 2026. The information below is correct as of the publication date.
Nicholas Crane, Phoebe Smith and Chris Butterfield spoke to Justin Rowlatt and explored ancient routes, the enduring power of walking, and the landscapes that shape us.
Britain’s footpaths are more than routes across the landscape – they are centuries-old stories of movement, belief, survival and discovery. In this panel conversation, we explored how ancient tracks, pilgrim ways and long-distance trails reveal a hidden history of how people have travelled slowly through these islands, and why walking still holds such power today.
The panel featured geographer and broadcaster Nicholas Crane, drawing on his new book The Path More Travelled to uncover the origins of Britain’s path networks, from medieval church routes and drovers’ roads to the evolution of modern rights of way. He was joined by Chris Butterfield, offering insight into the legacy of Alfred Wainwright and the cultural importance of walking in Britain’s upland landscapes, alongside adventurer and writer Phoebe Smith, who has walked some of Britain’s oldest pilgrim pathways. The chair for the evening was journalist Justin Rowlatt.
From ancient pilgrimage routes to contemporary slow travel, this event revealed how paths connect landscapes, histories and inner journeys.
Thumbnail credit: Happy England as painted by Helen Allingham, R.W.S. 1903. From the British Library archive; K.T.C.104.b.5.
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Speaker Bios:
Chris Butterfield is a Wainwright archivist and author whose work focuses on the life, publishing history and legacy of Alfred Wainwright. Over the past decade, he has assembled one of the most extensive private archives devoted to Wainwright. Chris is the author of Wainwright Memories and was instrumental in the development of the 70th Anniversary hardback edition of The Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells. He regularly gives talks based on original archival research, exploring Wainwright’s working methods and influence on fellwalking and landscape writing. Chris also runs alfredwainwright.co.uk, an online resource documenting the publishing and printing history of Wainwright’s work.
Phoebe Smith is an adventurer and multi-award-winning travel writer, photographer, presenter and broadcaster. She has presented TV segments for BBC Countryfile, BBC Breakfast, C5 Saturday Live & ITV’s Britain’s Best Walks. She is the author of 11 books, with her 12th currently in progress. Her most recent book, Wayfarer: Love, Loss and Life on Britain’s Pilgrim Paths, was shortlisted as the Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year 2025 and named Travel Book of the Year at the Inspire Global Media Awards 2025. Phoebe is also the co-founder of the #WeTwo Foundation (with Dwayne Fields), a charity that empowers underprivileged young people through carbon negative expeditions.
Nicholas Crane is a geographer, author and cartographic expert. He is the recipient of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s 'Mungo Park Medal' in recognition of outstanding contributions to geographical knowledge, and of the Royal Geographical Society’s Ness Award for popularising geography and the understanding of Britain. Between 2015 and 2018, Nick was the elected President of the Royal Geographical Society. Nick has been the lead presenter on more than 80 BBC films, including the acclaimed Map Man, Great British Journeys, Town, Britannia and Coast. He has written more than ten books, including The Making of the British Landscape. His latest book is The Path More Travelled: The Secret History of Britain’s Footpaths.
Justin Rowlatt is the BBC’s first Climate Editor, reporting from the front line of a changing world. His varied BBC career has taken him from investigative journalism to documentary making, including reporting for Panorama, helping launch The One Show, and spending a year as ‘Ethical Man’ for Newsnight. He has presented acclaimed television and radio programmes examining the climate crisis, energy and sustainability. Through his work, Justin brings together science, history and human stories to illuminate one of the defining challenges of our time.
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