The Postal Paths : Rediscovering Britain’s Forgotten Trails And The People Who Walked Them

Postal paths span the length and breadth of Britain - from the furthermost corners of the Outer Hebrides and the islands of St Kilda to the isolated communities clinging to the cliffs of the Rame Peninsula in south-east Cornwall. As far back as the 1660s, postmen and women have been moulding and forging paths to deliver posts to homes across Britain, no matter how remote.

A chance remark by a farmer about a Postman''s Path that led to a nearby village started Alan Cleaver on a quest to discover more about this network of lanes, short-cuts and footpaths in the British landscape. What he found, through his walks, conversations and painstaking research, was more than just beautiful scenery. It was an incredible, forgotten slice of social history - the remarkable tales and toil of rural postmen and women trudging down lanes, over fields, and even across rivers to make sure the post always came on time.

From women like Hannah Knowles, who began her job delivering letters in 1912 and would only miss three days through illness over the next 62 years of service, to WW1 veteran Matt Bendelow, who managed his 9-mile delivery route on one leg, Postal Paths brings you on a journey through the beautiful and diverse landscape of Britain to paint a picture of the incredible dedication of these under-appreciated public servants. And journeying into the past also provides a surprising glimpse into the future...