When out running on the hills and moors of Saddleworth we may on occasion come accross issues with footpath maintenance, access etc. If you do, we can report the issue to the Peak & Northern Footpath Scoiety (PNFS) who “monitor, protect and improve the footpath network for the benefit of all”.

Further information regarding the work of PNFS can be found on their website: http://www.peakandnorthern.org.uk/

Their contact has also provided us with the following guidance should we identify any concerns when out running:

Thanks for your offer to help monitoring footpaths on Saddleworth Moor and thereabouts while you are out running. I see there are something like 290 paths in Saddleworth. There are too many paths for our inspector to look at all of them (especially as he also has responsibility for other parts of Oldham), but he will look into problems that are reported.

I know, as an ex-runner myself, that when you're out you sometimes come across a path which is obstructed or a stile that is broken and you think 'what should we do about it'?

The simple answer is to let us know and our inspector will investigate further.

What we need to know in order to look into a potential problem is as follows:

  • Name of the person reporting the fault.

  • Date when the problem was observed

  • A precise location (preferably a grid reference or co-ordinates).

  • A brief description of the problem - e.g, path obstructed by barbed wire.

  • If possible, it is useful for us to know the path number.

You can find path numbers from the website ROWmaps.com. Go to 'maps' and then put in a place name such as Uppermill and then click on Bing maps and then the map of all the paths will appear. You can zoom in and by clicking on the path you are interested in, the path number will then be shown.

You can identify grid references at the website https://gridreferencefinder.com/

If you have a photo of the problem that is VERY useful.

I attach a very short form which you can use if that's any easier. Simply attach the completed form and photo to an email and send it to faults@pnfs.org.uk.

For more guidance on what sort of things to report, please see our website: http://www.peakandnorthern.org.uk/footpath-faults/most-common-faults.htm

If you have any further questions, please reply to this email and I will do my best to answer.

Many thanks for your help.

David Gosling