But it also shows an imbalance between the number of paths available to the most and least deprived communities. It found the path network adds more than 3,000 healthy years of life to the nation, bringing an estimated £2 billion worth of well-being benefits each year.

However, people who are older, white, healthy and wealthy have much greater access to public paths and their benefits than people in deprived and more ethnically diverse areas. The wealthiest areas in England and Wales have 80 per cent more footpaths than the most deprived areas, while the most white-dominated areas have 144 per cent more than the most ethnically diverse areas.

Across England and Wales there are more than 140,000 miles of public rights of way. The Ramblers suggest that protecting, improving and expanding these paths could be significant in “creating equal access to nature and a happier and healthier nation”.

Jack Cornish, Head of Paths at the Ramblers said: “This report lays out what needs to happen, and the Ramblers is calling for the investment needed to bring paths to their full potential, so they can benefit every one of us.”

Find out more about the report and its findings on the Ramblers website.