County Councillor Clare Wood, left, with Gudrun Gaudian at Sheriff Hutton

Every inch of the public rights of way in England’s largest county has been logged by a small army of volunteers.

More than a hundred dedicated walkers checked 6,000km (3,730 miles) of footpaths, bridleways and byways in North Yorkshire, surveying the routes and recording difficulties and obstructions. The information gathered will go on a county council database so rights-of-way officers can plan improvements.

The volunteers logged details of the condition of stiles, gates, steps, bridges and signposts. A total of more than 2,000 days was spent by the legion of walkers, who did the work in their own spare time.

County Councillor Clare Wood, executive member with responsibility for public rights of way and also the divisional councillor for Sheriff Hutton, said: “This is a tremendous effort by our countryside volunteers, living in communities all over Yorkshire.

“They have made a big contribution to the best set of information on the county’s rights of way that officers have ever had. This could not have been accomplished without the volunteers’ dedication and hard work, and we are very grateful to them.”

The final survey was carried out in Councillor Wood’s home parish of Sheriff Hutton, north-east of York, by volunteer Gudrun Gaudian from Alne.

North Yorkshire covers 8,654 sq km (3,341 square miles).