Winding trails that cut through grass and weave alongside official paths can be found in parks and commons everywhere.
Known as ‘desire paths’, and formed over time through countless footsteps, these trails can often reveal how people prefer to walk and the ways that they interact with the natural landscape.
Most commonly, desire paths simply arise out of the need to create a shortcut, or perhaps evade a particularly muddy area.
However, smaller paths can often add interest and variety to a walk, as though you are pathing your own way.
Though they may simply be out of convenience, choosing to take a less visible, perhaps slightly overgrown path may also reflect people’s desire to fully explore the wilderness and beauty that nature has to offer.
You never know where they will lead you, whether it be to a pond, wood, or heathland, but that can often be part of the appeal; taking the path less travelled can provide the walker with an incredibly rewarding and peaceful experience.
Wimbledon and Putney Commons’ perspective on desire paths is very much allowing in most cases: ‘The Commons are open to people walking wherever they want,’ says Angela Evans-Hill, ranger at Wimbledon and Putney Commons.
‘If people start walking in one way and create a path that’s fine, that’s what happens’.
Though conserving natural habitats is one of their top priorities, it is important to find a balance between natural patterns and conservation efforts, and most paths are left if they aren’t being directly damaging.
However, there are some concerns about the potential implications that desire paths can have on the environment in particularly sensitive areas, such as the heathland.
900 out of 1140 acres of the Wimbledon and Putney Commons have been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), largely for the areas with lowland heath, which make up half of all that remains in Greater London.
As a result, conserving and protecting it from any damage that could be caused by human activity, such as desire paths, is one of the Commons’ top priorities; Angela further adds ‘[heathland] is hugely sensitive, and we do have to make sure we look after it, so if we find under review that paths seem to be causing damage then we may encourage people to go a different way’.
One concern with people cutting their own paths through the heath is disturbance to ground-nesting birds such as skylarks, particularly on The Plain.
Consequently, during bird nesting season the Commons often put up signs asking people to avoid it and instead stick to a main path, as opposed to going off and creating their own.
Another method that the Commons employ in managing desire paths is dead hedging, in which a barrier is formed using piles of dead branches, scrubs, and cut twigs, encouraging people to take a specific route.
‘If somewhere is a bit muddy and we want to let it dry out, or it’s a particularly sensitive area, then the dead hedging forms a natural barrier,’ Angela adds.
Ultimately, desire paths offer a unique way for visitors to interact with the landscape, essentially forging it to be a reflection of their connections with nature, be it through simply avoiding a large puddle, or making your own path through the woods.
However, as you meander through the Wimbledon and Putney Commons, it’s incredibly important to remain vigilant about the potential impact your actions can have on the environment; by balancing freedom to explore with commitment to conserving these fragile habitats, we can enjoy the wild beauty of such spaces while also protecting them for those who come after.