Exploring Historic Drovers Roads and Ancient Pathways

Routes Older Than the Romans

Long before motorways and turnpikes, Britain was crisscrossed by a web of tracks driven by trade, and none were more important than the drovers roads. For centuries, cattle, sheep, geese and even pigs were moved on foot from the wilds of Wales, Scotland and the Pennines to the great markets of England. The drovers walked with them, sometimes for weeks at a time, following routes that had often been used since the Bronze Age. Today those same paths offer some of the finest and quietest walking in the country.

What makes them special is not just the walking. It is the sense that you are following in very old footsteps, past ruins and earthworks that tell the story of a vanished way of life. These are not contrived trails; they are living remnants of a working landscape.

What to Look For on the Ground

Drovers roads rarely announce themselves. They appear as broad, grassy tracks across moorland, often wider than a footpath because herds needed room to spread out. Keep an eye out for the following clues:

• Drovers inns and pubs – many remote pubs, such as those on the Yorkshire moors or in mid-Wales, began as stopping points where drovers could eat, sleep and, crucially, bank their money.
• Guide stoops and standing stones – carved waymarkers, some dating to the 1700s, helped drovers navigate in mist and snow.
• Enclosures and pounds – small stone-walled pens where animals could be held overnight or sorted before market.
• Quarries, lime kilns and lead mines – drovers often carried other goods too, and many routes pass old industrial sites that are now quietly returning to nature.
• Holloways – sunken lanes worn deep by hooves and feet over centuries, often flanked by banks of wild garlic and bluebells in spring.

Once you start noticing these features, a walk across open moorland becomes a kind of detective story.

Classic Drovers Routes to Walk

Some of the best-known drovers roads are now waymarked long-distance paths, while others remain little-known bridleways. Here are a few to consider.

• The Drovers' Road through the Cambrian Mountains – a rugged route from Tregaron in Ceredigion towards Llandovery, crossing the wild uplands of mid-Wales. It is remote, boggy in places and utterly beautiful. Strong boots and a compass are essential.
• The Yorkshire Dales drovers – paths around Malham and Kettlewell follow old cattle tracks over limestone pavements, passing scars, caves and the remains of lead mining.
• The Ridgeway and Icknield Way – ancient routes in southern England that later carried drovers and traders. Easier underfoot than the upland routes, with plenty of pubs and villages along the way.
• The Scottish drove roads – routes such as the one through the Cairngorms from Braemar to Blair Atholl were used to move black cattle south. Expect high passes, river crossings and big skies.
• The Welsh border routes – paths through the Black Mountains and along Offa's Dyke country, where drovers once mingled with pilgrims and merchants.

You do not need to walk the whole route. Many of these paths can be sampled as a half-day or full-day circular walk, using OS maps and local guidebooks to link sections together.

Practical Tips for Walking Old Tracks

Drovers roads are often unimproved, which is part of their charm but also demands a bit of preparation. Mud, rough stone, tussocky grass and stream crossings are all common. Wear boots with good ankle support, carry a paper map and a compass, and do not rely solely on a phone signal.

Weather in upland areas can change fast. Pack waterproofs, spare warm layers, water and food, even on a short walk. Many of these routes cross active farmland, so keep dogs under close control, close gates behind you and give livestock plenty of room. Ground-nesting birds such as curlew and lapwing are easily disturbed between March and July.

If you are walking in remote areas, tell someone your route and expected return time. In winter, some high routes become genuinely dangerous, with deep snow and ice on exposed sections.

Where to Stay and What to Eat

Half the pleasure of following drovers roads is the places you stop. Many old drovers inns still serve food and drink, often with flagstone floors, low beams and a fire in the winter. Local specialities worth seeking out include Welsh cawl, Yorkshire parkin, Cumbrian sausage and Scottish oatcakes. In small market towns along the routes, you will often find independent cafés and bunkhouses that cater well to walkers.

Camping is another option. Wild camping is legal in much of Scotland under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, but in England and Wales you generally need the landowner's permission. Campsites and bothies offer a middle ground.

Why These Paths Still Matter

Walking a drovers road is a way of connecting with a slower, harder Britain. The drovers were tough, resourceful people who knew every stream, pass and safe crossing for miles around. Their routes shaped villages, pubs and even the banking system, since some drovers acted as informal couriers of cash and letters.

Today those same tracks offer something increasingly rare: quiet. No traffic, no crowds, just the sound of boots on old stone and the curl of a curlew overhead. Whether you walk a mile or a full week, you are treading a path that has been worn by centuries of feet. Take your time, look for the clues, and enjoy one of the most rewarding ways to explore the British countryside.