Britain's network of footpaths, closed abruptly in the early stages of the foot and mouth crisis, has been re-opening at an agonisingly slow pace.

By mid-June the tapes and warning notices had been removed from about half the trails across Cumbria's high fells, for example, and from the vast majority of those in the Peak District. Restrictions had also been lifted in other areas, including the south east of England and north of the Forth of Clyde in Scotland.

But in many places, frustration persists. Though much of Snowdonia was open by mid-June, the picture in Wales was generally patchy. The same went for Devon, while a late outbreak of the disease in the Yorkshire Dales forced the closure of paths for the second time since the crisis began.

Overall, it was estimated that only about half of the country's paths were accessible again.

Understandable caution had begun to breed cynicism among ramblers, some of whom felt that the ragged re-opening was just another reflection of the farming community's antipathy towards them.

Despite such suspicions, the foot and mouth tragedy may yet yield them long-term benefits, for it has thrown a new spotlight on the value of walkers to the rural economy.

Research by the English Tourism Council shows that almost one fifth of Britons who take holidays in the UK go hiking, hill walking or rambling - categories which suggest more than a gentle stroll to the pub - and that their spending amounts to some £2.4bn a year.

A survey by ICM for the Ramblers' Association in February showed 77 per cent of the UK population said they walked for pleasure at least once a month. Of these, just over one in five said they walked more than four miles.

The reason is not hard to understand. Britain offers some of the world's finest walking. Its attraction lies not so much in great expanses of wilderness as in the ever changing variety of its landscapes - from the dramatic Cuillin hills on the Isle of Skye, the Cotswolds, to the breezy clifftops of the south west coast path, with all the villages and ancient churches to be explored along the way.

This appeal is reflected by a rapid and continuing increase in the number of marked or themed trails. Around 50 have opened since 1998 alone, bringing the total to some 700. Among the newcomers is the two year old High Weald Landscape Trail, which runs for 90 miles across West and East Sussex and Kent.

This was developed by a partnership including, among others, the local authorities and the Countryside Agency. There is also an impressive glossy guide to the route.

It was unfortunate timing that the foot and mouth crisis should have bitten just as new legislation to tackle rights of access to Britain's landscape was either coming into force or in the pipeline.

But even when the foot and mouth crisis has dissipated, the tension between walkers and land owners will persist. The Ramblers Association estimates that a quarter of English paths and more than half of those in Wales are difficult or impossible to use at the best of times because of obstacles ranging from padlocked gates to dangerous bulls.

The best hope for those who love exploring the British countryside on foot is that as their spending power is better appreciated, these obstacles will be removed.