Finding public footpaths in England

If you wander through the English countryside for a while you're bound to notice the occasional public footpath sign pointing off into an enticing forest or through some verdant fields. What online resources are there to easily find walks? Let's look at an area near my house, to see what detail various sites provide.

Google Maps doesn't show any public paths here at all.

Google Maps

OpenStreetMap is usually good at displaying paths, but it is reliant on users having added the paths to their map. In this area a few paths, displayed as red dotted lines, are shown, but most paths are missing.

OpenStreetMap

I don't use Bing Maps much, but one thing it does excellently is display Ordnance Survey maps. Here you can see public paths displayed with green dashed lines, and a major walk displayed with green rhombuses.

Bing Maps Ordnance Survey

For interest, Bing Maps Bird's Eye view provides the prettiest overview of the area.

Bing Maps Bird's Eye

By far the most detailed map of public paths is provided by the local Kent County Council. Presumably other local councils provided similar mapping facilities. It shows all of the paths, with optional highlighting of certain types of path. It also has options to display elements such as bridges, stiles and steps, which can be critical when choosing a scenic route to take your elderly relatives.

Kent County Council

This map does note that it is not a definitive map of public rights of way, but it's certainly good enough for a weekend ramble through the countryside.