Early winter brings low-angled sunlight across the Empty Quarter of the dank moors separating the ribbon lake dale's bottom between Woodhead and Tintwistle and the deep trench of the river Tame. Up here on the rolling, mist-touched tops of Featherbed Moss and Long Ridge Moss we can roam to our heart's content nowadays because it's access land. Down in the dales, though, everything is not so easy. There's a constant battle going on, to unstop obstructions that should not be there.

The paramount guardian angels here are members of the Peak and Northern Footpaths Society, based in Stockport. Whether the problem is bulls or barbed wire, careless ploughing or awkward folk, this organisation brings its experience gained over 150 years to create rights of way and then protect them from illegal diversions and closures. All this illustrious society's work is done by volunteers, relying totally on members' subscriptions and by donations and bequests from caring individuals.

Any walkers worth their salt will have seen the impressive signs erected by the society through the years. It is an organisation with roots originating in the Manchester Association for the Preservation of Ancient Public Footpaths established in 1826 and so can accurately claim to be the country's oldest outdoor amenities organisation. The most historic of those cast-iron signposts must be the one standing at the top of the steps overlooking Kinder Road at Hayfield.

Put up in 1897, it marks the south-western end of the famous Snake path connecting Hayfield with the Snake Road in the Ashop valley, eventually established in that year as a right of way for all time after protracted hostilities with the Duke of Devonshire.

This society is still engaged in such hostilities - in a typical year it investigates over 800 proposals to divert or extinguish rights of way; continues to add to those more than 250 signposts; and writes more than 1,000 letters to local authorities concerning obstructed rights of way in the eight counties that are its province. All this costs £6,500 each year and has to be found from members' subscriptions and donations. Through the silver mist we came down a soggy runnel by Long Ridge Moss and soon the shiny eastern tongue of Chew Reservoir came into view. It was a magic, silent moment.

· Anyone interested in finding out more about the Peak and Northern Footpaths Society can contact it at Taylor House, 23 Turncroft Lane, Offerton, Stockport, SK1 4AB. Tel: 0161 480 3565.