A NEW app described as ‘sat-nav for footpaths’ aims to get walkers out and about around Wiltshire’s countryside.

The Wiltshire Walks app aims to help people who don't want to find their way around an Ordinance Survey map wander through the county’s greenery without getting lost.

The app comes ready with 150 walks from 80 locations programmed in – and the maps work in areas with no phone signal, WiFi or available mobile data.

Gary Stevens helped develop the app after launching similar ones for the Cotswolds, Cornwall and the Lake District.

He said: “This is for everyday casual users that want to go for a walk with their family, friends or by themselves but aren’t used to using physical maps.

“You can’t rely on Google or Apple Maps in the middle of the countryside so that’s why we made this, which uses the GPS in-built to your phone.

“It sends you to the start point then allows for routes as short as a mile or up to 10 miles. We’ve built the infrastructure and technology and now we want the community to help it evolve.”

Little more than a week after launching, 7,500 people have downloaded it so far. People who use it can share snaps of themselves on country walks, rate and recommend routes, warn of problems with accessibility or overgrown footpaths, and suggest other paths worth taking.

Mr Stevens added: “We have had fantastic feedback so far, it’s been really positive. The condition and layout of footpaths can change but people can notify us if they do so that we can add alerts to the route.

“Everyone has a walk they love and want to share with people – this is an easy way to do that, we hope to have more than 300 walks eventually.

“We want to find every good route around Wiltshire, especially the less touristy ones, but we need people’s help to do that.”

People who download the app before July 1 can get a 30-day free trial, or a seven-day trial if downloaded next month. After that, it costs £1.99 per month or £14.99 a year to use.

To download the app, search for ‘Wiltshire Walks’ on the iPhone or Android app stores, or visit www.localwalks.co.uk/wiltshire-walks