For six months now we have been denied the right to enjoy our hills, dales, woods and countryside as foot-and mouth precautions have kept the countryside closed.

A slight inconvenience you may think. I have to say that you would be mistaken.

Walking is the number one leisure activity in this country, with an incredible 77 per cent of the population walking for pleasure on a regular basis, and an even more amazing 62 per cent of the population going for a walk as their main source of exercise. If you walk regularly, your overall fitness level will improve and you will feel and look much better as endorphins are released into your bloodstream.

We also spend a huge amount of money when we are out and about; rural tourism in the Yorkshire region alone is worth £1.7bn a year and tourism as a whole throughout England is worth £52.5bn a year. The closure of the footpaths has done huge damage to the rural economy - the tourist industry in Yorkshire has lost £300m (so far). More sobering are the national figures - it is estimated that by the end of 2003, the tourist industry in England will lose £8.5bn, putting 150,000 jobs at risk.

Without tourism and all that it encompasses, there will not be a countryside - the heart of rural communities will be ripped out as many local businesses and farms close.

I must point out that walkers, tourists and visitors to the countryside have not contributed to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease - out of almost 2,000 cases, not one has been caused by a walker or visitor to rural areas. But let me also make it clear, the countryside we all love and enjoy is not some kind of theme park. It is a managed landscape that has been shaped and modified by people for over 2,000 years, and we must ensure that the farming community is supported properly to maintain this precious landscape for us all. Farming and tourism are an integral part of the countryside and, without either, the other would not survive.

Adversity always throws up opportunity, but we must ensure that such a tragedy never happens again. I have had to turn to urban routes in order to survive. My new book Town Trails: North Yorkshire is an attempt to diversify to try to save my livelihood as a writer on rural matters.

Many thousands of rural businesses are facing huge losses and even bankruptcy - and there is very little in the way of financial help to win customers back. But no matter how much you spend on trying to get people back to the countryside, it will all be in vain unless every single yard of footpath and bridleway is re-opened once foot-and-mouth has been eradicated. Only when full access to the countryside has been restored can confidence start to build again to help the beleaguered tourism and outdoor leisure industry - the fifth biggest industry in this country.

But the hypocrisy is startling, which only adds to the confusion as no one really knows what is or is not open, and the situation changes on a daily basis. In the North York Moors for example, 75 per cent of rights of way are closed and a vast expanse of moorland that makes this National Park so special retains a blanket closure of footpaths as a precautionary measure to safeguard the precious moorland flocks and therefore safeguard this unique landscape.

But grouse shooting has begun - subject to licences issued by Defra and bio-security measures - a staggering example of "do as I say and not as I do". Yes, the moors are closed for walkers, but open for shooters.

With access to the countryside restricted since March, many of us have turned to urban walks as our solace away from the pressures of everyday life. I must admit, the prospect of spending an afternoon weaving my way through busy streets did not initially fill me with anticipation. How wrong I was.

I have to say that my hand was forced somewhat, as I make my living writing walking books and overnight my livelihood was taken away from me with the closure of footpaths. So, somewhat bizarrely, I found that in order to continue to write about sustainable rural tourism, I had to produce a book of urban walks. Six months later, after visiting every town and city in North Yorkshire, my project came to fruition with the launch of my new book - Town Trails.

What a revelation it has been. Despite growing up in North Yorkshire and knowing, or so I thought, all of the towns and cities in England's largest county, familiar places have been given fresh, new life. Market towns, coastal resorts and cathedral cities have taken on new dimensions. Hidden amongst the streets, lanes and alleyways of these towns is a wealth of beautiful architecture, fascinating history, legend and folklore waiting to be discovered; and all at a gentle walking pace. Armed with a little knowledge, these towns come alive with history and interest.

Here you will find the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, England's most historic Spa Town, a Norman castle beneath which King Arthur and his Knights lie asleep, a fishing village that was once the "smuggling capital of the North", the highest market town in Yorkshire and the port from where Captain Cook set sail on his journeys of discovery. The many bustling market towns offer a wealth of individual shops, traditional crafts and family-owned businesses that sell a wide range of local quality produce that is becoming harder to find in the increasingly homogenous High Street.

Hopefully, my latest book will bring some visitors back to the market towns of North Yorkshire and start to bring hope to many people who are suffering during this terrible time. This foot-and-mouth crisis has highlighted just how important access to the countryside is and also how much the rural economy, tourism and outdoor leisure industry are worth - and how interdependent many businesses are as the knock-on effects of this crisis are extremely far-reaching.

Yes indeed, urban walks are an enjoyable alternative to country walks. But please, we must never again restrict access to the countryside on such a massive scale and so prevent three-quarters of the population from enjoying their hard-earned leisure time.

* Town Trails: North Yorkshire by Mark Reid (InnWay Publications, £5:95). The book is available from The Northern Echo Bookshop on 0800 0150552.

* See Monday's Northern Echo for a special report on the state of the countryside after six months of foot-and-mouth.