Sometimes it is useful to have a guide to take you around an unfamiliar area. Not everybody is a s adventurous as Wainwright and probably appreciate being given more information about the area they are walking in than they might find out for themselves. I can't see that it's really any different than having a guided tour round the Tower of London or any other historical monument. Since these guides are all volunteers and obviously take part in the programme for the enjoyment that they get from telling others about their own patch why does this have to stop?

I would suggest that the people who take advantage of this facility are probably paying taxes anyway - why should they not benefit from some of that money in this way?