[noshed]

That's the thing, there's no complete answer. Do what seems best for you and you can always change it next year, as long as you don't use cement!

[richyrich7]

Beds should be as wide as you can comfortably reach/stretch into the centre from both sides 3' -3'6" at a guess, paths should be wide enough to get a barrow down, after that anything wider is a waste.

IMHO paths are better, that way you only ever compact the soil you want to walk on. Keeping the soil in the beds light and airy and more productive, also less chance you'll put your size 9's on your veg

[green_fingered_ash]

After a little experimentation with some cream tubs and a ruler. 1.5ft it is, 1ft seemed way to narrow but 1.5ft perfect .

i will probably also add a central path stretching across between the 3 paths in the middle so i can transverse the columns more easily

the 1.5ft will be divided equally among the 4ft paths making the paths ~4.3ft wide every inch counts as they say

the columns will be north-south so i guess this way it works out better