“I have seen landscapes, notably in the Mourne Mountains and southwards which, under a particular light, made me feel that at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge.” So wrote CS Lewis of this mountainous patch of his homeland. Adventure abounds on this demanding walk, which encompasses three of the highest peaks in the Mournes: Slieve Donard, Commedagh and Bearnagh. The summit of the second offers fine panoramic views of the High Mournes, while the choppy straights of the Irish Sea can be seen from the third. You can follow in smugglers’ footsteps, too, along the infamous Brandy Pad track. So busy was this clandestine trading route in days past that half the houses in the village of Hilltown were said to be pubs. Sláinte, Prince Caspian.
Kerry Ridgeway, Welsh Borders
In centuries past, farmers from across Wales would entrust their sheep, cattle and even geese to delivery agents or drovers, who would transport them on foot to the market towns of England. Many of those flocks and herds would have passed this way towards their fateful end. That said, if you had to choose anywhere for a final stroll through the British countryside, you’d be hard pushed to choose better than this delightful ridgeline walk. On a clear day, the views spread out for 70 miles or more, from Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons in Wales over to the Shropshire hills across the border. A popular bridle track as well, the ridgeway path leads from Powys (Wales) into Shropshire (England) and regularly alternates between moorland, woodland and heath. A successful red-kite breeding and protection programme nearby means you’re almost guaranteed to spot one of these fork-tailed predators. The 775 bus runs from Bishop’s Castle to Newtown, close(ish) to the start.
Tramway Trail, Cornwall
The early 19th century was boom time for mining in Cornwall, transforming the now peaceful coastal villages of Portreath and Devoran into busy industrial ports. This 11-mile route along the west country peninsula follows the line of two early horse-drawn tramways, along which the tin and copper would once have trundled. The tramways form part of a network of similar supply routes that are now collectively recognised as Cultural Routes by the Council of Europe. Popular with cyclists as well as ramblers, this coast-to-coast hike is peppered with interpretation boards fixed to granite stones that give insights into Cornwall’s mining past. The scenery speaks for itself, however, with gritty, denuded “mine-scapes” interspersing the otherwise gentle woodlands and grassy glades. The 46 bus returns to Portreath.
Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Yorkshire
Measuring 127 miles and containing 91 locks, the Leeds and Liverpool canal is the longest watercourse of its kind in northern England. Reminders of the area’s industrial past are evident in the old factories and mills that cluster along the canal’s banks. The best known of these awaits in Saltaire, home to the huge textile mill of Victorian philanthropist Titus Salt. Now a designated Unesco world heritage site, the beautifully restored Salts Mill is home to a gallery dedicated to David Hockney. On the outskirts of Keighley, you’ll be treated to another masterwork: the Bingley Five-Rise and Three-Rise Locks. Truly inspired engineering, the lower gate of each chamber connects to the upper gate of the chamber below, creating the impression of an aquatic staircase. So audacious was this design that 30,000 people turned up to the inauguration in 1774. Trains run regularly between Saltaire and Skipton.
Burns Trail, Ayrshire
“Wherever I wander, wherever I rove /The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.” Birthplace of Robert Burns, Alloway in Ayrshire is sacred ground for Scots. The village of the country’s greatest literary figure has been subsumed into the historic country town of Ayr, but in a jiff you’re out in open country. Before heading into the hills, be sure to visit the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Starting out along a combination of country roads and track, the route takes you around the grounds of Newark Castle before climbing upwards into the Carrick hills. On a clear day, the Firth of Clyde looks resplendent from here, basking “gaily in the sunny beam”. The return is along the coast, to Alloway via the Burns monument, close to the Brig o’Doon (Old Bridge of Doon) of Tam O’Shanter poem fame.
St Cuthbert’s Way, Northumberland
This long but comparatively easy walk affords fine views and handsome scenery, but its real appeal lies in its connections to the seventh-century bishop and pilgrim St Cuthbert. After dropping down to the Till river (English tributary of the river Tweed) from Wooler, the route travels through rolling arable fields until it reaches St Cuthbert’s Cave, a natural sandstone feature where St Cuthbert’s dead yet itinerant body is said to have briefly lain. Soon afterwards, you’re out on top of Greensheen hill, enjoying fine views of the North Sea coast. To the south lie Bamburgh Castle and the Farne Islands, but it’s to Lindisfarne (also known as Holy Island) in the north-east that the path leads. An important centre of Celtic Christianity, Lindisfarne is teeming with wildlife, as well as religious history. Be mindful of the tides as the “island” is accessible via a causeway, which disappears during high tide. To return, take the bus from Beal to Wooler.
Seven Sisters, East Sussex
A shoreline classic, this blustery coastal path leads you along a magnificent escarpment of alabaster-white chalk cliffs. The star attraction is the Seven Sisters, a section of undulating hilltops between Cuckmere Haven and Birling Gap. As well as summits (with characterful names like Rough Brow and Brass Point), the route brings you right down to the shoreline in places, so pack your swimmers if it’s a sunny day. This section of the South Downs Way includes a second landmark: Beachy Head. At 162m high, it’s the tallest chalk cliff in Britain – a feature that, regrettably, has made it infamous for suicides. The cliff now seems to be following suit, with chunks of chalk periodically toppling into the sea. Erosion is a persistent danger right along the route, so keep your distance from the cliff edge. Regular connecting trains (via Lewes) and buses connecting the start and finish.
Walberswick nature reserve, Suffolk
With tiny terns looping the loop and waders skipping through the grasslands, spring is the perfect time to visit Walberswik National Nature Reserve on the Suffolk coast. This walk is one for twitchers, with avocets, godwits, pintails and wigeons among the possible sightings. If you can tear yourself away from reed beds, estuary marshes, saline lagoons and shingle beaches, then there’s a very pleasant circular walk to be had, too. From lovely Southwold village, head inland through the nature reserve and down through a small forest to the equally scenic Dunwich, before heading back along the coastal mudflats and sand dunes. On the return leg, try grabbing the ferry across the river Blyth (operates daily from June to September) at Walberswick.
Falls of Glomach, Ross-shire
Refreshment Kintail Lodge At 114 metres, the Falls of Glomach boast the single biggest drop of any waterfalls in the UK. Despite their gravity-gushing, depth-charging descent, however, they are curiously easy to miss – a phenomenon that has led some to call them the “hidden” falls. This disappearing act is partly because of their position: up a narrow gorge in a remote corner of the Scottish highlands. The cascade’s own spray contributes to the concealment, enveloping the whole scene in a damp veil of mist and mystery. Start and finish at the Forestry car park near Morvich (Citilink buses from Glasgow and Inverness stop at Allt a’chruinn, two miles away). After a short climb through the forest, you’ll emerge above the tree line into wild highland scenery. Although the track is well-marked, the weather is notoriously fickle here, so pack for all weathers.
Roman Way, Cotswolds
An early section of the little-known Roman Way walk, this walk offers an archaeologically intriguing ramble through the heart of the Cotswold hills. The route crosses over the limestone heights along the last leg of Akeman Street, a major Roman road running west from modern-day St Albans to Cirencester (or Corinium, as the Romans knew it). Starting out in the unspoiled Coln river valley, the path rolls past a series of ancient villages close to Ampney brook and the river Churn. It’s worth keeping up a good pace as the real archaeological treats await towards the end. On the outskirts of Cirencester stand the grass-covered remains of a Roman amphitheatre. Reserve time for the Roman museum in town, too, home to an impressive pottery collection as well as a rare, recently discovered tombstone.
LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS THAT CAN BE BROKEN INTO SECTIONS
This customised circular ramble was devised by Where2Walk’s Jonathan Smith to show off the best of the Dales. It skirts the 723m Ingleborough peak, Buckden Pike and Great Whernside, which make for easy side walks, and whose stark slopes and flat tops soften into valleys, such as Dentdale and Wensleydale. Tackled in stretches of about 15 miles a day, the limestone pavement of Malham Cove (featured hilariously in a scene from Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s The Trip) and sharp ravine Gordale Scar are among early highlights. But geographical delights keep coming, with England’s highest single-drop waterfall Hardraw Force, near Hawes (day four), multi-stepped Aysgarth Falls and a host of timeless dales, villages and hamlets. One of these, Feizor, is home to Elaine’s tearoom/restaurant, a meeting point for walkers at the junction of several paths. The route covers a few miles of the Pennine Way – and it makes a shorter alternative to, or good training for, that longer and more challenging trail.
North Downs Way, Surrey/Kent
In March, this hike from Farnham to Dover became the first national trail to be captured by Google Street View from start to finish, enabling prospective walkers to check terrain, route and pubs before they set off. Proximity to London and the M25-M20 might dissuade walkers from giving the North Downs a go but the route is almost entirely in areas of outstanding natural beauty and often feels suitably remote. It also resonates with historical significance, from pre-Roman times through Chaucer and the medieval pilgrims, to Darwin (whose observations were made close to the west Kent stretch of the trail), and the Battle of Britain, fought overhead. There are quaint old villages on the Way, like Chilham in Kent, fantastic views across the Garden of England, streams, springs, beech and oak woodland, idyllic meadows, rare orchids, butterflies and birds, and striking features such as the sharp cleft in the downs near Wye in Kent called the Devil’s Kneading Trough, Box Hill (Surrey) and Dover’s chalk cliffs. The North Downs Way can serve as a an ideal training ground to test your stamina, without having to worry about access (trains and buses are plentiful). It also makes a great (though rather long) pub crawl, with great inns (such as the White Horse in Chilham) and local breweries (Shepherd Neame, Westerham and Canterbury Ales) close to the route. Wild camping is not allowed along the trail but CampInMyGarden.com may provide some answers. There’s no shortage of pubs with rooms, B&Bs and hotels in the villages and towns along the way.
John Muir Way, Scotland
It may lack the drama of the wild and challenging Cape Wrath Trail, and some seasoned Scottish trekkers will be horrified that its high point (the Kilpatrick Hills) is only 401 metres, but this coast-to-coast route does something different: it’s a window not only on Scotland’s ancient landscape, but its industrial history and urban present. Named after Yosemite pioneer John Muir, who spent his early years at Dunbar (the trail’s eastern terminus), the walk breaks down into 10 sections, each doable in a day. The early stretches, starting on the Firth of Clyde at Helensburgh, traverse moors and forest and skirt glorious Loch Lomond; it later takes in canals, the extraordinary boat-shifting Falkirk Wheel, castles, tiny fishing ports and the small matter of Edinburgh. Its excellent website details pubs and B&Bs en route, and there’s good signposting and decent public transport access for each section.
Glyndŵr’s Way, Mid-Wales
Snowdonia? Brecon Beacons? Offa’s Dyke? All awesome – but well-trodden. So where in Wales can you find a grown-up, long-distance trail that’s properly in the sticks, where you might not meet anyone for hours on end, and where logistics aren’t so easy? Bang in the middle, of course, where there are rolling hills, forests, lakes, high moors, the low Cambrian mountains, a richly green landscape dotted with sheep, and settlements you’ve never heard of. In late medieval times, rebel prince Owain Glyndŵr restlessly crisscrossed this ground on his way to one battle or another, but he certainly never did this 135-mile route for the hell of it. Best broken into nine stages of about 15 strenuous, hilly miles each, the chevron-shaped trail starts at Knighton and ends at Welshpool, both of which are served by trains from Shrewsbury. At the halfway point is picturesque Machynlleth, also on the rail network, and site of Glyndŵr’s 1400s parliament. The small town is host to the Museum of Modern Art Wales and the superb Centre for Alternative Technology. It’s an ideal place to stop/start the hike if you want to break it into two sections of five days each – a good option, given the minimal bus services between the villages. It’s worth remembering, too, that mobile phone coverage is patchy on the trail, so it’s best to plan in advance, particularly as not every village has a pub or shop. B&Bs and campsites are plentiful, however.
South West Coast Path, West Country
England’s longest trail involves a daunting 35,000 metres of ascent (nearly four Everests), what with all those pesky inlets, undulating cliff tops and river valleys. Really fast walkers can combine a few sections and do the whole thing in up to six weeks but, starting on 25 April, Royal Marine Baz Gray will be looking to complete it in a record-breaking 10 days (he’ll be running) for charity. The huge variety of coastal scenery, including the giant heather-clad cliffs of north Devon, Cornwall’s rocky coves, Dorset’s fossil-rich shores, and the ever-present, explosive Atlantic, make it one of the most popular long trails in the world, with a huge number of spin-off walks. The ever-changing weather of the peninsula produces mood-altering light effects and the views on the northern stretches, across the Bristol Channel to south Wales, are mesmerising; sometimes the Welsh shore appears close enough to nip over to in a small boat with a picnic, but then it just vanishes as the weather shifts. If the 630 miles are not quite enough, you’ll be pleased to hear that you can extend to or from Minehead with a new 58-mile path to Brean, Somerset, via Watchet, part of the English Coast Trail, which is set to open in 2020.
UK FAMILY WALKS
At this time of year, banks of rhododendrons and azaleas should be flowering at Sheringham Park, a superb National Trust landscaped woodland and garden in north Norfolk, where various paths offer undulating but ideal walks for families with young children. For very young kids, the well-marked orange (one mile) and blue routes (two miles) are best, the latter leading to a tower known as “the gazebo” from which the surrounding tree canopy, the North Sea and North Norfolk Railway’s steam engines can all be seen. For children who are stronger walkers, the five-mile red route also takes in Weybourne Heath. The path surfaces are good enough for buggies on the shorter trails and a new cafe and visitor centre are on hand for refreshments.
Tracking Winnie the Pooh, East Sussex
Enticing paths meander off in all directions through pine clumps, heather and gorse, and views of distant downs and secret valleys proliferate in this area of the High Weald. The Ashdown Forest was one of Henry VIII’s hunting grounds and also a centre for iron smelting in the middle ages, but it’s best known now as the setting for the Winnie the Pooh stories. There are many walks with stories to interest kids and all can be cut short or made longer, thanks to the multitude of paths. Many are doable with a buggy. From the Gills Lap car park off the B2026, you can do a two-mile Pooh Walk, taking in the real locations of the Heffalump Trap, Roo’s Sandy Pit and Eeyore’s Gloomy Place. Excellent for refreshments are the Hatch Inn and Duddleswell Tea Rooms. The Ashdown Forest Centre at Wych Cross has local info, picnic tables and interesting exhibits, and is also a hub for walks.
Boat ride to Catbells ridge, Lake District
One of the beauties of this delightful walk up on the 450m Catbells ridge is that, if you’re based in Keswick, you don’t need a car to reach the start point. Arrive intrepidly by boat, courtesy of the Keswick Launch which takes 10 minutes to reach the start of the walk at Hawse End (hourly service, take the anticlockwise boat around Derwent Water; the clockwise one takes 40 minutes). This trail is best for children over five, as there are a couple of points where a hand or two are needed (the word “scramble” overdramatises the scenario) and some mildly steep slopes. The rewards are views across the lake to the ridges and peaks of High Seat, Skiddaw, Grasmoor and towards Great Gable, that will lift the spirits – as will refreshments at the Swinside Inn at the end of this sumptuous walk.
Wildlife galore, Isle of Mull
Lochbuie, a remote inlet on the southern, sheltered shores of magical Mull has a picturesque ruined castle (you can walk up to it but not go in), a well-preserved ancient stone circle, a haunting mausoleum and Laggan Sands, one of the best beaches in the UK for wildlife spotting. The scene is presided over by the handsome 747m Ben Buie. Otters, sea and golden eagles, red-throated divers, dolphins and seals are often seen; in fact the whole area is great for rare fauna and flora, all of which can be enjoyed along this simple there-and-back walk on a marked track towards Glenbyre (two miles) and Carsaig (six miles). A handy starting point is the Old Post Office run by a family which has farmed in the area for decades and which provides refreshments from 9am-5pm, seven days a week. Lochbuie was the setting for the 1945 Powell and Pressburger film I Know Where I’m Going, described by both Martin Scorsese and Barry Norman as a masterpiece.
Ancient England, Northumberland
Northumberland’s coast has a special, quiet atmosphere all of its own with sweeping sands, dunes alive with wild flowers in spring, and settlements with long memories of fishing, industry, intruders from the east and early Christianity. This simple there-and-back route starts in Craster (synonymous with top-notch kippers) and heads along the coast to ruined Dunstanburgh Castle. From there, continue past Greymare Rock, a limestone feature created by volcanic activity during the formation of the Whin Sill rock intrusion (on which Hadrian’s Wall was built), and make for the glorious beach of Embleton Bay, watching out for seals. You can go inland to make it a circular route but walking back with those sea views along the embankment and cliffs is the more scenic option. For refreshment, head to Embleton village and the Greys Inn, a friendly pub that serves real ales and good food. Back in Craster, the Jolly Fisherman is a fine historic pub for a meal.
