Country Walking-October 2021

‘We're born with a connection'
Walking puts you back in touch with nature, says Michaela Strachan
October
2021
The UK’s best-selling walking magazine

� The �
Featuring…
The seven wonders
ISSUE
of British wildlife
Nature’s dazzling
seaside spectacle
A year walking
with oak trees
Merlin Sheldrake
on incredible fungi
Wildlife walks that’ll David Lindo on
have your eyes urban wildife
on stalks! The women who

saved the birds
The man who

invented nature
reserves
Beautiful butterflies
& Britain’s rainforests
Booby-trapped
daffodils & more!
Pony tracks
Share your walk with
Snowdonia’s free-range ponies
RUCKSACKS
FOR BIG DAYS
30-50 litre packs
reviewed & rated
WALKING VERSUS
THE MENOPAUSE
Why a daily walk is
your ultimate ally
27 ROUTE
CARDS
STEP-BY-STEP WALKS
IN 26 COUNTIES
REUS
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IC BOTT
SUSTAINABLE
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SEE ALL OUR RECYCLED INSULATION JACKETS
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3
This month I’ve been...

1 Wearing my new #walk1000miles
cap in sun and rain and wind and
loving it to bits! Three colours, £12.99:
walk1000miles.co.uk/shop
2 Puzzling over these molluscs or
fungi in a stream high on Kinder
Scout. They turned out to be... pasta.
3 Rejoicing in a new floral
acquaintance – wild chicory. Petals,
leaves and roots all edible, the last
(roast and ground) a popular coffee
substitute with mild sedative effect.
eople sometimes ask me – either appreciating and understanding it all a bit

in earnest or in mirth – what more, using the most all-round capable (and
do you fill a magazine about wholly organic) exploratory computational
walking with? Sometimes they stand device ever seen. One that grows in
On the cover
back, eyebrows jumping, as if having capability with every walk you throw at it. Start Point on the
tossed a particularly good firecracker into Seriously, if you’ve ever felt inclined to be Devon Coast.
Our deep-sea diving
a hen house. Rather than pulling my where- impressed by a NASA Mars rover, take a (of foot) feature
do-I-begin face, from now on I’m going to more appreciative look in the big mirror in starts on page 46.
hand them this edition – bursting as it is with the bedroom. We’re amazing creatures, on PHOTO: TOM BAILEY
marvellous creatures and wonderful people an amazing planet filled with other amazing
and beautiful curiosities and goosebump- creatures, whirling through space, having our
Talk to us!
raising sights – and say there, that’s what you best thoughts, our best experiences, being Share your pics,
fill a magazine about walking with. our best selves and having our best chance questions, have
a natter – we love
A magazine about walking isn’t about of understanding what it all means when we to hear from you:
walking any more than paintings are about walk. How can you not fill a magazine – and facebook.com/
emulsion or books are limited by being indeed a whole life – with that? countrywalking
made from just 26 letters. Walking is about country.walking
@lfto.com
everything in the world – and enjoying, twitter.com/
Guy Procter, Editor countrywalking
IN THIS ISSUE...
Alana Bonnick David Lindo Merlin Sheldrake

Marine biologist from Broadcaster and naturalist, Mycology’s first megastar,
Dartmouth in Devon, and also known as the Urban and author of best-selling
just such an enlightening Birder, David encourages us to eye-opener Entangled Life,
companion for a walk along slow down and savour nature Merlin is here to blow your
the seaside. wherever we walk this autumn. mind about toadstools.
Page 46 Page 44 Page 80
OCTOBER 2021 COUNTRY WALKING 3

CONTENTS OCTOBER 2021
Fancy meeting
you here: All the
pretty horses p72
FEATURES COVER STORIES

52 Michaela Strachan
37 The mighty oak
Charismatic, emblematic, a great
64 Is there a rainforest near you?
It might be closer than you think.
72 Pony tracks
84 Rucksacks for big days
walking companion all year round.
66 Seven wonders of UK wildlife 20 Walking versus menopause
44 Stop. Look. Wonder.

Great advice from the Urban Birder.
Big mammals, venomous reptiles,
walking fish, flesh-eating plants...
99 27 route cards
46 Deep sea diving (on foot)

A walk by the coast that surrounds
70 Women who saved the birds
It started by looking at hats...
us offers wildlife to rival rainforests.
72 All the pretty horses
52 Michaela Strachan
On watching autumn & kissing birds.
Walk among free-range hill ponies.
“It’s important to
78 A natural obsession remember to look at
54 Flights of fancy
Amazing things about butterflies.
How to lose a fortune, on plants.
the wonder of things
80 The wood wide web
you see every day.”
56 The wildlife bank
Where one man invested his fortune.
You will never look at a mushroom
in the woods the same way again. MICHAELA STRACHAN p52
4 COUNTRY WALKING OCTOBER 2021

Hello old friend: 27 NEW ROUTES
Our mate, the
mighty oak p37 Get out more
this month!
Step-by-step directions
and Ordnance Survey
maps for 27 walks
all over the country.
u TURN OVER FOR MORE…
REGULARS
11 The View PLUS…

Cloud inversions, crashing trains
and an upside-down hollow cow. 8 Special subscription offer
28 Where’s Kes?
16 Walking weekend: Cannock
The huge heath in hiding.
93 Quizzes and prize crossword
96 Classified directory
18 #Walk1000miles
Close encounters, walking versus
129 Our routes, your walks
130 Footnotes
the menopause; caps & challenges. 131 Contact Country Walking
131 In next month’s issue
See the coast like never 26 Your letters, emails & posts
We love hearing from you!
before: Deep sea diving p46
31 Column: Stuart Maconie
Deep links twixt music and walking.
33 Guest column: Vivienne Crow

Re-walking an epic Joss Naylor run.
REVIEWS Rucksacks
for big
84 Rucksacks 30-50 litres
Strap on your jet-pack for
days p84
adventures at altitude. Or, you
know, wherever feels good.
A store of natural wealth: 92 Gear cupboard

Barefoot boots, swivel chairs and
The Wildlife Bank p56 a shirt that lasts 55 years...
THIS ISSUE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY…

GET
EXCLUSIVES Wild chicory, straw bales, the colours fuschia, teal and slate (and the new
WHEN YOU #walk1000miles cap glued to our head), grey skies you have to at least credit
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PAGE 8 with consistency, the discovery there are over 100 dams on Kinder Plateau,
Felix’s first steps, musical Maris Pipers, and a miracle since we all had hols.
Find a great CUT-OUT
AND-KEEP
walk near you!

ROUTES
OUR POCKET-SIZED
ROUTE CARDS
START ON
✁
PAGE 99
Highlights from the 27 fantastic walks in this issue…
SOUTH WEST SOUTH EAST MIDLANDS
Liverton, Devon Lamberhurst, Kent Welford-on-Avon, Warks

Weave between pockets of woodland Loop your way around the woody Teise There’s old world charm aplenty in
on the edge of Dartmoor, tracking an Valley, where the river sidles through Shakespeare Country and a forest
impressive feat of granite engineering. Kent and Sussex’s crimpled High Weald. not yet 20 years young to explore.
TURN TO WALK 1 TURN TO WALK 4 TURN TO WALK 9
EAST NORTH WEST NORTH EAST
Crowland, Lincolnshire Bosley Minn, Cheshire West Tanfield, N. Yorkshire

Take a watery wander in big sky country Plug into a tranquil towpath that skirts Stride out from photogenic Lower
from a Fenland town where rivers once the hilly fringes of Cheshire, then it’s Wensleydale, where pantiled cottages
flowed down the medieval streets. uphill to dip a toe in the Peak District. and a lordly ruin flank the River Ure.
WALES SCOTLAND CLASSIC
Dolanog, Powys Craigmore, Stirling High Cup Nick, Cumbria

Birdsong and burbling water are the What it lacks in altitude, it makes up As spectacular down low as it is from
soundtrack to this 6¾-mile jaunt around for in lavish summit views across Loch its toothy Pennine rim, this is ‘England’s
the River Vyrnwy on Glyndŵr’s Way. Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. Grand Canyon’ the connoisseur’s way.

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The View
SIGHTS | SOUNDS | WONDERS | IDEAS | COOL STUFF
VIEWFINDER
‘Above the sea of fog’

PHOTO: DREW BUCKLEY/ALAMY

The View
THINGS YOU
1 It’s getting easier
to find your way
Study a map of Scotland and you’ll
notice there aren’t many paths marked,
which can make navigation interesting.
But The Ramblers are hard at work on fixing
NEED TO KNOW that and have just launched an interactive

map showing 42,000 miles of path. As well
THIS MONTH as marking routes, many of which aren’t
on OS sheets, they’re also surveying them
and adding written notes about what you
can expect. See the map and sign up to do
some surveying yourself at ramblers.org.uk/
scottishpathsmap. You can also volunteer
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
for their Don’t Lose Your Way project to

save historic routes in England and Wales
before 2026: they’re currently looking for
help prioritising the most important paths,
2 The Lake of the 49,000 miles which are at risk.
District is
celebrating
The much-loved national park
turns 70 this year and as part of
the celebrations it’s highlighting
seven spectacular Miles without
Stiles routes. Destinations
include beautiful Monk Coniston
(pictured), Friar’s Crag and Wray
Castle, with paths graded as
for ‘all’, ‘many’, or ‘some’, based on
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
gradients and surface conditions.
Find out more at lakedistrict.gov.
uk/visiting/things-to-do/
walking/mileswithoutstiles
3 IF YOU’VE EVER WANTED TO WALK ONTO SET…

...now’s your chance. This crashing locomotive from Mission Impossible 7 was
filmed at a quarry at Stoney Middleton in the Peak District, while the new
adaptation of the Sir Gawain tale, The Green Knight, was shot at Cahir and Charleville
Forest Castles in Ireland. Amazon has announced that filming of its Lord of the Rings
PHOTO: LDNPA
TV series will move from New Zealand to the UK, although exact locations are still under
wraps. And the Great British Bake Off is due to return to Channel 4 soon: turn to Walk 7
for a route past Essex’s Down Hall Hotel where the big tent was spotted this summer.
Women have
4 The east is
getting wilder
Read on in this issue and you’ll find stories
marched back
to Greenham
In August 1981, 36
of leading wildlife charities doing incredible women walked from
5
work, but every last one of us can make Cardiff to Greenham
a difference. The Wild East project was Common to protest
launched last year by three farmers –
MIRRORPIX/ALAMY-
PHOTO: TRINITY MIRROR/
against nuclear weapons and the US warheads set

Hugh Somerleyton, Argus Hardy and Ollie to arrive at the Berkshire base. It was the start of a
Birkbeck – with the aim of rewilding 20% peace camp which lasted 19 years and at its height
of East Anglia in the next 50 years. How? saw 50,000 women Embrace the Base by linking
By inviting pledges from farmers, railway hands around its perimeter fence. To mark the
companies, churches, schools, government march’s 40th anniversary this summer, more than
and individual gardeners – over 1000 of 100 women have walked the same 110 miles: find
which are now plotted on the ‘map of out more at greenhamwomeneverywhere.co.uk.
dreams’. Find out more at wildeast.co.uk You can also download a 9-mile route at Greenham
at walk1000miles.co.uk/bonusroutes

I can’t wait to…
… S E E M I G R ATI N G G E E S E
Part of the set-change of autumn is
the arrival of migrating geese
from northerly domiciles like
Siberia and Greenland. If you
grew up thinking of geese as
dorky farmyard swans, think
again. Even the language
seems to: on the ground a
group is known as a gaggle
but in the air in they’re more
fittingly called a skein.
Hundreds of thousands are on
their way – white-fronted, pink-
footed, barnacle, brent, greylag,
T I M E T R AV E L L E R Canada and more – to spend winter eating seeds, grasses and
invertebrates; and to help me steel myself for the long cold
months. If it’s worth flying 3000 miles for, it can’t be that bad.
Guy Procter, Editor
… S P OT S H O OTI N G S TA R S
If I’m going to stay up til the early
hours, standing in the cold craning
my neck to the sky, I like my
meteor showers to be reliable.
That’s why the Orionid is
a favourite – it’s one of the
most dependable showers
in the calendar. Every year,
in October, Orionid meteors
enter our orbit as Earth
passes through the stream of
debris left by Comet Halley. So
shooting stars aren’t really stars…
more glowing rubble. These radiate
from the constellation Orion the Hunter (look east), hence the
name. This year, the timing of the full moon might make the
peak harder to see, but I have faith in this one.
CAUGHT OUR EYE Marie Marsh, Production Editor
Helm Wind Skincare

We love everything … F I N D S P I N D LE B E R R I E S
PHOTOS: NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS LTD/ALAMY-; SHUTTERSTOCK; WILDLIFE GMBH/ALAMY-
about Cumbria- For much of the year you could

based Helm Wind: easily walk past a spindle tree but
their creams and in autumn it steps out – ta-da
lotions are hand- – with berries that look like
made, cruelty-free two-tone neon popcorn, and
and committed to dark red leaves to boot. It’s
minimal waste. a small tree, often found in
Best of all, they’re hedges or forest edges, and
specially designed can be an indicator you’re in
to form a barrier ancient woodland. Don’t be
against harsh winds, intense sunlight and cold tempted by its exotic fruit:
air. The hiking range includes lip balm (£5.50), they’re toxic if eaten, although
intensive hand cream (£14) and facial barrier they can be baked and ground to
cream (£18.50) – or get all three plus extras, treat lice, apparently. Its fine, pale
thanks to a range of Hiker Gift Packs from timber has long been used to make spindles for working wool –
£37.50. Looks great, the scents are divine, hence the name – and while the genus’ proper name Euonymus
and they genuinely work a treat. helmwind.uk means lucky, this tree is said to foretell plague if it flowers early.
Jenny Walters, Features Editor
The View
T H E WA L K I N G P O L L
0.1%
NATURE
Be interviewed
9% for TV
Find a
£50 note
Wild Woods
by Alvin Nicholas and Martin Cray
Subtitled ‘An Explorer’s Guide to
10%
Make an
Britain’s Woods and Forests’ this archaeological
is a practical handbook to more find
than 500 sylvan sites across Britain,
We asked…
from wildwoods on Dartmoor to
the Caledonian forests of Scotland, Which of theses surprises 49%
with particular recommendations for those seeking See a golden
wildlife, lost ruins, quirky treehouses to stay in, or
would you most like to eagle
maybe a haunted wood. Out now. happen on a walk?
Thirteen Ways to Smell a Tree
by David George Haskell
Haskell has long been fascinated by
30%
Bump into
trees. The Forest Unseen studied
an old friend
a single square metre of woodland,
The Songs of Trees explored sound,
and this, his third book (out on 28
Oct), dives into aroma. From the
smell of a conker that transports him
back to childhood, to the scents of
juniper, quinine and lime in a gin and tonic, the 13 essays
FAST FACT
are beautiful, surprising, and will soon get you sniffing.
We have a dream
by Mya-Rose Craig
‘Indigenous people and People of
It sounds like a creature from a
Colour are disproportionately
affected by climate change. And yet
Halloween flick but the horrid ground-
they are under-represented within
the environmental movement.’
weaver spider is a tiny, harmless
British-Bangladeshi environmentalist
Craig (aka Birdgirl) is keen to change that, and here she
arachnid. Incredibly rare, it wasn’t caught
interviews 30 young activists from around the world
about their inspiring work on issues from climate justice
on film until 2016 and is only found in
to wildlife conservation and plastic waste. Out now. three places on Earth – all in Plymouth.
LEARN
HOW TOÉ THE LINGO
What that word on the map
Tell how many hours to sunset means – in Wales!
All you need is your hand! Put your arm out with hand stretched flat, then turn
the palm towards you. Place the lower edge of your little finger along the Bryn: A hill; add Mawr or Fawr and
horizon and count how many fingers between it and the sun, using your other you’re looking at a big hill
hand on top if necessary. Each finger represents 15 minutes before sundown; so
Bwlch: A mountain pass or col
if it’s four, you’ve got an hour. Approximately. Accuracy depends on the size of
your hands, and on latitude; if you want a precise time best check your phone. Coed: Woodland
Crib: A ridge or comb, like Crib Goch.

Look too for Clogwyn meaning cliff
Cwm: A glacial corrie or valley

PHOTO: LOOP IMAGES LTD/ALAMY-
Gors: A bog (probably best avoided)
Llyn: Means lake. Also look for Afon

(river); Rhaeadr (waterfall); Nant
(stream) and Aber (river mouth)
Mynydd: A mountain.
You’ll also see summits called Pen,
meaning head or top

Walking Weekend
CANNOCK
CHASE
The vast upland heath that’s hiding in the heart
of the West Midlands, with history peppering
every sandy hill and forest track…
WORDS: NICK HALLISSEY
PHOTO: TOM BAILEY
WILDERNESS
WITHIN
In the Sherbrook Valley –
a heathy escape hatch
The View
C
in the heart of the
West Midlands.
annock Chase in another world. Hidden in
plain sight, wedged in between three sizeable
towns (Cannock, Stafford and Rugeley), it’s
like a surprise and a secret, as if a piece of the
New Forest had wandered off and settled in
the middle of the West Midlands.
It covers a compact area (four miles across at its widest,
seven miles north to south) yet it feels sprawling when
you’re trekking through the heart of it. Then there’s the
variety of landscape: open, sandy heath; shallow, secluded
river valleys; thick forestry, and a commune of funny little
hills in the north-west corner, climbable in mere minutes.
But perhaps what seals Cannock’s sense of place is the
history. You’ll find a magnificent Iron Age hillfort (Castle
Ring); a First World War firing range where JRR Tolkien
was trained for the trenches; and two hauntingly serene
cemeteries. One brings together 5000 German servicemen
who lost their lives on British soil in the two World Wars.
The other is a Commonwealth War Graves site for almost
100 New Zealanders killed during the First World War.
This weekend covers a huge swathe of the Cannock
Chase Area of Outstanding Beauty, taking in varied
landscapes and that rich and sometimes sombre history.
It’s a beguiling place: it might look like it came from
somewhere else, but actually, there’s nowhere else like it.
The word is…

The Chase has two main
visitor centres: at the
Birches Valley Forest
Centre on Penkridge Bank
(Forestry England); and
the country park on
Marquis Drive– great for a
Admission to both
brew. forestryengland.uk/
cemeteries is free,
cannock, cannockchasedc.
although the German
gov.uk/visitors
cemetery is subject to
opening hours. cwgc.org
‘Springslade Lodge Café

on Camp Road does
amazing bacon butties!’
Margaret Pritchard
‘My favourite spot is the
walkway at the little pond
in Brindley Valley. It feels
WALX on the Chase runs
peaceful even when the
regular guided walks over
area is busy.’ Gail Hellam
the AONB; find them on
Facebook.
There aren’t many places

to stay around the Chase,
but Sharon Oliphant
recommends Marsh Farm
at Abbots Bromley.
PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
marshfarmstaffs.co.uk
The National Trust
Shugborough estate
adjoins the northern tip of
NOW DO
the Chase – and its Park THE WALKS!
Farm Café is well worth a Turn to the back of the
visit. nationaltrust.org.uk/ magazine and look for routes
shugborough 10 and 11 for OS maps and
turn-by-turn walk directions.

Walk BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
100 0
miles
2021 2.74 x 365 = walk1000miles.co.uk
Close encounters
*
of the furred kind 500–2000
MILES
We asked: what’s a natural experience you’ll THERE’S A MEDAL
remember for the rest of your life – and that only FOR THAT!
happened because you were walking? You told us... Order yours and get a
certificate too at
(*or feathered, petalled or patterned!) www.walk1000
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shop
Nature’s Scandi-noir
For me, it has to be seeing owls! In High altitude otter
between lockdowns I was lucky to be A badger in need... We’d just come down from Picws Du
able to watch and photograph short- We got lost in the woods ‘drinking to Llyn y Fan Fach and, for a change,
eared owls within the M25. They migrate in’ the sight and smell of the I suggested we walk along the leet path
to the UK to avoid harsher winters in bluebells. It was beginning to get before going back to car. And there,
Scandinavia and seeing them hunt more than a little frustrating when right in front of us, was an otter! About
silently at close range has to be one of suddenly we saw a very large 1800ft up in the mountains! I’ve never
the best wildlife moments. Stuart Fox badger who stopped and looked seen an otter close up before so
at us for a minute or two before needless to say it made my day.
trundling off. It was the wonderful Christina Lander
Something lift I needed to get me moving
new every day again and back on track.
Today I saw what I thought Anne Denness A bolt from the blue
was a Scorpion. It turned Day 13 on the Camino Frances in
out to be a Devil’s coach rural Spain and out of nowhere...
horse beetle, never boom! This young deer literally
heard of it before. bounded and sprang out in front
Everyday something will of us as we were photographing
fascinate when on foot! the next village on the far
Estelle Waghorn Mills horizon… Absolutely stunning,
breathtaking and totally a blink
and you miss it, bolt out of the
So many! blue moment! Janine Ramsey
Four deer crossing our path Rescue mission
before turning and bounding I’ll never forget rescuing
back, a barn owl swooping this little guy. It was a hot
across a field, hares boxing, day and he was moving
buzzards and kites soaring, a very slowly on the main
sparrowhawk on a fence and path. Let me pick him up
a tiny wren flitting across and move him to what
my path. Janet Bailey I hope was a safer spot.
Mai-ana Hutchinson

Caps, t-shirts, stickers & more: www.w es.co.uk /shop
Scene, herd A sight

Just outside Oban, early in the morning and I was going to sea!
down a small track. I heard a rustling and out of nowhere Walking the track at Burg
a stag jumped out right in front of me. It was astonishing. on the Isle of Mull, we
He quickly moved on to my left and I was greeted with came round a corner
the sight of herd of doe. It was moment like in Jurassic and suddenly to our
Park when the scientists first see the brontosaurus and right, no more than about 12 feet
then the pan round and away there was a sea eagle! He/she
see the plain filled flew away after barely a second but we
with dinosaurs. stopped dead in our tracks and couldn't
Mark Shore quite believe we had been so close.
Jennie McGinlay
High on life
I knew that the Highland cattle
calves were on Baslow Edge,
Derbyshire so went to see.
A couple of the calves began
to get playful and then one
appeared to be looking
directly at me as it was
running through the grass and
buttercups! Not a moment I
Family outing will ever forget Slinky Baloo
At the extremely remote Berney
Arms station on Halvergate
Marshes in Norfolk, we stopped ‘Our eyes met’
for a coffee break on the hottest I’ve had a particularly tough year but the anxiety lifted as I
day of the year. Bouncing up smelt the fresh air and then our eyes met – a beautiful deer
the railway track towards us, that allowed me to watch it until it casually trotted away.
completely unaware – a family That was a turning point – I felt blessed and humbled.
of stoats, parent and four well Something I’ll never forget Alison Alcroft
grown kits, all tumbling and
bouncing. Utterly mesmerising.
Couldn’t take a photo as we were Here hare
motionless, fearing to break the here
spell. Philippa Godwin
A few weeks
ago I came
across a hare in
a little magical
dell near
‘Couldn’t believe it’ Heavenfield in
I was a Ministry of Agriculture field Northumberland. Instead of
officer, inspecting some farm running off like they normally do
woodlands with my boss. Walking it actually came closer and sat
down a track we noticed a large and stared at me for a couple of
black cat walking briskly through minutes. If it had spoken to me
Spied on by a seal a field. We couldn't believe it. The I wouldn’t have been the least bit
An autumn walk on a windswept beach Ministry denied big cats roam surprised! Ruth Taylor
in East Norfolk. As I walked parallel to free in UK but we reported it
the shoreline, I saw two dark eyes and to the police wildlife officer,
the head of an animal emerge from the who told us, “I didn't think they
sea about 10 metres out. I thought it existed until I cornered one and it
was someone’s dog. Then I realised it growled at me.” Andy Rossell
was following my route at 10 metres
distance out to sea
– an inquisitive
young grey Pssst!
seal! First time I saw an adder in the wild –
Douglas fascinating, scary, and amazing all in one!
Walters Tony Cartwright
#WALK1000MILES UPDATE
Walking vs
the menopause
With your #walk1000miles habit on your side, the menopause needn’t be the
debilitating experience many women fear, says specialist Dr Louise Newson.
T
HE BEST WAY to think about menopause is as a long-term
hormone deficiency with health risks. Oestrogen is used
throughout your body, so when levels reduce, you feel it
in so many ways, from hot flushes to joint pains, muscle aches,
headaches and mood changes.
The best way to correct that hormone deficiency is with
hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but regular exercise, and
particularly walking, is a fantastic way to keep body and mind in
the best possible shape and balance. I advise women to book time
for themselves in their diary as they would a dentist appointment
or a work meeting. Walking may be your ‘me time’ and if it is,
carve out the time to do it, and keep that appointment. Because
walking can be a real lifeline for many women – and no wonder...
6 ways walking helps

neutralise the menopause
1 5
Bone health. Oestrogen plays Taking control. Menopause can
a key role in keeping our bones make you feel powerless. But
healthy and strong, so women your daily walk’s an activity you
are at greater risk of osteoporosis can have total control over, including
(where bones become weak) during how much or little you challenge
and after menopause. When we walk yourself, and whether you go it alone
our muscles pull on our bones and or in company. Feels good!
gravity pushes them. Our bones are a
6
living tissue, so they become stronger Weight loss. Walking helps with
the more we use them. maintaining a healthy weight
pleasurably, and that’s key as
2
Heart health. Brisk walking keep women tend to store more weight
the heart rate up, and the organ around their abdomen from middle
heathy – particularly important age onwards, adding to the
as low oestrogen during and after menopause’s woes.
menopause can put women at
increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Dr Louise Newson is
a leading menopause
3
Feeling good. Walking releases specialist. She’s the
feel-good chemical endorphins, founder of the balance
which is particularly useful as app, offering free support for
menopause can cause low mood. menopausal women:
www.balance-app.com
4
Time for you. A walk allows you
time out from everyday life, helps
your perspective and gives
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
something positive for yourself.

You deserve it!
N eed support? www.walk1000miles.co.uk /m entoring
“It’s like pressing THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION!

‘reset’ when things
get overwhelming”
“I was out of breath
How tackling #walk1000miles has helped these just walking
challengers overcome the effects of menopause.
around town”
In just eight months #walk1000miles has Dorset’s
‘I’m fitter than I’ve ever been’
Kerry Barker from feeling ashamed to walk in public
‘The benefits it has had during the last few
to not imagining a day where she doesn’t get into
years have shocked me. I now sleep better,
the great outdoors.
as I’m physically tired. The weight control is
unbelievable. My mood is instantly lifted when ‘For years I struggled with my breathing. It led me to
walking, and I’m far healthier and fitter now than avoid going out with friends, even on shopping trips.
I’ve ever been!’ Karen Murray In July last year I went for a short walk with a friend.
Her pace was by no means fast, but I was huffing and
puffing and anxious as to what she must be thinking.
‘Walking ‘It’s a I felt so ashamed – so I decided enough was enough.
is a game physical ‘I decided that as well as walking I needed to change
changer’ and mental my diet, so I cut out processed foods. I continued to
‘It has helped me shot of wellbeing’ walk the same 30-minute route for a few weeks before
regulate my mood, ‘For me it was an adding additional distance. By the end of the first month
supported my weight absolute lifeline. When I couldn’t believe that I’d lost 10kg and walked 200km!
loss and generally nothing in your body ‘The support from #walk1000miles has been
made me feel better or mind seems to make invaluable. Eight months later I’ve lost 6½ stone and
in my own skin. I get any sense anymore, the I can easily walk 15 miles. I now look up with a smile on
hot flashes and being gentle grounding that my face when I see others, and I can’t imagine a day
outside keeps me happens when you where I don’t go out walking.
cool and grounded.’ walk brings you back ‘It may seem impossible to start with, but things get
Alana Miles to yourself.’ Paula Lee easier at each stage. We all have a starting point and
through grit and determination we can come out the
other end.’
‘I’m a ‘I can BEFORE AFTER

nicer sleep!’
person’ ‘The
‘It helps with the menopause has played
uncharacteristic havoc with my sleep,
mood swings that and #walk1000miles
I now experience. has helped 100 percent
I’m a much nicer over the past 18
person to be around months. It means I’m
if I’ve been out for much less crabby
a walk.’ during the day too!’
Helen White Michelle Chapman
‘It’s kept me sane’

‘It was also a main contributor for me
regaining control over my weight.’
Susana Bento
Thought
for the day
#walk1000miles is a friendly
‘It reminds me that I’m beautiful’ spur, not a cracking whip –
‘For me, by far the worst symptom is so don’t beat yourself up
the sudden loss of confidence and when you don’t hit your
overwhelming feeling of not being able to cope. daily target. The year is
Walking reminds me to slow down, be mindful and long, and determination
to appreciate the minutiae of natural beauty, and isn’t about never sitting
that I (along with my menopause) am a part of that down, it’s about always
natural beauty.’ Karen Hayes getting up again.

SEEN
YOU’VE
WON?
#WALK1000MILES UPDATE Email sara.mattick
@bauermedia.co.uk
your address and a pic
of you holding this
edition to claim
#MINICHALLENGES your precious!
Miles that met

the gold standard
Every month our #minichallenges are here to add zing to your mile-munching
– and give you the chance to win a money-can’t-buy Golden Badge! Here are
the latest winners – next time it could be you walking off with the gold!
#minichallenge36
#minichallenge37
Collect bilberries Make a splash

 Kevin Berry got a
bucketful at Teggs  Rebecca Johnson
Nose country park. made a mighty
kersploosh in Lady
 Jaimee Reynolds Kennedy’s Bath,
had a more modest  Angie Sanders Dunnottar Woods,
forage but said they collected this Stonehaven.
tasted great just as fabulous haul on the
 Wayne Turner
they were. Horseshoe Pass.
nearly had a heart
 Bev Taylor attack it was so
spent a lovely cold, but worth it for
day spent at that bow wave.
Stanton Moor  Dave Muckell made
picking a combined splash
bilberries with best friend
– and has the Georgia in Neath Falls.
purple fingers Good on you Dave!
to prove it!  Sandra Allen was
wet anyway, so what
the heck!
#minichallenge38
Put a toaster #minichallenge39
on a trig point
Collect litter
for a week
 Lynda
Turner did
a whole
month!
▲Brian Holman went rather

 Dominique Harris better – collecting 47,787 pieces
 What’s better than a toaster on a trig put a Lego toaster on of litter in the past 91 days!
wondered Richard Inns? A customised an airport trig point.
 Angela
‘#walk1000miles’ toaster on a trig! Ingenious!
Hague’s sure
 Julie Bacon: her neighbours
‘Fiddlesticks! ‘Think I am the
Had everything village nutter but
but forgot they thank me
the 2-mile for my efforts’.
extension lead.’
 Darren Ford
 Yvonne Dixon and Russel particularly
Hobbs had a pleasant walk along enjoyed finding
Brook Down on the Isle of Wight. litter to collect
his litter in.

Sign up & get th e newsletter: www.walk1000miles.co.uk
#minichallenge40
Ask the group

Do more on your
‘Can you ID this?’ miles & win
 Carmen Ryder- treasure!
Anglin spotted Spice up your miles with one of our quests this month,
this enchanting
post the result in the Facebook group and our favourite
chap, ID’d for us
20 #minichallenge completers will win a Golden Badge!
as a nuthatch by
Dougie Dingwall.
You have until 14 October for this crop. Happy hunting!
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
 Ernie Blues was
glad to learn from
46 COLLECT HAWTHORN
BERRIES
You’ve done blackberries. Graduate
Denise Pallett these
to these little superfoods. High in
are Lords and
antioxidants, you can chop and
Ladies and very
sprinkle them on muesli, or turn
 This landed on Rosie poisonous!
them into jam, chutney and more. #minichallenge46
Stewart’s boyfriend.  Zuzana Belas found this and was thrilled
Mike Smith ID’d it as a to learn from Jack Revell-Hughes it’s an
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
five-spot Burnet moth. echionid (sea urchin) fossil!
47 EAT SEAWEED
All British seaweed is edible,
(see feature page 46). You’ll need to
Our best
do some research to ID and learn
how to prepare it, but it’s tasty and
cap ever!
nutritious! Let us know what you
find, and how it was to nosh. #minichallenge47
Our new cap has been

described as ‘The best one yet’,
‘A great piece of kit’ and 48 FIND AN ANIMAL
SHAPE
In a rock, tree, cloud or anything else
‘Perfect’ by early orderers.
you spy on a walk. Mythical beasts
Head-hugging, lightweight,
are welcome. This is the Pig Stone
wicking, adjustable, with a pre-
on Kinder Scout but there are
curved peak and cinchable to beasties to be found everywhere! #minichallenge48
lock to your bonce in even high
winds, the new #walk1000miles
cap is a marvel – and a hit in its
new homes. 49 FIND A QUIRKY SIGN
Is it a strange name the
teenager in you can’t resist smirking
Ann Grundy says ‘It feels
at? Or is it redundant? Or perhaps
great on and the fabric is lovely
it’s mystifying? Make us smile, think
and light.’ Chell Marie describes
or scratch our heads with your weird
hers as ‘Such a light, well made, waymarker or silly signpost. #minichallenge49
well-fitting cap.’ Simon
Basford’s is so comfy he
wears his for work as well as
play, while Sue Bryan declares 50 WALK THE LINE
How far can you walk (safely
and legally) in a dead straight line?
simply ‘The new hat is perfect’.
Whether a few metres or a mile or
It comes in three colours –
more, we’d love to hear about your
charcoal, teal and fuchsia – and with no year in the logo it
one-dimensional walk! (Inspiration:
stays current. Perfect for shielding your eyes from glare www.bit.ly/straightlinewales) #minichallenge50
in sunshine, preserving your outlook from under a hood
in the rain or training your ponytail through, the new
triathlon-spec cap is light enough and cool enough to How to enter
never leave your head. It’s available to order now in the Upload photo evidence including the relevant hashtag in
shop – and we’re pretty darn sure you’ll love yours! the #walk1000miles Facebook group by 14 October! New
challenges next issue and every issue. Got an idea for a
www.walk1000miles.co.uk/shop challenge? Email walk1000miles@countrywalking.co.uk
BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

GetOutside.uk
Here at Ordnance Survey, we live and breathe

the outdoors. We rallied up our keenest walkers
to share their expertise and tell us about
some of their favourite walks.
I
F YOU’RE LOOKING to find fantastic new to curate a collection of their favourite walks to
walks across Great Britain, then look no share far and wide. Here are five of our favourites
further. The OS GetOutside team – an army – and there are 45 more walks for you to discover
of outdoor experts and OS GetOutside complete with all the routes and mapping you’ll
Champions – have put their heads together need at GetOutside.uk
Bodiam Castle &

What is 1 Great Wigsell
GetOutside? Kent by Helen
GetOutside is a campaign
founded by Ordnance Survey, to
3km (8 miles)
help more people to get outside A fabulous walk in the gentle rolling
more often. It sits at the heart of countryside with plenty to see.
everything we do, as we firmly From fields full of hay bales, horses,
believe an active outdoor lifestyle wildflowers, vineyards, houses and
helps you live longer, stay castles to Kent’s well-known Oast
younger and enjoy life more. houses. You’ll also pass the beautiful
It’s what drove us to partner with Jacobean Great Wigsell House, steeped
#walk1000miles with whom we in history and pretty Bodiam Castle.
share the same values. Don’t forget to treat yourself at The
Castle Inn pub!

■ ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
South Downs
2 Hampshire
by Helen
19.3km (12 miles)
This walk takes you through some of
Hampshire's finest countryside. Start
at Queen Elizabeth Country Park and
gently ascend on to the South Downs
Way. Marvel at the views below as you
gradually descend past the impressive
Ditchem Park School. Sneak a peek
inside the quaint St Hubert’s
(Idsworth) Church before exploring
the spectacular Cheriton Downs.
On route, look out for homemade
flapjacks (cash only) outside a house
just past Buriton car park!
Ashes Valley
3 Shropshire
by Amanda
11km (6.8 miles)
This is a great circular walk up the
picturesque Ashes Valley to the top of
the Longmynd. You’ll be rewarded with
amazing views across Church Stretton
and the volcanic hills, such as Caer
Caradoc. Highly recommended.
The Tolkien Trail Lancashire by Tim

4 10.4km (6.5 miles)
Whether or not this area, frequented by Tolkien, was the inspiration for the
landscapes of The Lord of the Rings, it doesn't really matter; it's a delightful
loop which takes you through woodland, fields and along the banks of the
Rivers Hodder and Ribble. Round the walk off perfectly with a drink at the
Shireburn Arms.
Holy Island
5 Northumberland Now see all of our
by Dave top 50 walks!
8km (5 miles) Find out more about these walks
and the 45 additional routes at
A walk to discover one of the most GetOutside.uk and start planning
unique places in Britain – the Holy your next adventure. Visit
Island of Lindisfarne. This historic island getoutside.co.uk/guides/our-
is accessed by a tidal causeway (check favourite-walks/ for the full list of
tide times) and is rich with history, routes and links to the maps.
heritage and nature. Explore the nearby From a spectacular hillside view
shops and cafes, visit the ancient priory to a city walk, you’ll find walks for
and castle, or just relax on the coast to everyone.
the sounds of Grey Seals singing.

Your View
WRITE
TO US AT:
Country Walking,
Media House,
Lynch Wood,
Peterborough
PE2 6EA
EMAIL: country.walking@lfto.com ● FACEBOOK: facebook.com/countrywalking ● TWITTER: twitter.com/countrywalking
Chloe’s winning at The view

walking, and has the
medal to prove it. inside
It’s not always the views
you can see outside while
walking... One of my favourite
walks is a short 5-miler from
the small Lincolnshire village
of Walesby, over the Wolds
to Tealby and back again.
The small church in Walesby.
All Saints, also called the
Ramblers Church, makes
a great starting point and
the stained glass window
depicting ramblers and
cyclists is well worth a look.
Nick Coulbeck, Lincolnshire
LETTER OF THE MONTH Rockalikes

After reading your article on
Onward and upward! Ethels [a list of 95 hills in the
Peak District] I decided to try
A few years ago on holiday in There we said we wanted to do the to bag them all. Out walking
Devon I suggested we walk from Old Man of Coniston, but via the with my two friends yesterday
our campsite to Greenways (Agatha Dow Crag route, making it a bigger we bagged the Roaches, Hen
Christie’s house). It involved a large challenge. Chloe was so determined Cloud and Ramshaw Rocks
hill – okay for me as I’m active in my she bought walking poles and a and on the way round we
work, but as we got to top my wife new rucksack and she not only did found a rock that looked
Chloe was struggling to the extent it, she topped it off a few days later very familiar to my walking
she said she couldn’t go on anymore. with a 26-mile walk for the charity pal Paul!
It wasn’t great, but after a lot of talking Alzheimer’s Society! Clive Buckland, email
she made it to the house but she was We couldn’t be any prouder of
embarrassed about her fitness. her for what she has managed to
Since that moment she set about achieve in small space of time –
changing her diet and going for a walk 10 stone loss, and lots more walking
in her lunch break, and this year we for us as a family.
booked a holiday to the Lake District. Kevin Weller, Proud husband
A BERGHAUS WATERPROOF JACKET FOR KEVIN!

The letter of the month wins a Berghaus waterproof jacket worth (£225).
The Cornice (men’s) and Glissade (women’s) jackets have been firm
favourites with walkers for decades, are superb quality and always
score highly in Country Walking gear tests. www.berghaus.com

The View
A storied
landscape
Very much enjoyed your August
issue (Lost in a good book).
It brought back many happy
memories of walking in north-
east Cheshire when I lived in
Stockport, inspired by the great
children's writer Alan Garner.
Big day, His book The Weirdstone of
Brisingamen, set in the landscape
weird rocks around Macclesfield, incorporates a fantastical blend
My son and I did recently of mythology, history and adventure. The story visits
walked from Edale in the Peak great walking locations including Shutlingsloe (the
District, via Kinder Scout, Matterhorn of the Peak District), Macclesfield Forest
Bleaklow Hill and Outer Edge and Alderley Edge. The Moon of Gomrath, a follow up
to the northern part of Sheffield (Loxley Common) in aid of a tale set around the Goyt Valley, is an equally good
Salvation Army project. Our aim was to walk for 750 minutes read. On the edge of the Peak District and stretching
(12½ hours). Although we’ve both walked around the whole into the Cheshire plain, this area is often overlooked
of Kinder Scout, the area east of Bleaklow Head was new to by visitors but is well known and loved by locals for its
us both. Particularly impressive were the Bleaklow Stones. great walks, views and pubs.
I wonder how many people have seen these really weird Keith Starr, Sheffield
looking stones in the middle of nowhere?
Well, we made it the 26 miles, and have so far raised over
£2100. Thank you for such a fascinating magazine. I always
look forward to the next good read!
Goff Payne, email
The grave detectives

My wife and I, both in our late seventies, have always
loved walking, mostly along canals. In later years this
had got less and less, until lockdown, when we walked
in our local country parks and got a subscription to
Country Walking. What an inspiration it has been.
We saw the 1000-mile challenge and decided to
have a go, but weren’t sure how much we could do.
Some 700 miles in and we are still going strong!
As we love history, we decided to link the walks with
visits to Commonwealth War Grave sites. This has led
us to uncovering some fantastic stories, including the
grave of a Victoria Cross holder just a few miles from
our home. Not all war graves are the standard design
– some are family graves and these take more finding.
Any we feel are of interest we do more research on
and we have brought some of the stories of these
brave men and women to life.
We hope in covering the next 300 miles we can
come up with more interesting discoveries.
Mike Cherry, email A different view
Four weeks after my husband broke his collarbone in a
cycling accident, we arrived for a long-standing two-night
break in Borrowdale to celebrate our 40th wedding
anniversary. Based at the Langstrath Country Inn (which
we’ve loved ever since staying there during our C2C walk)
and with the weather forecast pretty grim, we were pleased
to be able to complete the Seatoller walk (CW August 2021).
We’d usually head for the mountain tops when in Borrowdale
but this one was delightful and varied with fabulous scenery
all around. You don’t need to be at the top of the fells to
appreciate them!
Hilary Murdoch, near Chester

The View
Downhill
from here Where’s Kes?
Oh, how I sympathise Every month our
with Julia Thornley favourite spaniel
about downhill slopes.
It’s not just my knees Kes goes walkies
that get into a tizz at somewhere in
the prospect, but like the issue, and
her I worry about my
feet sliding away from
we want him
under me, even on a back! Can you
grassy slope. Throw in help find Kes?
a few loose stones
and I’m done for. Kes the conker-
My solution is to colour Cocker is an
make like a yachtsman inveterate explorer, often
and tack. This takes finding his way into the unlikeliest of places when
longer, of course, we’re busy putting the magazine together. GREAT
In fact he’s hiding out in this issue for you to
PRIZES
and everyone has to WORTH
stand watching and find! Spot him (not on this page) and you OVER £47
sighing while I zig-zag could win over £47 worth of Mountain Paws
down, but it does goodies – just email the page number where
work. If the path is you found Kes, along with your address, to:
steep and narrow ifoundkes@LFTO.com by October 14, 2021
I just have to come putting ‘Kes October’ in the subject line.
down sideways and And congratulations to Jean Lowe from
look very silly indeed. York who spotted Kes along the Herriot Way
Rosie Southworth, on page 47 of the August issue, and wins this
email month’s prize!
Back on the horse

In April our father, a former test wrong was coming away from the buttercups becoming fields of daisies.
pilot in the RAF, passed away very Lansdowne Monument where we took We enjoyed sunshine as well as getting
unexpectedly. We’d been talking the wrong direction, still following very wet! We laughed, chatted, made
about long distance trails and so my White Horse Trail waymarkers. We plans and memories. We walked with
sister and I decided to do one he’d turned a 12.2 section into 18.6 miles! family, friends and assorted dogs. The
recommended – the White Horse Trail We explored henges and barrows, landscapes were varied, from the chalk
in Wiltshire – in his memory, in 11 saw orchids and horse racing gallops, downs to the canal and Salisbury Plain.
separate walks for a total of 100 miles. memorials and deserted RAF stations. This walk was a healing time and will
The only time we went drastically We saw seasons change with be forever in our memories.
crops ripening and fields of Judith Read, email

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The View
Stuart Maconie
Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Britten were all walkers. But they’ve
got nothing on the composer of The Dreaming Fish…
I
T WASN’T A country walk, but it was the next though, he would set out again for a walk of two hours
best thing. A lovely evening stroll through the late exactly. As his brother later wrote: “Somewhere at
summer light via Kensington Gardens and Hyde some time he had discovered that a man needs a two-
Park to the glowing magnificent cupola of the Royal hour walk for his health, and his observance of this
Albert Hall. Walking has been one consolation of a After years of rule was pedantic and superstitious, as though if he
bleak couple of years for us all. But not so live music; my gentle and returned five minutes early he would fall ill, and
occasional
just as important to me, and sorely missed. So being advocacy in this
unbelievable misfortunes of some sort would ensue.”
able to stroll through the West London evening to a column, deputy It wasn’t just for the good of his health, it was for
Proms concert in late August, transported from the editor Nick tells the good of his music too. He believed a daily walking
constraints of these strange days, was a joy; two joys me he has finally regimen was essential to keeping his creative juices
in fact. Walking and music are two of my greatest gone to partake flowing, and he would compose on the hoof, jotting
passions and plenty of composers have felt the same of the bacon ideas in a notepad. Likewise, Beethoven always took
sandwiches at
way, either making music about walks or striding out a walk after lunch with pencil and paper, the most
the Nimmings
to get the creative gears moving as well as the legs. Wood Café in the famous result being the Pastoral Symphony, written
In the first category, maybe most famously, we can Clent Hills near in and about the countryside. Mahler had some of his
put Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky. Stourbridge, and best ideas on daily four-hour stomps, while Benjamin
(That’s his name, not his personality; he was actually concurs: they are Britten’s afternoon walks were “where I plan out
loud and unpredictable.) Its most famous section, the best. It’s nice what I’m going to write”.
to be right.
Promenade, a beautiful stately melody, evokes the All the above are lightweights compared to the
slow gait of Mussorgsky as he wanders the halls of wonderful and quirky Eric Satie, composer of some
the gallery “roving through the exhibition, now of the most strange and beautiful music ever written
leisurely, now briskly, in order to come close to a and a walker to put Wainwright to shame. His daily
picture that had attracted his attention…” Look it up. routine involved a six-mile walk from his cramped
You’ll know it. As you will the Flower Duet from flat in the suburbs to Paris’ bohemian Montmartre
Lakmi by Delibes, a Classic FM/TV advert favourite district, composing in his head as he went. After a
intended to evoke a garden stroll. Mendelssohn’s busy day of socialising, eating and drinking, he would
Fingal’s Cave Overture takes some inspiration from walk back home in the small hours, jot down ideas,
walks on the rugged Hebridean island of Staffa. and get to bed just before dawn for a few hours’ kip
Warning though: don’t expect a route card in this mag before repeating the next day. One music critic said
any time soon for an actual tour of the titular basalt that Satie’s odd, repetitive rhythms came from this
sea cave. You would definitely get your boots wet. “endless walking back and forth across the same
It’s becoming almost a cliché to extol the virtues landscape day after day”. It brought works like the
of walking as a creative aid, and a long list of elegant Gymnopodies and the less well-known but
 Hear Stuart
ambulatory composers bears this out. Tchaikovsky, equally wonderful The Dreaming Fish, Truly Flabby
on Radcliffe
for instance, was the kind of guy who would not have and Maconie,
Preludes (For A Dog) and Chimes to Awaken the King
left his dacha sans Fitbit. Before commencing his BBC 6 Music, of the Apes. Give them a listen on your next stroll and
day’s work of composing, he would take a brief stroll, weekends, think of Eric, weaving his drunken way home from
then get down a few lines of manuscript. After lunch 7am to 10am. a Montmartre boozer, full of burgundy and tunes.
ILLUSTRATION: STEVEN HALL

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The View
GUEST COLUMN
Vivienne Crow
Few know the Lake District like record-setting resident Joss Naylor.
Re-walking one of his greats with him at 84 was a true privilege.
I
’M NOT THE fastest hillwalker but I am a regular After lockdown restrictions had eased, we started
hillwalker and I think I’m reasonably fit; I’d our walk where Joss had begun his epic 1983
foolishly assumed, being in my early fifties, that adventure – from the shores of Loweswater and
I’d be able to keep up with an 84-year-old, but I was along the side of Crummock Water to Buttermere,
struggling as we neared Skeggles Water. In my While jealously guarded by high, craggy fells. From here,
defence, my companion wasn’t your typical 84-year- backpacking the the route climbs Red Pike before plummeting into
Coast to Coast,
old; it was Joss Naylor, the legendary fell-runner. I found a lost
Ennerdale. Those nine miles (completed by Joss in
The Lake District fells have been Joss’ home since labrador puppy 1983 in less than 90 minutes) form day one of the
he was a young child, growing up on the family farm near Shap itinerary we devised so that walkers and runners
at Wasdale Head and joining his father shepherding Abbey. Already can experience the lakes, meres and waters at their
on England’s highest mountains. At the peak of his laden down with own pace, ending at Over Water in the Northern Fells
running career in the 1970s and ’80s, he broke dozens gear, my partner 10 days later.
and I took turns
of records and completed some mind-boggling Over several weeks last summer, we gazed on
to carry it into
challenges. He broke the 24-Hour Fell Record on Shap village. sublime reflections in Wastwater, enjoyed the
three separate occasions, extending it to 72 peaks in We’d walked tranquillity of Devoke Water, dropped in on
1975 – a record that stood for 13 years. His historic almost a mile the honeypots of Grasmere, Windermere and
round of all 214 Wainwrights, in just seven days in before a car Derwentwater, and witnessed a mesmerising display
1986, seemed almost unassailable until, 28 years appeared and its created by extraordinary atmospheric conditions
grateful owners
later, Steve Birkinshaw shaved almost 13 hours off over Blea Water, hidden in one of the rugged corries
took it off our
his time. And in 2006, aged 70, he ran a round of 70 hands.
biting into High Street’s east face. The route was
felltops in under 21 hours. neither fell walk nor valley walk; we went up and
We’d come to Skeggles Water, a little-known tarn over high tops, along valley bottoms, through idyllic
on the moorland between Kentmere and Longsleddale, villages, across bleak moorland…
as part of Joss’s rewalking of another one of his And, of course, we visited Skeggles Water, one of
super-human achievements – a 105-mile run visiting Lakeland’s least-known bodies of water. As I waded
27 of the National Park’s ‘lakes, meres and waters’ in through the heather, trying to keep up with Joss,
just over 19 hours. He had asked me to write a book the purple flowers released pollen dust that seemed
about the feat so that others could follow in his to hover just above the ground, filling the air with
footsteps. That 1983 day had always stood out in his Outdoor writer its sweet, cloying smell. A little earlier, we’d
memory as one of the finest of his life. “It’s summat Vivienne Crow is inadvertently flushed out both a buzzard and a hare.
you couldn’t really explain to anybody,” he told me the co-author of The moorland surrounding the tarn might have
when we rewalked it in the summer of 2020. “It was Joss Naylor’s seemed featureless in comparison with, say,
like a dream. Looking back afterwards, I thought Lakes, Meres and Buttermere’s crag-bound glories, but there was
Waters of The
how privileged I was to have done it because it’s a Lake District,
beauty and serenity here. Suddenly, I knew what
beautiful thing. It gave us a chance to have a good available now Joss had meant – the route was giving us a taste
look at the Lake District and go to places where you (cicerone.co.uk, of everything England’s most beautiful corner had
don’t usually go.” £19.95). to offer. We truly were privileged.

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DISCOVER Oak Trees
The
Mighty
Oak
A year walking with
Britain’s most celebrated
tree reveals why it makes
such a spellbinding
companion.
WORDS & PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
HEART OF OAK
With its rough bark
and lobed leaves,
the oak is one of the
most recognisable
and best-loved of OCTOBER 2021 COUNTRY WALKING 37
Britain’s trees.
 LUNAR LIGHT ALF A MILE from my house, Britain, the sessile oak reigns supreme and it has
The full moon before a path leads up a shallow rise. the opposite arrangement with acorns tight to
the winter solstice That ridge is probably the highest the branch and leaves on stems. Given space,
is sometimes
bit of land in an easterly direction pedunculate oaks branch from low down on the
known as the oak
moon, linked to the for many hundreds of miles and trunk, creating a huge crown.
druid tradition of come winter, it’s a bleak place. Oaks have had significance for humankind for
gathering mistletoe Yet, as if frozen in time, a world-weary column thousands of years. Worshipped and exploited, the
from the branches. of oak trees lines the path, as if they themselves trees can still be found in large numbers, though in
are climbing the hill. They’re some of the most years gone by, the demands of ship-building meant
characterful trees I know and I see them most days they were jealously guarded and relentlessly felled.
as I walk my patch. Week in, week out, under the I live not far from a once grand estate and the
glare of the summer sun or the pale light of a winter proliferation of oaks here is, I suspect, something to
moon, they are the rocks in my world. do with its one time owner’s influence on the area.
I live in the east of England, on thick clay soils, But I’m not interested in the long human history of
and therefore my oaks are English, or more properly, the oak, but in its own perpetual present.
pedunculate. That means the acorns grow on long
stalks, while the leaves are stalkless. In the west of WINTER
There is nothing darker than moon shadow,
particularly among trees. Above me, oak branches
spider-web into the night sky, locked in their winter
torpor. The freezing air that surrounds us can’t find
the one thing it is seeking: the tree’s sap. This is
safely buried in the roots, away from the malignant
air’s icy intentions. Without sap, the branches are
brittle and vulnerable to the wind, even though they
shed their leaves months ago. But these edifices of
cellular activity stand resolute, as if those cells
have tightened and almost turned to stone.
Standing facing an oak’s trunk, I can’t help but
feel my gaze drawn down to the ground, as if my
subconscious knows where the life in this tree is:
all around me, under my feet.
Three weeks later and I can’t even see my hill,
let alone the trees. A blizzard is white-washing the
brownness of the winter field as I struggle, head
bowed, into the wind-blown flakes. A few paces

DISCOVER Oak Trees
closer and there they are, the dark outlines of  IN PROFILE

familiar beings. The wind in the form of snow lies A winter sunset
pasted against them, and only the outer edges of the silhouettes the
distinctive twisting
trunks remain clear, where the wind whips around
tangle of an oak’s
the sides. The world of my oaks is changing in the branches.
most literal of ways, right before my eyes.
Nine days further into winter and the snow is  THIN ICE
gone. It lasted for four days and nights, then it sank This is a slender
into the earth, bathing the oaks’ roots in the softest specimen, but
oaks can grow
of ablutions. It is startlingly bright. The glare of a to impressive
winter sun in the middle of the day is sharp-edged, dimensions. The
yet never gaudy and unflattering like its summer Major Oak over in
cousin. A male kestrel flies from the nearest oak – Sherwood Forest
not fast, but leisurely. Clearly irritated at my claims to be
Britain’s biggest
presence it lands in the next tree along. I stop under with a trunk girth
the branches of the first tree and watch him; he is, of 33 feet.
after all, part of the oak’s life. He loses interest in
me and soon his head is bobbing from side to side:
he’s clearly seen something on the ground between
the tree’s bare branches. A russet flash, as if a
stubborn autumn leaf has decided late winter is the
time to seek the ground, means the kestrel could
resist temptation no longer. In the rank, washed-
out grass on the side of the ditch below the tree,
the kestrel holds its prey, mantling its wings to keep
its prize from my view. It makes quick work of its  OUT IN
THE COLD
meal. Moments later it flies off, six inches from the
A single copper
ground, over the fields to the east, before swooping leaf hangs on into
suddenly up to the top most branch of another oak, winter, while frost
as if taking a message from tree to tree.  etches the fallen.
“ ...oaks line the path, as if they

too are climbing the hill. They’re the
most characterful trees I know.”
NEW LIFE SPRING
An oak leafs up No two springs are alike. This one is cold and dry
for another spring; and my daily walk of three or four miles doesn’t
these trees can
seem to be affected by any seasonal change. Then
live for centuries
and Britain’s oldest one day, I’m stopped in my tracks. The Ghost Oak
– probably the (I’ve started naming the more characterful trees –
Bowthorpe Oak see p43) is undeniably starting to bud. The twigs on
in Lincolnshire – is the outer branches now end in little round lumps.
thought to be over How have they got to this stage without me noticing?
1000 years old.
Things warm up for a week or so and the oaks
really start to move. From the top of the low rise
above my village, every oak tree I see is coated in
a plume of acid-green yellow flowers, little catkins
 ACORN crowned by freshly emerging leaves, themselves
MAKING
cradled by the red of split bud casings. The flowers
Oaks are monecious
which means each comprise both male parts (catkins) and female ones
tree has both male (small red flowers on short stalks). The catkins
and female flowers. release pollen into the air, with the hope some of it
will find a female flower.
The clouds in the sky, billowy and white, are
echoed through the landscape by the multitude of
oaks that have seemingly erupted like atom bombs
only days before. All is joyous. The air itself seems
full of spring frivolity, careering around like a lamb
in a meadow. Oxygen levels are up. The trees’ sap  57 VARIETIES (AND THEN SOME)
must also be well and truly risen, as energy stores Britain has two native species of oak, pedunculate
within the tree are plundered to kickstart this (pictured) and sessile, but there are 500 kinds globally.
reawakening of life.
I don’t ever really stop on my springtime
wanderings: there is too much urgency and summer
is the time for stopping. Warm spring gales are the
“ The clouds in the sky,
billowy and white, are
echoed by the multitude
uninvited guest of this particular day’s walk. Some
branches just gently sway, but neighbouring ones
whirl and twist and catkins litter the ground.
Everything about the air is dynamic but the oaks
of oaks that have erupted
seem to be coping: there are no branches down. like atom bombs. ”
DISCOVER Oak Trees
SUMMER
There is no darker green than that of a midsummer
oak tree. It’s almost a dead green. Light is absorbed
so efficiently, it’s like the start of a black hole.
That canopy has a benefit though, in the long hot
days of summer. My walks are short and slow now,
sometimes verging on static. I sprawl beneath that
crown of impenetrableness, ignoring the ants that
clearly think I am in the way, and contemplate the
nothingness of heavy summer. Nature seems to be
in the same locked-down, endurance mode as
midwinter, although that’s obviously not quite true.
The canopy is humming with insects and I can see
hornets have moved into one of the oak’s many nest
holes. I’m close to their regular flight path, but
they’re not to be feared: they will sting, but they’re
not ‘looking for a fight’ like the more familiar
wasps. There’s something rather hypnotic about the
 TOUGH LOVE Blue tits have made a nest in a hole in the trunk regular stream of rusty yellow bullets that hum by.
Pedunculate oak’s of one particularly gnarly tree. I can stand close Late morning on another stagnant, dead-dog of
Latin name is to it, under the canopy of young leaves and dropping a day, I am up on the summit of the ridge, maybe all
Quercus robur, or
flowers, while all the time the adult blue tits come of 150 feet above sea level. A wood fringed with oaks
strong timber.
and go in their never-ending relay of caterpillar is immediately behind me; a cereal crop to my front.
hunting. These oaks probably feed the tits, as well My slow arrival on the scene has woken a small
 BOLT FROM
THE BLUE as provide a home for them, because a mature tree herd of resting fallow deer. They stand, sleep-
Summer heat can can support several hundred species of insect. dazed, long ears revolving, listening for danger.
bring storms: some Even in death, oaks (and all trees) support a vast They can see me, but I am stationary, my back to
say the oak is more amount of life. On this particular spring day, the the oaks, my outline obscure. A gun shot a mile
likely to be hit by tree seems to mother the life around it, branches away has them running for cover, and cover is those
lightning than other
outstretched in maternal protection, gathering oaks. Once in, they are instantly lost from sight,
trees, and in Norse
mythology it is the in its flock. There is so much promise, so much swallowed by that other world that is the summer
sacred tree of Thor, potential: you just have to look to the trees at this forest. I often think the act of peering into a wood
god of thunder. time of year. from the outside is like looking into a pond with u
a snorkel mask on: it’s a world so different to the one  TREE OF LIFE It’s normally late October or early November
of open fields and hedgerow oaks. From left to right: before the leaves start to rust. Oaks are some of the
Late August and I am inwardly starting to panic. The beginning of last trees to change. Old leather is how I describe
an acorn which can
A storm is not only brewing, it’s about to break and them, and a leaf can have the individual beauty of
be harvested to
I am still high on the ridge. The air has that heavy, make ‘coffee’, liquor a gem stone or the mundaneness of a clump of mud.
soupy feel. I shouldn’t have come out, but I couldn’t and flour; every Each is its own expression of sugars and sunlight.
resist it: the desire to be among the oaks in different part of the tree – Every year this change is different, and each
conditions is too strong. After all, how can you including the leaves tree’s response to the season is unique to its
know something if you haven’t experienced what it – has been used in circumstances. Oaks never do anything without
medicines.
has to go through? Thunder rumbles repeatedly far thinking about it first; then they do it on their own,
off as I return home, yet it never gets closer, rain contrary terms.
never falls, and no oak is struck. Feeling like I’ve It is early November and the winter migrant
been chased off my own patch, I go back in the thrushes – fieldfares and redwings – are in. They
evening to regain my territory. The air has changed, perch on the raggle-taggle string of oaks that
thinned. It’s always in summer, on still days, that I loosely line the ancient path I walk, and as if wind-
feel trees are watching. Not with eyes, but through
whatever senses oaks possess. They know we’re
there; how can they not? We are, even at a slow,
halting pace, nothing but a fleeting moment in their
existence, yet we are present, and a day is still a day,
and a year a full cycle of seasons, whether taken at
a gallop or a snail’s pace.
AUTUMN
October sees the oak’s acorns drop. A good year, or
‘mast year’ as it’s known, can see 50,000 acorns fall
from each tree. In forests, pigs used to be brought
onto common land to feast and fatten on this
natural bounty. Known as pannage, it now only
really happens in a few places like the New Forest.
The woods near me are managed by Forestry
England, and while places like this can provide
walkers with some of the only open access land in
the lowlands, they don’t have pigs snuffling through
the oak leaves in search of acorns, and probably
haven’t for centuries. One thing I do know is the
wood closest to my home has been a forest in some
state or other since the last ice age (so say the
information boards). That means my oaks could
have been in this general area for generations,
and when it comes to long lived trees like these,
generations can soon deal in millennia.
“ The oaks start to rust.

A leaf can have the
individual beauty of a gem
stone, or the mundaneness
of a clump of mud. ”
DISCOVER Oak Trees
The Name of the Oak

I’ve got to know my local oaks so well, I’ve given them names...
The Ghost Oak The BFG Oak

This one looks like a phantom with This one reminds me of Roald Dahl’s
arms stretched out and mouth open Big Friendly Giant bending forward
wide in that classic bedsheet ghost and pointing long, spindly arms at
kind of way. someone.
The Dog Sh*t Oak The Moon Oaks

Yes, that’s right, it’s never without at I shot a photograph of these trees
least one bag of poop hanging from with a full winter moon setting behind
its lower branches. this group of three, far off oaks. The
blown leaves themselves, they drop as one to the crowns of the trees seemed full and
field below. After a few minutes, the tape of life is Mani, Reni, Ian & John round, just like the moon.
Three oak trees and an ash
reversed, and those leaf-like birds rise up, Excalibur
like, to re-attach themselves to the oak’s branches.
respectively, in a line, like they’re on The Ammunition Oak
an album cover. Named after the Named for the old ammunition box
This happens repeatedly until a distant hawk, band members of my favourite at its foot, that once upon a time
a female sparrowhawk I think, drops from an oak group. You’ll have to do the work must have been fixed up high in the
500 yards away and comes roaring in to those on that one. tree as a nesting box for kestrels.
thrushes like the autumn gale that is forecast for
this evening, scattering all in her wake. The Door Oak Stuart
I crouch down on the damp grass, the roots of An oak in the forest with a three-foot This one’s so normal, you’d hardly
the oak below me, and stare up into the canopy. high entrance to the base of the notice it, (see picture below). No
The sky, seen in my peripheral vision, seems to wonderfully-flared trunk. Surely the offence to any Stuarts out there, but
doorway to another world? the point was to just give it a name.
orbit the tree. Maybe I’ve found the centre of
the universe. For countless life forms, this tree
is just that.
The Slender One  Do you also name particular
It’s got it all – height, structure, trees? Send us a pic and tell us why
presence – like a tree on a catwalk. - country.walking@bauermedia.co.uk
 GOLDEN AGE
After gold, diamond
and platinum for 50,
60 and 70 years,
it’s the long-lived
oak that’s the
traditional gift for
an 80th wedding
anniversary.
 BARKING UP
The heavily fissured
bark of the oak is
rich in tannins and
has been used to tan
animal hides since
the Bronze Age.

PHOTO: RADOVAN ZIERIK/ALAMY-
 GOLDEN
MOMENTS “ ’M AN AMBLER, not a rambler” says David
Lindo, summing up beautifully how the key
The most colourful to seeing more on a walk is to slow down
member of the
corvid family, the
and stop occasionally.
jay is a busy bird in For David it’s an ethos that applies
autumn, as you’ll wherever he’s walking, be it a remote part of the
find out on page 65.
PHOTO: SUSANA SANROMAN

planet, or more often than not, a bustling city.
A writer, broadcaster, educator and birdwatching
 LOVING
THE LOCAL tour leader, he’s known as the Urban Birder. And it
Born and raised was growing up in London that fostered his passion
in London, David for avian life and the wider natural world.
wants everyone to “I was born with an innate interest,” says David,
discover and cherish whose curiosity and enthusiasm wasn’t shared
the wildlife outside
their own front door.
by family and friends. “It was kind of weird being
a black kid in northwest London with this real David wants to see greener, biophilic cities –
interest in natural history. It wasn’t the done thing.” healthier for both wildlife and people. Just as they
As someone who’s spent years engaging city can play host to extraordinary birds, cities can be
dwellers around the world with the environment, unexpectedly serene, he says.
he’s heartened by the increasing awareness of “It’s lovely to be out in the country, seeing green,
nature and a desire to protect it arising from the but I’ve also done walks at two in the morning
Covid-19 pandemic. But more needs to be done through London’s financial district and the streets
closer to home, says David, who’s frustrated by are deserted, and lit sometimes quite eerily. It’s like
compartmentalised thinking. a ghost town.”
“Nature in Britain is still being sold as this thing For David and other urban birders, early starts
in the middle of nowhere; the reserve of a certain can be especially fruitful in autumn. It’s an exciting
group of people that excludes those living in cities. time of year; a season of flux. Waders start to return
Over 80% of us live in urban areas, and I’ve always from their Arctic breeding grounds in mid-July,
felt there needs to be a bridge between David but the migration reaches its crescendo from
Attenborough documentaries in the Serengeti September into October. As house martins and
and what’s happening outside our front doors. swallows congregate for the journey south, redwing
It’s all connected.” and fieldfare arrive here for the winter.
“
“Anything can turn up anywhere at any time.
Nature in Britain is still being sold That’s the motto you should have all year round, but
as this thing in the middle of nowhere; particularly during the autumn,” enthuses David.
that excludes those living in cities.”

“A lot of small birds migrate by night and in the
early hours they pitch down where there’s cover.

WILD PEOPLE The Urban Birder
 CIT Y SUNRISE
A cormorant dries its
wings by the Thames
Embankment as the
morning light gilds
the London skyline.
 PASSING
PHOTO: BEATA MOORE/ALAMY-

THROUGH
David’s favourite
bird, the ring ouzel,
sojourns in Britain’s
south and east,
seeking out juniper
berries as it flies
south for winter.
3 ways to be a
better birder
1AMBLE, DON’T RAMBLE
“If you want to notice wildlife,
you need to stop now and again,”
advises David. “Be more aware
PHOTO: AGAMI PHOTO AGENCY/ALAMY-
when you’re walking and pause

to marvel at what’s around you.
Stop, look and wonder.”
2DON’T SWEAT THE ID

“Enjoy what you see and don’t
worry about putting a name to it.
The knowledge that the bird
you’ve been hearing for the last
year was a chaffinch will come
You could be noticing warblers you’ve not seen
organically. That sense of personal
before. It might be flycatchers in your local park, THE URBAN discovery, you can’t beat it.”
voraciously hunting flies, and they might stick BIRDER WORLD
around for a couple of days. In the autumn,
3CONNECT
Six years in the making,
there’s no mad rush to get back.” David’s Urban Birder
The summer visitors heading for warmer climes WITH OTHERS
World is a global
include David’s favourite bird, the ring ouzel. It’s a “I think it’s invaluable to meet
community bringing
member of the thrush family, slightly smaller than people that have more knowledge
together people with a
a blackbird, with a distinctive white breast band. shared passion for urban
than you,” says David. “People
Breeding in the uplands of north and western Britain, wildlife. Membership who can help you to develop
it makes spring and autumn cameos down south. benefits include birding your interest and recognise the
“They winter in North Africa and Southern guides, exclusive habitats on your walks where it’s
Europe,” explains David. “And they’re quite nervous giveaways and discounts worth stopping.”
on courses, tours and gear.
and scarce, with only six to seven thousand pairs
Country Walking readers
here. So I love them. On my local patch in west can get a year’s ‘Silvery
PHOTO: LESTYN GEORGE
London – Wormwood Scrubs – I’ve seen them Grebe’ membership for just
every year for the past 15 years or so. They may £20 (normally £50) by
stop for 30 seconds, they may stop for a day.” using the discount code:
But it’s not just rare and vagrant birds that bring TUBW-20-SILVER. Join at
surprise and delight to David’s dawn outings. theurbanbirderworld.com/
“I’m happy to see anything. There’s always membership
something new to see.”

DeepSea
Diving (ON FOOT)
It’s the width of a thumb on the
map but Britain’s coastal strip
offers wildlife to rival the rainforest
and a window into the mysterious
world under the sea.
W O R D S : M AT T S WA I N E PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
WATER, WATER,
EVEYRWHERE
Britain is surrounded
by sea and you’re never
more than 70 miles from
this incredible habitat.
DISCOVER Marine Wildlife
S ALANA LEVERS the slab of

rock skywards, two blood-red
eyes peer from the gloom.
A lapis blue pincer snaps at her
hand like a pair of garden shears
as she scoops the crustacean Dartmouth
from its layer. It’s a devil crab: a reference to those
diabolic eyes and thuggish reputation. “Stroke its
shell,” says Alana, and I run a finger across its
surprisingly soft carapace. “Those fine hairs give Start Point
it its other name: the velvet swimming crab. It’s
incredibly fast in the water thanks to its flattened,
paddle-like rear legs.” There are around 65 discover eerily beautiful anemones, delicate
species of crab in Britain and this is one of the baby sea urchin, and slabs of breadcrumb sponge
most common. They’re easily found among the – one of the largest multicellular organisms on
seaweed and rocks of the lower shore, says marine the planet.
biologist Alana Bonnick, returning the crab and It’s proof you don’t need to travel to the Masai
carefully lowering the rock. Mara, Brazil’s Pantanal or Borneo’s rainforest
I hadn’t expected so much heavy lifting as we for a revelatory wildlife experience – the British
walked onto the Devon shoreline at Dartmouth. coast can rival them all. We’ve got one of the OUR EXPERT
“Rockpools are subject to huge changes over longest coastlines in Europe: estimated at around Alana Bonnick is
a marine biologist
the course of the day,” explains Alana. “The 7500 miles, or over 19,000 miles if you include based in Dartmouth
temperature rises, and salinity changes if it rains. all the islands. And it’s remarkably wiggly (on the on the Devon
Creatures can be predated by gulls and they never Hausdorff dimension scale it scores 1.24 – higher coast. She also runs
know who else they’ll be trapped with when the than Australia’s 1.13 or South Africa’s 1.02 but a paddle boarding
tide goes out. The best thing is often to hide under way off Norway’s fjord-tastic 1.52). sessions for people
who want a unique
the rocks.” Within a few minutes we’ve found And within those crenulations there’s an
view of the coast
edible brown and broad-clawed porcelain crabs abundance of habitats from vertiginous sea cliffs and marine wildlife
whose camouflage and shallow profile makes that offer sanctuary to nesting sea birds such as thepaddleshack.
them almost invisible on a rock. We also guillemot, puffin and gannet; to saltmarshes, co.uk

PHOTO: SIMON BURT/ALAMY-
FRINGE FESTIVAL
(Above and below right)
Sometimes land, sometimes
sea: the edge of Britain is a
dynamic, thrilling place to walk.
PHOTO: CHARLIE PHILLIPS/ALAMY-

▲ LOOKING mud flats and estuaries, home to avocet, dunlin and Before we’ve had time to take in the enormity of
HIGH & LOW godwit. There are sand dunes, wildflower-strewn that news, we’re on to limpets that grow around the
(Top) Seeking
clifftops, and machair grasslands, a unique habitat intricate contours of the rock to create a water-tight
wildlife on a micro-
scale on the shore, only found in parts of Scotland and Ireland. seal, and jelly-like beadlet anemones, which pull an
and a macro-scale Few days out promise as much wildlife as a walk outer layer around themselves to retain moisture
out to sea. along the coastal path, but what goes on in the when the sea retreats. Once submerged at high tide,
ocean feels largely hidden from view. Exploring a its stocky, crimson tentacles reappear, ready to
▲ JAW DROP
rocky beach at low tide is the best way to uncover sting passing prey. “They may look dormant but at
(Middle) Basking
sharks may grow
its secrets and get up close to an array of alien high tide they are surprisingly mobile,” says Alana.
up to 36 feet long species – and everything can change in just a few “Limpets have to return to their ‘home scar’, but
and look fearsome, metres. “This is the upper shore on the intertidal anemones can travel over half a mile in an hour
but that enormous zone,” explains Alana, as we head towards a depending on the terrain they have to cover.”
mouth is for feeding narrow, rocky passage higher up the beach. And on the seashore you can taste as well as see
on plankton.
“There’s not a lot of water during the day so nature. All British seaweed is edible, Alana tells
▲ SEA LEVEL anything that lives here has to be really hardy.” me, and there is a host of plants for aspiring
(Above) The Devon Some of the most visible species are barnacles, foragers to discover. So before we leave the beach,
coast at Dartmouth which spend most of their life floating in the ocean we sample sulphurous rock samphire, surprisingly
is nibbled by as zooplankton until they pick up chemicals that meaty pepper dulse and pungent sea cabbage.
coves, perfect attract them onto these rocks. “As they get closer to But it’s the big and charismatic that we really
for exploring the
shoreline.
those pheromones they start developing this glue- want to spot. So later that morning we head a few
like substance. They attach themselves headfirst
▲ HIGH JUMP
(Above right)
Bottlenose dolphins
onto the rock and they are there for life,” says
Alana. Each barnacle is a hermaphrodite –both
male and female – but it still needs to reproduce,
“...it’s the big and
charismatic we really
can be spotted from
which is a challenge when you can’t move. Nature’s
many coastal paths
around the UK, and solution? The largest penis relative to body size of want to spot. We’re hoping
if you’re lucky you’ll
see them leaping
any animal on the planet. “In human terms it to see seals, dolphins
”
would be almost a third of the height of Nelson’s
clear of the water. Column,” says Alana. and porpoise.
Mysteries of e deep
Wild and wonderful life in Britain’s seas
PHOTO: S.RAE/CC-BY-2.0
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
THE WORLD’S THE MANY-EYED MOLLUSC
LONGEST-LIVING ANIMAL Great scallops have around
Found in sandy seabeds, the 200 eyes that allow them to
ocean quahog’s age can be detect predators and then
found by counting rings on its escape by opening and
shell. The oldest was dated at shutting their shells to send
507 years old. out propulsive jets of water.
LIBRARY/ALAMY-
PHOTO: NATURE PICTURE
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
THE PREGNANT FATHER THE FISH THAT
Britain is home to two species CHANGES SEX
of seahorse: short-snouted One of the UK’s most colourful
and spiny. It’s the male that fish, the cuckoo wrasse starts
goes through ‘pregnancy’ life as a female but the alpha
keeping the eggs in a brood can change sex when the
pouch until live young emerge. dominant male on a reef dies.
ARPS/ALAMY-
PHOTO: STEVE TAYLOR
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
miles south to the lighthouse at Start Point to take
in one of the most exposed and dramatic sections of
the South West Coat Path. We’re hoping to see
seals, dolphins and porpoise, but there’s also the
promise of something more exotic. There are
regular sightings of basking shark – the world’s
second largest fish – from the cliffs along this part
of the coast in summer. And British waters also THE ECHINODERN THAT THE SLUG WITH
host whales, orcas, and leatherback turtles that REGROWS LIMBS CHEMICAL WEAPONS
follow the Gulf Stream to feed on jellyfish. “We get Found in rockpools around The orange-clubbed sea slug
sunfish as well: the heaviest bony fish in the world,” the UK, common starfish can can be found on the lower
says Alana. “You can sometimes see them from the regenerate lost limbs, so look shore. Its colourful ‘clubs’ can
cliff top, with their fins slapping the water waiting out for one with a shorter leg taste, smell, and put out foul
for the birds to pick the parasites off them.” that is regrowing. chemicals to stop predators.
As a marine ecologist she regularly sees pods of
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
dolphin and porpoise. Britain has a surprising

number of places to spot cetaceans with resident
pods in locations like Cardigan Bay and Scotland’s
Moray Firth. “We see lots of bottlenose dolphin
coming here during the summer months,” says
Alana. “One we called Nick-Nick, because of the
markings on his dorsal fin. He would come right up
alongside the boat and we noticed he was getting THE JELLYFISH AS THE ANGELIC SHARK
more and more scratches on him.” He suddenly BIG AS A DUSTBIN LID Over 40 species of shark live
vanished but the next summer his distinctive The barrel jellyfish is the in UK waters and one of the
dorsal fin was spotted in Brittany. “There were a largest found in UK waters. world’s rarest, the angelshark
few reports of Nick-Nick getting feisty with divers,” They can grow up to 3ft has a small population in west
says Alana. “Dolphin pods are matriarchal and we across and are often found Wales, although it’s at risk
think he’d stepped out of line and been exiled.” washed up on beaches. from seafloor trawling.

TOP VIEWS
Whether you spot
fins out to sea or
not, the scenery
near Blackstone
Point is glorious.
You don’t need a diving qualification to

discover marine life. Head onto a sandy beach
and the strandline of high tide debris can be a
treasure trove, even in the midst of winter. The
invertebrate-rich seaweed attracts birds and
small mammals, but it also harbours seashells,
cuttlefish bones and shark egg cases, known as
mermaid’s purses. You may even find whale and
dolphin bones and the skulls of marine birds.
The crescendo of activity you see in summer
represents the pinnacle of an otherwise invisible
oceanic food chain. Floating out at sea tiny
phytoplankton rely on the sun for energy, just like
plants on land. In summer they provide food for
zooplankton, which feeds bigger species like sand
eels, and in turn mackerel and bass. These all
attract bigger predators like puffins, gannets,
dolphin and grey seals, Britain’s largest native
carnivore. And as we round the headland, we spot
a pair. One of them seems to have fallen asleep,
bobbing upright in the water, its eyes closed, head
tilted toward the sun and its flippers held
meditatively together, while the other dives
playfully around the rocks. pairs in 1989 to around 1000, with its stronghold ▲ HIGH & DRY
Spotting seal pups in winter is one of the UK’s on this part of Devon. (Top and middle)
From crabs to
greatest wildlife experiences and top sites Our walk takes us down to Matterstone Sands, barnacles and kelp,
include Norfolk, Lincolnshire, the Orkneys and and in the shadow of two ancient shale stacks, there’s much to
Northumberland. “When they are born they are I dive into the water and float over forests of discover on land
covered in this thick downy white fur that gets seaweed, to admire the shoals of silver fish darting that reveals secrets
easily waterlogged so they have to wait for that below. And gazing back at the shore and cliffs above about the sea.
to shed before they can swim,” explains Alana. it’s easy to see why a coastal walk promises so ▲ KEEP WATCH
“For the first 30 days or so the mothers here leave much. Packed into a thumb’s width on an OS map is (Above) A
them on a rock. Seal milk is one of the most high fat a startling array of habitats, crammed between sea lighthouse warns
milks so the pups can grow to almost the same size and strandline, upper shore, cliff and hedgerow- ships off Start
as their mothers just on that.” lined headland. Few wildlife experiences can Point, an exposed
We follow a narrow path squeezed between compete for sheer variety and accessibility. headland that is
a great place to
managed farmland and the sea that proves a No other kind of walk exposes you to so many watch for seals
vibrant corridor for wildlife. Among the bracken turbulent and dynamic eco-systems in such a short and dolphins.
and hedgerow we have seen at least ten species of space of time.
butterfly, a host of bees and beetles; stone chats, And here’s the best news. Wherever you live in
white throats, yellow hammers and linnets. the UK you are no more than 70 miles from the sea.
And we glimpse what we think is a cirl bunting, Grab an ID book, pick a walk and rediscover your
a species that has recovered from just 118 breeding rock-pooling youth. You won’t be disappointed.

A spotter’s guide to BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS
Britain’s seaside
Chanonry Point, Moray Firth
There are around 200 bottlenose dolphin
in the Moray Firth and if you time your
arrival for around an hour after low tide,
then Chanonry Point is one of the best
SEA OTTERS places to see them, hunting as the tide
Isle of Mull, turns and leaping out of the water.
Scotland
Sea otters, white-
tailed eagles (aka sea
eagles) and dolphins
make Mull a top base SEABIRDS
for walks with a Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire
marine theme, and Between March and October around half a million seabirds
Ardnamurchan nest on these towering chalk cliffs over the North Sea.
Lighthouse on the The 12-mile walk from Bempton Cliffs to Flamborough
mainland is a potential has been voted one of the country’s top routes, promising
site to see minke sightings of a riotous (and pungent) crowd of guillemot,
whales and dolphin. gannet, puffin, and this year even an albatross.
The Hebridean Whale
Trail (whaletrail.org)
highlights a number
of good sites across GREY SEALS
the Hebrides. Donna Nook,
Lincolnshire
A hotspot where
walkers can take
DOLPHINS
advantage of
Cardigan Bay, Wales
viewing platforms in
Europe’s largest resident population of
the dunes to observe
bottlenose dolphins lives in this bay and you’re
pups during the
almost guaranteed a summer sighting in New
breeding season
Quay. Strumble Head in Pembrokeshire has
(Oct to Dec).
recorded sightings of Risso’s and common
dolphins as well as orca, sunfish, humpback
and minke whales. Nearby Skomer Island is
one of the best places to see puffins.
GREY SEALS
Blakeney Point, Norfolk
With over 3000 pups born every
winter, this is England’s largest grey
seal colony, and just a short walk away
WHALES & SHARKS are the lagoons of Cley Marsh: home
Lands End, Cornwall to wintering wildfowl and waders.
At England’s most westerly point there are recorded
views of minke whale, orca and basking shark, as
well as dolphin and porpoise. This area is your best
chance to see a loggerhead turtle; fulmar, kittiwake,
razorbill and even chough are more likely though.
SEAWEEDS STARFISH & CRABS

Kimmeridge, Dorset Seven Sisters, East Sussex
Walk from Lulworth to Durlston and you can swim the Birling Gap offers excellent rock-pooling with starfish
snorkel safari at Kimmeridge Bay, floating over a and velvet swimming crabs, while the Seven Sisters
beautiful array of seaweeds including rainbow wrack. are home to fulmar and kittiwake (but keep well back
Also known as magic seaweed, it’s dull brown on a as these chalk cliffs are notoriously unstable). Look
beach, but turns turquoise, indigo and violet underwater. for peregrine falcons – the world’s fastest creature –
You might also spot cetaceans from the coast path. as well as seals, and pods of dolphin and porpoise.
‘We’re all born
with a connection
to our surroundings’
… and walking puts
you right back in touch,
says Autumnwatch
presenter Michaela
Strachan.
 QUICK HIS PAST COUPLE of years has I know how daunting it can feel to want to know
CHANGE made us notice nature so much more. more about nature but not know where to begin.
Michaela has We’ve had more time, particularly in I feel exactly the same about living in South Africa
presented Autumn-
and Springwatch
our own local areas, and it’s meant – that there’s so much more to know than I’m able
since 2011 – seasons we’ve seen changes that we’ve never to take in. And we’re all so busy! But Britain has
which are a mirror noticed before. And of course one of the great things a great advantage – if you go to any RSPB or
image of her home is people have been walking more – and you tend Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust reserve, they have so
in South Africa. to notice so much more when you’re on foot, many courses and walks you can go on, and people
particularly the birdsong. I think we’re all more who are so willing to make it all accessible to you.
attuned to nature now. The hardest thing is, when you’re older and you
want to learn something from the beginning, it’s
We are all born with that connection to our embarrassing. But I think we’ve just got to put that
surroundings. But for so many of us growing up aside. Go into a hide anywhere in the UK and the
is a process of growing away from it. Walking puts people there will be delighted to help you.
you right back in touch. And it makes us breathe
properly. So many of us these days are hunched Knowing about things leads to caring about
over our computers and devices for such a long them. And that leads to things like making your
time, or cooped up in cars or trains, and I think own garden more wildlife friendly. It’s astonishing
it stops your body being able to absorb the oxygen how quickly the wildlife comes back. And once you
properly. Walking is better for your brain and your see the difference, that gives encouragement and
body – it’s good for your whole being to be on foot empowerment to believe we can influence things
and breathing deeply. for the better – from our backyards outwards.
“ Walking’s better for your brain, your

body – it’s good for your whole being to
But you don’t need to even know the name of
something to appreciate the beauty in it. I find
from year to year I forget the names of things.
”
Sometimes it’s the most common things that most
be on foot and breathing deeply. of us take for granted that have the most wonder –

WILD PEOPLE The Nature Champion
You asked, Michaela answered…

Ann Grundy:
Is it true you kissed a
hummingbird once?
Michaela: ‘I had a
PHOTO: MATTHEW CUDA/ALAMY-

tonguing from a
hummingbird! It was
for a children’s
programme where I
was challenged to do
various things, and
getting a kiss from a
hummingbird was one.
They have long tongues they use to into a great strength. He’s a great
feed on nectar from deep flower campaigner because he’ll get hold
heads, so I had to stand there, of something and he will not let it
lips pursed and covered in sugar. go. And it doesn’t matter how much
I waited for ages, no action. So I put abuse he gets, if he believes he’s
some red lipstick in to be more like right, he doesn’t care.
a flower, and eventually one came
and wow! It put its tongue right in! Sarah Shipp: How do you feel
It’s not everyone who can say about the Scouting For Girls song
they’ve been snogged by a named after you? [‘Michaela
 LOOKING AND LEARNING hummingbird. Strachan you broke my heart when
Today Michaela lives in the shadow of Table Mountain I was 12’]
with partner, documentarist Nick Chevallier. Michaela: Someone actually told me
about it before they were signed,
take a starling. I mean just look at the colours on so I contacted them and they were
the feathers of a starling! They’re just so beautiful. like ‘Oh, gosh, yes, hope that’s
It’s important to remember to look at the wonder of okay’. They sent me a copy and
I absolutely loved it! After it came
PHOTO: GL PORTRAIT/ALAMY-
things you see every day.

out they invited me to a concert,
and I went with Timmy Mallett.
I can’t wait to get back to Norfolk for It was such an ego boost hearing
Autumnwatch. Living abroad, when I tell people the band and audience singing my
I work on a programme about British wildlife name! Then on the way home, there
they’re surprised and say, ‘oh! Is there any?’ But were two girls on the train who’d
living on an island in the middle of a migration clearly been at the gig, and one
route, the bird life alone is incredible. I can’t wait to said to the other ‘Who IS Michaela
see the arrival of the waders and in particular the Jo Williamson: Who inspired Strachan anyway?’ and the other
starling murmurations – one of the most beautiful you to champion nature? one says ‘Oh you know the
Michaela: Chris one, blonde hair, big
things I’ve ever seen in the UK. Every one is
Packham. There’s so smile, funny nose’.
different, and you watch this incredible aerial much I admire about My ego came
ballet and think ‘I can’t believe this is free!’. him, but one thing crashing down!
is the fact he’s
When I come across to the UK for Winterwatch used what many BBC’s Autumnwatch
we’re in the height of summer in South Africa. would regard as returns to TV from
It’s bizarre, going from shorts and T-shirts to a disadvantage – his Wild Ken Hill at
suddenly sweating trying on big coats and woolly Asperger’s – and turned it Snettisham in October.
hats in front of the mirror. I have to travel light so
it’s important everything matches everything else.
I always go thinking ‘I’ll never need all these layers!’
but of course I never have enough.
In a funny way the pandemic has given me hope.

It’s shown how quickly and profoundly we can
adapt when something threatens us. And you’ve
only got to look at the news of floods and fires to feel
like the climate change threat is now as present
and visible as the pandemic threat has been. Three
years ago I listened to the audiobook Ready Player
One, and it featured online learning, people isolated
at home, headphones on – how absurd it seemed!
And yet now it’s scarily familiar, there’s a generation
coming up which recognises the dangers and really
wants change.

Flights of Fancy
Butterflies’ haphazard flight is to befuddle predators – but
like everything else, it could be designed to delight humans.
Name game
Let’s start with the name butterfly. Gotta catch ’em all!
Some say it’s because they land on and The swallowtail – Papilio machaon
steal butter (and some even say those britannicus – is our biggest native
PHOTO: UROS POTEKO/ALAMY-
dairy-pilfering insects are witches butterfly, with a 3½-inch wingspan richly

in disguise). Others think it’s a patterned like a Tiffany lamp. It’s a rare
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
corruption of flutter-by, or that Dutch beauty localised to the Norfolk Broads where its
scientists named it after the look of caterpillars feed on milk-parsley, producing horns
the bug’s faeces, but the most common and an odour if threatened – just like the Pokémon
explanation suggests it’s a tribute to Caterpie character this genus inspired.
the yellow hue
of the male
brimstone species.
Ganging up
Air miles A group of
Each one weighs less butterflies can
go by many names – PHOTO: ZOONAR GMBH/ALAMY-
than a single gram, but
every spring painted lady
butterflies migrate here from
sub-Saharan Africa, and back again
a wing, a flight,
in autumn. The 9000-mile round-trip a flutter, a rabble,
isn’t made by individual insects but
by successive generations: each a rainbow or a
painted lady flies several hundred kaleidoscope. Fog of war?
miles, lays eggs, and
its young continue In the 1940s a mustard-yellow cloud
the journey, often was spotted crossing the Channel.
riding the wind Observers feared it might be chlorine
at altitudes over gas, but it was a swarm of clouded
1500 feet. yellow butterflies (above) headed for
the chalk grasslands of southern
England. One report noted ‘the flight
SEE HERE was on a front of about 50 miles, and
The small pearl- that there must have been well over a
bordered fritillary is hundred thousand butterflies taking
one of 59 species of part’. In warm autumns you
butterfly you can spot may spot one as late
in the UK.
as November.
DISCOVER Butterflies
Metamorphosis
PHOTO: GILLES SAN MARTIN CC BY-SA 2.0

A butterfly is just the final stage of
a mind-boggling life cycle which
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
begins with a tiny egg glued to a leaf.
It hatches into a caterpillar which
eats voraciously (as Eric Carle taught
us), splitting and shedding its skin
four or five times as it grows: some
caterpillars end this stage 100 times
bigger than they started. Next, it
retreats into a chrysalis where it gets
‘rebuilt, like a Lego model’ according
to Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson (author
of the brilliant book Extraordinary
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
Insects) before it cracks it way out
as a butterfly, unpacking damp and
crumpled wings which it pumps
to full size with liquid from its
abdomen, and dries. Then it launches
to find a mate and begin it all again. The transformation of Polygonia c-album from egg to caterpillar to pupa to butterfly.
Some like it hot

Butterflies are cold-blooded and can Tasty feet
only fly if the temperature is into the Before laying eggs, butterflies use their feet
PHOTO: BARRIE HARWOOD/ALAMY-
double digits celsius. Lepidoptera to ‘taste’ whether the leaf they’ve landed on
(which also includes moths) are found will suit their caterpillar’s appetite. Some
on every continent on Earth except species like the swallowtail are very picky
Antarctica, and some species like eaters and will eat only one kind of plant.
the brimstone can survive a British Butterflies can’t bite or chew; instead they
winter. They enter a state of torpor use a long proboscis (pictured left), to drink
and produce antifreeze chemicals to nectar from flowers, or liquids from rotting
stop their blood solidifying; you might fruit, puddles, or even carrion.
even spot one with its wings covered
with ice-crystals.
Con artist Scale up
The large blue butterfly is a master of
disguise: as a larvae it creates a scent
Butterfly wings are
that exactly matches that of a red ant. transparent: the
PHOTO: DAVID TIPLING PHOTO LIBRARY/ALAMY-
The unsuspecting Myrmica sabuleti

take it into their nest and tend to it as colour comes from
one of their own; as thanks, it starts to
eat the ant larvae, later imitating the
thousands of tiny
clicking song of an ant queen so the scales reflecting light.
workers leave it alone, even as it
tucks into their young. The beautiful
butterfly is rare here – to the point
of vanishing in the 1970s – but has
Net gains
successfully been reintroduced to Famous butterfly chasers include
sites in the south west of England. PM Neville Chamberlain, the clown
Grimaldi and Lolita author Vladimir
Nabokov who filled a cabinet at
Eye for an eye Harvard University with butterfly
penises: they’re one of the best
PHOTO: OUR WILD LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY
Many butterflies, like this peacock, have ways to differentiate species that
distinctive circular markings on their otherwise look identical. Writing in
BASHKIROV/ALAMY-
wings. They’re designed both to deter The New Yorker he admitted ‘few
PHOTO: OLEG
attack by looking like the eyes of a things indeed have I known in the way
predator, and to direct any strike away of emotion or appetite, ambition or
from the insect’s body. A butterfly can achievement, that could surpass in
survive with a torn wing, but not without a head... richness and strength the excitement
of entomological exploration’.

The As today’s billionaires reach
for space, we discover a
magnate with ambitions
Wildlife much closer to earth – to

whom walkers and wildlife
BANK
lovers owe a huge debt.
W O R D S : J E N N Y WA LT E R S
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY

DISCOVER The Wildlife Trusts
VERY MORNING HE got propagate irises and orchids, write scientific

dressed in a smart suit and set papers, and study fleas. These jumping
off for the bank in the City of parasites were a particular obsession:
London. It’s said he never Charles gathered over a quarter of a million
missed a single day at the specimens and identified 500 new species,
desk, despite being one of the including Xenopsylla cheopis, the vector of
richest men on Earth. But his real love wasn’t bubonic plague.
trading bullion and bonds: it was wildlife. But most important was his vision for
Nathaniel Charles Rothschild – always conservation in Britain. Rothschild was one
known by his middle name – was born into of the first to understand there was more to
the famous financial dynasty in 1877. protecting wildlife than stopping the killing  OUR GUIDE
Between shifts at the family bank he would and collecting. For nature to thrive, you had Henry Stanier is
go out chasing butterflies and moths, to protect the places it called home. u the Great Fen
Monitoring and
Research Officer.
Woodwalton Wicken Fen

Fen
WILD SPACE
Woodwalton Fen
is a lush oasis
for nature in the
intensively farmed
land of East Anglia.
CLARISSE STRASSER
The First Reserve

PHOTO: ROTHSCHILD ARCHIVE
It began with £10 and two acres in Cambridgeshire.

In 1899, a 22-year old Rothschild bought a bit of
Wicken Fen and donated it to the National Trust
as Britain’s inaugural nature reserve. It was the
tiniest fragment of the ancient Fens that once
covered 850,000 acres of East Anglia with peat,
reedbed, meadow, stream and mere, yet the reserve
And many other – now expanded to almost 2000 acres – provides a
icons of nature: home for a staggering 9000 different species.
Charles Darwin This low-lying waterworld fascinated Rothschild
collected beetles and in 1910 he bought another surviving ‘island’ of
at Wicken;
fen at Woodwalton, and that’s where I’m walking
pioneering
ecologists Sir
today with Henry Stanier, Great Fen Monitoring
Arthur Tansley and and Research Officer. “We call the Fens the big
Sir Harry Goodwin blue,” he says, as we set off down a long straight path
worked here; and through the tall grasses. “People love mountains
nature writers like and hills but they can be exhausting, and you don’t
Roger Deakin, get the big sky with marvellous sunsets and clouds.”
Richard Mabey, “This was the last wilderness in England,”
Robert Macfarlane Henry explains. “Lots of people tried to tame it
and Helen – the Romans, the Fen Adventurers of the 17th
Macdonald have all
century, and then the Wells family came and
made the flatlands
of East Anglia
mechanised the draining in the 19th century
home. which changed everything.”
The Fens’ winding waterways were straightened
to a grid of dykes and lodes channelling water to
 NET WORTH the sea, the peat bogs dried out and were turned to
Even out butterfly agricultural field, and the largest lake in lowland
hunting Rothschild England disappeared. “Whittlesea Mere wouldn’t
would have been have had defined banks like we think of lakes now,”
‘immaculately
dressed’ says Henry.
says Henry. “It would have been twice as big in
This picture was winter, with marsh and reeds, and the landscape
taken in 1907, the would have been used sustainably by locals for
year he got married. hunting, fishing and grazing. Some were so angry
with the changes they formed the Fen Tigers and
tried to break the drainage machines.”
Rothschild’s plan was to pass Woodwalton
Fen to the National Trust but they, somewhat and in 1911 built himself a wooden bungalow –
infamously, refused to take it, arguing upkeep was reminiscent of an African safari lodge – for
too expensive and it ‘was of interest only to the weekend expeditions looking for butterflies and
naturalist’. Charles kept it as a private reserve moths. Some 900 different species can be found
here and as if on cue, a rare purple emperor flits
over the thatched roof and down to the grass at
our feet. Lepidopterists know this elusive insect
as His Majesty. The male’s dark brown wings
turn a regal purple when sunshine hits the scales
just so, but its appetite is less refined, as it eats
rotting carrion and carnivore faeces for salts and
minerals. Some enthusiastic entomologists bring
fish paste or dirty nappies to tempt the emperors
down from the treetops.
The bungalow was built on stilts to cope with
fluctuating water levels and Henry points to a pile
marked with the height and date of different floods
from 1947 to December 2020. He then moves to the
next pile which shows the soil surface level when it
was built; a line that is now about two feet above
the ground. “As the peat dries out, it breaks down,”
says Henry. “You can also get something called Fen
blow, which is like a sandstorm of dried peat.” Peat
forms very slowly at about one millimetre a year,
or a metre a millennium: “Thousands of years of
history are getting blown away.”

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
The Butterfly Effect
Hunting butterflies helped Charles Rothschild
meet his wife and find a home. He first
encountered Rózsika Edle von Wertheimstein,
Hungarian aristocrat and champion
lawn tennis player, on an
entomological expedition to
the Carpathian Mountains.
They wed in 1907 and had
four children, naming the
youngest Pannonica
after a rare moth. While
chasing butterflies in the
Northamptonshire countryside
Charles stumbled across an abandoned
Elizabethan manor at Ashton Wold near
Oundle; on enquiring about its owner he was
told it belonged to a family who rarely had the
need to sell property. That family turned out to
be his own, and Charles went on to rebuild the
estate and manage it for wildlife, particularly
butterflies, and his daughter Miriam named
the pretty pub on the green in Ashton, The
Chequered Skipper, after the species pictured.
WALK HERE: Find a route from Oundle via
Ashton at walk1000miles.co.uk/bonusroutes.
You can also stay on the Rothschild estate at
Ashton: ashtonestatecountryholidays.co.uk
t BUG LIFE
Henry is an expert
on dragonflies, and
he explains how
their wings get
scratched by flying
through reeds:
“It etches them
like scratches on
old glass.”
Rothschild’s List
The distinctive blue envelopes of the Rothschild
Bank usually carried information about securities
and bonds, but in 1913 they were flying about the
British Isles on a very different mission. In the
summer of 1912, Charles had convened a meeting
at London’s Natural History Museum to establish
a new organisation to forward his conservation
vision: The Society for the Promotion of Nature
Reserves. An article in The Times set out its aim to
find areas of Britain which ‘retain their primitive
conditions and contain rare and local species liable
to extinction owing to building, drainage and
disafforestation or the cupidity of collectors’. (An
adjacent advert selling ‘Furs for Xmas gifts’ maybe
reinforced the pressing need for wildlife protection.)
 HIGH TIME
Questionnaires were stuffed in envelopes and instance,’ she wrote. She also warned that the
Rothschild built
sent to society members and local natural history landowner was ‘a man of a rather nasty temper’. his bungalow at
groups, and suggestions for sites ‘worthy of Who owned a site was crucial, as it was the SPNR’s Woodwalton on
preservation’ invited from the public. Many intention to buy up the best as reserves and donate stilts to keep it
responses bubbled with enthusiasm: Lucy Tate of them to the National Trust. above the floods.
Dawlish submitted a 19-page document about a tiny Scouting for sites wasn’t easy after war broke One of the posts
(above) is marked
site at Crundale Bank in Kent. ‘I have seen people out in 1914: people tooling about the countryside
with water levels
coming away from the woods in the district with were more likely to be taken for spies than keen of different years.
literally armfulls not handfulls of fly orchids for conservationists. But they persisted nonetheless. u

NATURE
DESIGNATION
Woodwalton Fen is
a National Nature
Reserve, Site of
Special Scientific
Interest, Special
Area of Conservation
and a Ramsar Site.
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK
By 1915, the SPNR had compiled a list of 284 sites “Many of today’s National Nature Reserves were  R ARE BEAUT Y
across the British Isles from the ‘fine mountain on that original list,’ says Henry. It’s an impressive Clockwise from
cliffs’ of Ben Hope in the far north of Scotland to the testament to Rothschild’s vision, but there was loss top left: This
single reserve at
sand-dunes of Braunton Burrows in Devon, from as well as hope. 88% of the sites on the list are
Woodwalton is a
Brandon Mountain in County Kerry to Tregaron now designated SSSI, NNR or Special Area of haven for some
Bog in Cardiganshire to the shingle spit of Orford Conservation (SAC), but others were ploughed up, very precious
Ness in Suffolk. They were a testament to the tarmacked over, turned to conifer plantation. wildlife: purple
extraordinary diversity of this nation’s habitats And some of the protected sites are only a ghost emperor butterflies,
and if you wanted to know where to walk to see the of what they once were, like Northamptonshire’s fen violets, marsh
harriers and great
best of British wildlife, this was your ticklist. Harlestone Heath where all that remains of a crested newts:
The findings were bound and presented to the rare acid heath is a thin strip left as a fire break “The orange and
Board of Agriculture. And nothing happened. beside a railway line. A government report in black markings
1947 declared it ‘a depressing exercise to examine on their stomachs
the Rothschild list of 1915 in the light of those are all different,”
Profit and loss same sites only 30 years later. Some have been says Henry. “Like
a fingerprint.”
“The society never intended to own nature reserves,” irreparably destroyed, others are well on the way
says Henry, as we continue our walk through the to destruction, and more have so declined that they
lush paths of Woodwalton Fen. “The goal was to can no longer be rated as of outstanding national
promote the idea.” But frustrated by inaction, importance.’ It’s a reminder how fast these special
Rothschild donated this site to his own nascent places can slip away. u
organisation in 1919 – an organisation that went on
to become the Society for the Promotion of Nature
Conservation in the 1970s, the Royal Society of
Nature Conservation in the 1980s and then The
PHOTO: ROTHSCHILD ARCHIVE
Wildlife Trusts in the 1990s,

an umbrella organisation of Which means
there’s almost
46 local trusts who now
certainly one near
own or care for more than you – find out
2300 reserves across the UK. more at wildlife
There was – eventually – trusts.org/visit
government action too. The
nation in 1915 had been preoccupied with the
urgent needs of war, but it was at the height of the
next world war 25 years later that Rothschild’s List
was resurrected. A few years on, the National Parks
Act 1949 established powers to declare National
Nature Reserves (NNR), Sites of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSI) and local nature reserves (LNR).

There was tragic personal loss too. Rothschild The project is being delivered by the Wildlife
struggled with his mental health for many years, as Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and
well as chronic encephalitis, and in 1917 he had a Northamptonshire, and its partners, and over 55%
nervous breakdown. “I think people often try and of the land has already been purchased. It has just
connect with nature for mental health reasons,” won a Heritage Horizon Award of more than £8
PHOTO: RSWT
says Henry, and the benefits of green spaces for million to help fund the next stage. “You can tell
people as well as wildlife are now well understood. which land we own,” says Henry. “It’s grass, rather
But on 12th October 1923, Charles took his own life. than a crop. We seed it with a special mix, most
 BANK from local sources. That’s the first step. The second
HOLIDAY
Above: Rothschild The Great Fen is to control the water level. It was really wet this
spring and we had redshanks, lapwings, shelduck
never missed a Almost a century later his legacy lives on. It seems and whimbrels on what used to be fields.”
working day at
fitting that his Woodwalton Fen is now a Working with local farmers is crucial. “This is
the bank, but
Woodwalton Fen cornerstone of one of The Wildlife Trusts’ most valuable agricultural land at the moment,” Henry
(top) was a frequent ambitious projects. Henry and I climb up onto a explains, “but it will eventually be some of the worst
weekend retreat. raised bank at the fen’s western edge to look around. if it dries out further. We’re talking to farmers about
It looks much the On the northern skyline a crowd of birches indicate commercial crops that grow more easily in wet
same today, except a another reserve at Holme Fen – home to the lowest ground like comfrey, cuckoo flower, reed, bulrush
little more wooded.
point in England at nine feet below sea-level – and and sphagnum moss which can be used for things
the goal is to buy and restore the agricultural land like dressings. We don’t currently grow enough
that lies between the two and reconnect moss in this country for our needs.”
them into one Great Fen. Henry Henry’s enthusiasm for this
turns and points to the south Rothschild reserve, and the
where the land starts to charity Charles created, is
rise ever so slightly. clear. In the 1990s he
 IN THE BLUE “Those are the uplands of volunteered at the Rothschild
The original Huntingdonshire,” he says estate at Ashton Wold, half
submissions to with a smile. “The massif if an hour west of here, before
the Rothschild’s you like. Some of it is within starting with The Wildlife
List have now the Great Fen area which Trusts. “There was a
been digitised –
will be an incredible mosaic dragonfly museum in
PHOTO: RSWT
see wildlifetrusts.
org/about-us/ of habitats – bluebell Ashton’s old watermill and I
rothschilds- woodland, wetland, used to volunteer. We served
list#archive meadow, heath.” teas there, and I remember

PHOTO: RSWT
drinking Appletiser and eating the out-of-date

crisps after work. That’s what got me volunteering:
wildlife and free food.”
We talk about climate change and the ongoing
challenges facing wildlife in Britain, but Henry
thinks there is room for optimism. “When I was
growing up talking to naturalists it was all about
what you would have seen 10 years ago. It was quite
depressing to realise what species had gone. But
now they’re coming back. Red kites are back, with
some help; buzzards without help. And the heron
family is interesting – little and great white egrets
were here before and now they’re recolonising. It’s
nice to see things here. Things are improving.”
“ This was the Plan your trip

last wilderness WALK HERE
Find information about trails at Woodwalton
in England… Fen at greatfen.org.uk/woodwalton-fen or turn to
Walk 13 in this issue for a route at Wicken Fen.
9000 different Or try the 39-mile Rothschild Way which links the
species can two reserves at greatfen.org.uk/explore/walks-

trails/rothschild-way
be found here. ” i MORE INFORMATION
Discover more about The Wildlife Trusts at
wildlifetrusts.org, which has details of thousands
of nature reserves around the UK, a fascinating
section on the Rothschild List, and how you can
join 850,000 members in supporting their work.
There’s also a fascinating book, Wildlife In Trust by
S CASING THE JOINT
Tim Sands, about the charity’s first hundred years.
The exuviae of two dragonflies, left behind as they transform from larvae to adult.

Is there a
rainforest
PHOTOS: GUY SHRUBSOLE
near you?
Join the quest to find, preserve and expand the
remains of Britain’s ancient temperate rainforests…
 RAINFORESTRY T’S TRUE: BRITAIN has rainforests. Not in entranced by the fragments of temperate rainforest
COMMISSION the tropical sense; not thousands of miles of he found after moving to Devon last year. Discovering
Guy Shrubsole dense, humid foliage populated by macaws that similar remnants could be found all the way up
launched The Lost
Rainforests of
and anteaters. What we’ve got is temperate the Atlantic side of the country, he set up the blog
Britain to create the rainforest: ancient woodland that thrives on Lost Rainforests of Britain. In it, he asked the nation
first-ever map of the cocktail of rainfall and warm air brought to our to seek them out, photograph them, and help to
Britain’s fragmentary western shores by the Gulf Stream. build the first comprehensive map of our temperate
temperate rainforest. Today it only exists in pockets and fragments; rainforest. The response has been staggering; his
most of it has been lost to 4000 years of felling and map now includes hundreds of sites from Marazion
Inset: The Dart
Valley Nature grazing stretching back to the Bronze Age. But prior in Cornwall to the Ariundle oakwoods of north-
Reserve contains a to that, most of western Britain would have been west Scotland.
prime example of a swathed in rich, damp, sparkling rainforest. “I thought maybe I’d hear from a few enthusiasts,
rainforest fragment. And writer and activist Guy Shrubsole hopes but I was overwhelmed,” says Guy.
we can bring some of it back. Already well-known “I’m still going through photos now!”
as the author of the astonishing book Who Owns So what does a lost rainforest look like?
England? (which reveals the true scale of private Generally it occurs in pockets of high, exposed,
land ownership across the country), Guy became ancient, damp woodland, mostly in western coastal

WILD PEOPLE The Rainforest Chaser
areas and uplands. The giveaway is the presence of

epiphytes, or as Guy puts it, “plants growing on top
of other plants”: ferns, mosses and lichens which
have no root on the ground, but instead colonise the
boughs and branches of trees, because the trees are
so rich in moisture that they can sustain the plants
through their entire life cycle.
The best-known example is Wistman’s Wood
on Dartmoor, an ancient oakwood perched on the
western slopes of Longaford Tor near Princetown.
PHOTO: ASC PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY-

But there are many, many others.
“One of the best examples I’ve seen is Lustleigh
Cleave, on the eastern edge of Dartmoor, because If you’re a
it’s a temperate rainforest that is actually Country Walking+
regenerating,” says Guy. subscriber, you’ll find a
“If you look at photos of it in the Seventies specially recorded version
it looks more like savanna: open and almost of our chat with Guy
dropping into your email
treeless, because it had been continually grazed
inbox soon.
for a few thousand years. What’s changed is that
the common graziers decided not to exercise their fragments on their land and are interested in helping
right, because for many it wasn’t economical any them to expand.
more. Instead they access subsidies for looking Site of “I think it would send a signal to the rest of the
after it as a SSSI. And I thought that was really Special Scientific world if we did this,” Guy adds.
interesting. If it could happen on a common on Interest. “It says, ‘look, here’s a wealthy nation that has
Dartmoor, it could happen anywhere, couldn’t it?” depleted its nature and destroyed a lot of the
So Guy’s quest isn’t just to build a picture of our habitats that it once had; our bad – but now we’re
rainforest fragments, but to protect and grow them. going to start to restore them’.”
“Yes, it’s wonderful to visit these places, and For now, Guy is looking forward to some epic road
people are clearly loving going for walks to find areas trips to some of the most promising areas he’s been
that they think might be temperate rainforest,” shown by his army of contributors.
says Guy. He’s also starting work on a book about the project,
“And it’s a wonderful way of connecting to due to be published next year.
ancientness. But the broader point is to see if we “I’ve still got a lot of photos to go through and
can allow a few more of them to regenerate and people to get back to,” he says.
spread once again, just like Lustleigh Cleave.” “But I can’t wait to take it to the next stage.”
The dream of course requires co-operation:  BACK FROM
farmers, landowners, local authorities, conservation THE BRINK At lostrainforestsofbritain.org you can:
bodies and national parks would all have to be on The rainforest Find full details of the project
pockets in Lustleigh
board, and funding to encourage the restriction of Learn how to spot a rainforest fragment
Cleave in Devon are
grazing will be key. regenerating after Submit photos and reports of possible sites
But promisingly, Guy is already hearing from commoners reduced View the map so far
landowners who suspect they have rainforest grazing on the site. Plan visits to scores of sites across the country
SIGNS OF A RAINFOREST The power of the Jay

Guy’s website offers plenty of Restricting grazing around a rainforest fragment is
resources to help you identify a the key to helping it grow. But it’s not just about
temperate rainforest fragment. keeping sheep and cattle away from the actual
But there are a few key trees. The exclusion zone needs
epiphytes to look out for to extend at least 200
PHOTO: GUY SHRUBSOLE
that are instant giveaways. metres beyond the

Polypody ferns have pimply, perimeter, to allow a
spore-bearing organs on the very specific bird to
underside, and get their name help out.
(meaning many-footed) from “Jays are vital in
the creeping movement of their allowing oakwood
stem systems. to spread,” says Guy.
And Guy’s personal favourite “They carry acorns
is tree lungwort. “It’s a huge over long distances, 150
PHOTO: FRANK HECKER/ALAMY-
lichen that looks like dragon metres or more, then drop

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
scales. It got its name because them. The acorns become oak
medieval herbalists thought it saplings, but they will fail if they are
looked like the interior of a lung then nibbled by sheep and cattle.
and was good for treating “So if you create a wide buffer zone where
respiratory diseases. It probably grazing doesn’t happen, you will see the wood grow
isn’t. Looks great, though.” in size very quickly, and it’s often thanks to the jays.”

Starring a fish out of water,
a flesh-eating plant and a bug
that flies backwards...
WORDS: TOM BAILEY
1 BRITAIN’S LARGEST LAND MAMMAL

There is nothing like the a while. The stags’ roaring bellows
spectacle of a red deer stag in full- drift on the wind, along with a rather
antlered glory to make you realise we musky scent which they spread around
have some very special animals on our their skins by wallowing in mud. Then
tiny island. Cervus elaphus is Britain’s antler cracks against antler, a very
largest land mammal: a stag can reach specific sound that has echoed down
4½ feet at the shoulder; its antlers can the glens for millennia. The battle
PHOTO: JOHN MORGAN/ALAMY-
account for at least another two feet. determines who will mate with the
Red deer are numerous in Scotland, herd of hinds – the old defender or the
with scattered populations in the rest younger foe. If you thought we didn’t
of the country including Norfolk, the have any large, exciting animals then
Lake District, Exmoor and the New think again – and keep your distance.
Forest. See stags fighting during the
autumn rut and you won’t forget it in

DISCOVER Wildlife Marvels
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
2 A FISH THAT CROSSES LAND
Take a walk by a river on a wet spending up to 30 years in our rivers,
night and you might be surprised to see feeding on snails, crayfish, tadpoles
a long, smooth fish moving through the and fish eggs. When they’re ready to
grass. Eels can travel across land, breed they turn silver and return across
moving from one water body to another all those miles to the Sargasso Sea to
through the darkness. A lover of slow- spawn. Oblivion awaits: once they’ve
flowing lowland rivers and fens, the fulfilled their life’s task, they die where
life-cycle of Anguilla anguilla is a they were born. For thousands of years
fascinating one. It all starts 3000 miles eels have been an important food source
away in the Sargasso Sea where eggs are for us, and wicker eel traps dating back
fertilised and hatch into larvae that into prehistory have been found buried
float and drift across the Atlantic, in ancient river silts. In the 1800s eels
developing into glass eels and heading as long as five feet and as heavy as 20lb
for freshwater once they reach Britain’s were captured; numbers have recently
estuaries. Here they grow into dropped drastically though, and they
adolescent elvers, and then adults, are now an endangered species.
3 EMPEROR OF
AIR AND WATER
Along canals and by lakes between
June and August you might just
bump into an emperor. Emperor
dragonfly, that is. With a four-inch
PHOTO: MARTIN FOWLER/ALAMY-
wingspan, this is Britain’s largest

dragonfly, and most common in
southern England and Wales. Males
are pale blue, females greener,
but both can be identified by a
continuous black stripe down the
back. Males are extremely territorial,
waging fierce midair battle and
sometimes tearing sections of wing predators, catching tadpoles by
off each other. All emperors are shooting out a hooked lip. In early
skilled aviators able to fly as fast as summer, the larva will crawl up a
30mph, as well as sideways and reed stem and emerge as a winged
even backwards as they hunt insects adult from the shell of its former
and other smaller dragonfly species. self: you can sometimes spot the
The first two years of an emperor’s exquisitely detailed exuvia left on a
life are spent underwater as a stalk. Just a few weeks of life await
nymph, but even here they are top Anax imperator, but what freedom.

4 THE OLDEST TREES
In Perthshire, right at the
geographical heart of Scotland, there’s
a village called Fortingall, and in the
corner of its churchyard is a ring of
ancient yew trunks. In fact, they are the
remnants of a single tree, whose heart
wood rotted away long ago. Its age?
Somewhere in the region of 2000 and
3000 years, although some say it could
be as much as 9000 years old. And it’s
now starting to change sex. The main
tree is male, but one outer branch has
recently started to produce berries,
which is a trait of the female yew. Over
500 churches in Britain have yew trees
in their grounds: some pre-date the
church buildings and were thought to
be sites of pagan worship. Yews were
thought to help protect and purify the
dead, yet every part of Taxus baccata
except the aril (the red fleshy part of the
berry) is highly toxic. In fact 50 grams of
yew needles is enough to poison an adult
and there have been many murders in
“ Its age? Somewhere
in the region of 2000 and
history where yew was the chosen toxin.
A lover of limestone soils, yews are 3000 years, although some
widespread through the south and east say it could be as much
”
of England, with a few cropping up in
mountainous areas. A mature specimen as 9000 years old.
can reach a height of 65 feet.
PHOTO: STEPHAN MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY-
5 THE VENOMOUS SERPENT

The adder, on the face of it, snakes are identified by a dark zig- 10 years and the females, larger
should be considered one of Britain’s zag down the spine and a V-shape and more faintly-patterned than the
most dangerous creatures: its bite on the head and are present all over males, breed every two years. Mice,
can kill a human. In reality, they tend mainland Britain. As cold-blooded shrews and voles are favourite prey:
to shyness and prefer to slither away reptiles they need to warm their the snake is perfectly sized and
long before we see them, and the bodies with energy from the sun and shaped to hunt these rodents out
last fatality was in 1975 (although any can most often be spotted basking, of their tunnels, injecting them with
bite is serious and hospital treatment sometimes on the open ground of venom from hollow fangs which they
should be sought). These handsome a footpath. Vipera berus can live to then fold back to swallow their catch.

DISCOVER Wildlife Marvels
PHOTO: © CHRIS GRADY/ALAMY-

BRITAIN’S
7 GREATEST
TRAVELLER
The Arctic tern is a bird that
chases summer from one pole
to the other, flying a staggering
55,000 miles every year. In April
they fly north to breed; in August
they return south to Antarctica,
clocking up two summers and
eight months in perpetual
daylight. About 53,000 pairs
nest on the coasts of Scotland
and a few places south of the
border like Anglesey and the
Farne Islands, but their main
breeding grounds are up in the
Arctic – as the name suggests.
These beautiful white birds with
black caps and tail streamers are
also known as sea swallows, and
you might also spot them on
migration at inland reservoirs and
lakes, where you can distinguish
PHOTO: EDWARD PARKER/ALAMY-
them from the common tern by

their all red bill (common terns
have a black tip to their beak).
And these Sterna paradisaea can
live up to 30 years, covering
more than 1½ million miles on
those fragile wings.
6 THE FLESH-EATING PLANTS

Just like something out of nodules – or bladders – on their
Little Shop of Horrors, there are plants submerged stems that open and close
in this country that like to eat animals. in a fraction of a second to trap whatever
Admittedly, the creatures they munch is swimming by. Butterworts (flower
are very small insects and other pictured right) look like pale green
invertebrates, but it’s nice to know we starfish, and secrete a sticky substance
have flora to rival the Venus fly trap. from their leaves to trap prey, while
There are three families of sundews have hair-like tendrils with
carnivorous plant in Britain: sundews, droplets at the end that glisten like dew.
PHOTO: TBKMEDIA.DE/ALAMY-
bladderworts and butterworts. And Insects are lured in, get stuck, and the
why do they eat insects? Typically these leaf slowly curls up to digest the dying
species grow on damp, peaty uplands, bug. And there’s no tricking these
in acid-rich environments that are low plants. Charles Darwin experimented
in nutrients, so the plants trap and with feeding them steak, cheese and
ingest bugs to supplement their diet. pebbles, and found they only react to
Bladderworts live in water, with ones they can digest.

How three women
saved millions of birds
and founded Britain’s
biggest nature charity
– whose reserves are
PHOTO: CHRONICLE/ALAMY
a joy to walk wide-
PHOTOS: RSPB
eyed among.
N THE BREEDING season, male egrets

grow snow-white, gossamer-delicate
feathers to tempt the lady birds. But in
Victorian Britain you’d have been more
likely to see the display on a woman’s head
on Bond Street than on a living bird in the wild.
Between 1870 and 1920, feathery hats were all the
rage and the bigger the better: they could be two
feet wide, and just as tall. Some even sported
tableaus featuring entire taxidermied birds,
perhaps mounted on springy wire to mimic natural
movement. Exotic birds of paradise, hummingbirds,
lyre birds and quetzals were prized, as were native
British species like the kittiwake, with its striking
black-tipped wings.
It was a brutal trade, both in scale and detail.
At its height, it’s estimated 200 million birds were
killed globally each year. The striking rusty-brown
ruff of the great crested grebe saw it hunted from
a common sight down to 32 pairs in Britain in just
nine years. Feathers could fetch $80 an ounce, five
times the price of gold, and the trade in this country
alone was worth £20 million – £2.5 billion in
today’s money. Some birds had their wings torn
off while still alive, and hunting often happened
during the breeding season to catch plumage at its
most striking, leaving eggs and chicks to perish
with no parents.
But three women were having none of it. Unable
to join the male-only British Ornithological Society
PHOTO: MINDEN PICTURES/ALAMY-
and unable to persuade them to do anything about

the trade in birds, Emily Williamson founded
The Plumage League in Didsbury, Manchester,
in 1889, while Eliza Phillips and Etta Lemon set
up the Fur, Fin and Feather Folk in Croydon.
Both organisations only permitted women to join
and in 1891 they merged to form the Society for the
Protection of Birds.

DISCOVER The Founders of the RSPB
Eyes to the skies

Five of Britain’s most beautiful birds to look for on a walk (not on a hat)
EGRET
Britain has a disputed history with
the little egret; some think it was
here centuries ago, even featuring
PHOTO: WIKICOMMONS
as part of the feast at Henry V’s

coronation in 1413, while others think
it a new arrival moving northwards
from mainland Europe as the climate
changes. Either way, numbers of this pretty white heron are now on the rise,
particularly in the south and east of England, with sightings of the great
white egret increasing too. Both species grow the delicate breeding
plumage that made them so prized by milliners – look for it in spring.
The mission was simple. ‘Members shall
discourage the wanton destruction of Birds, and
GREAT CRESTED GREBE
interest themselves generally in their protection... These waterbirds faced a double
Lady-Members shall refrain from wearing the threat: their feathers were sought
feathers of any bird not killed for purposes of food, for hats and their soft skin as an
the ostrich only excepted.’ Volunteers wrote to ladies alternative to mammal fur in muffs
seen wearing feathered hats – a practice Lemon and boas. Brought to the brink of
started as a girl in church when she penned letters national extinction, they can now
to women of the congregation to educate them about be seen again on larger lakes and
‘murderous millinery’. The women talked to reservoirs (they need a long run-up to get airborne) and around the coast in
winter. Their courting ritual is famously elaborate, as they meet face to face,
owners and managers of shops, and they recruited
fluffing their crests and shaking their heads at each other, before diving for
the rich and famous to their campaign, including
PHOTOS: BLICKWINKEL/ALAMY-; MINDEN PICTURES/ALAMY-; ALANTOOKTHIS/ALAMY-; ROBIN CHITTENDEN/ALAMY-; ANTHONY P MORRIS, FARMOOR/ALAMY-
weed and rearing up vertically like mirror-image synchronised swimmers.
Margaret, Lady Brooke, Ranee of Sarawak and
Winifred Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of KINGFISHER
Portland who became the first president of the No British bird has more colourful
SPB (which gained its Royal Charter to become plumage than the kingfisher, and few
the RSPB in 1904). They even campaigned against are more elusive: most sightings are
berries on hats, emphasising the need to preserve a vanishing streak of blue as they
birds’ winter food sources. In 1921, after decades flash past. In fact, listening is the
of pressure, The Plumage Act was passed by best way to spot one as they pipe
a sharp chee in flight. If you’re lucky
parliament, prohibiting the import of bird skins.
enough to see one perched on a branch ready to dive for fish, you can
But there’s still a lot of money in plumage. In
study the two-tone electric hues of its back and the bright copper of its
2009, the Natural History Museum at Tring (see breast. Drawn to slow-flowing rivers, lakes, canals and even coasts in winter,
p58) was the scene of a million dollar feather heist, they’re found across much of Britain, although less commonly in Scotland.
when a man called Edwin Rist broke in and stole
299 rare bird skins – quetzals, cotingas and birds KITTIWAKE
of paradise, some of which had been collected by These little gulls spend the winters
the eminent 19th-century biologist Alfred Russel out at sea before heading to airy
Wallace. Rist stuffed them into a suitcase and ledges on cliffs around Britain to
dragged it down to Tring station to wait anxiously breed. Hundreds of thousands nest
here between February and August
for his getaway vehicle: the morning train to
and the sound of their distinctive
London. He was later caught selling them into
kitti-wake calls can be cacophonous.
‘the feather underground’ of salmon fly-tyers – Silver-grey on the back and white underneath, their wing-tips look as if
enthusiasts keen for exotic plumes to create angling they’ve been dipped in black ink. Now protected from feather hunters,
flies to historic ‘recipes’ – thus foiling Rist’s plan to its populations are still in decline in some places – it’s thought because of
raise enough money to buy himself a golden flute. a lack of the sandeels they eat, or possibly by predation by great skuas.
MORE INFO: Discover all about the RSPB’s PHEASANT

current work and find a reserve to walk near you Spotting one of these can be a heart-
at rspb.org.uk pounding experience as they like to
erupt in a croaking whirl of wings
from the undergrowth. The female is
a speckled buff, but the male wears
jewel tones of red, green, chestnut.
The species is native to Asia, but is
now bred here as a game bird: 30 million are raised in captivity each year
and released for shooting. The sport is a double-edged sword for native
wildlife: it’s led to the protection of woodland habitats pheasants prefer, but
also to persecution of its potential predators like foxes and birds of prey.

Pretty
Carneddau
ALL Sharing a hillside

THE with some of the
horses
300 ponies which
roam free in the
Carneddau mountains
of Snowdonia is a
magical experience.
WORDS & PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY

DISCOVER Snowdonia’s Wild Ponies
SHIELD-WALL OF RAIN moves

across the hill with an unfaltering
pace: not fast, not slow, just wet.
The yellowing grasses and still-
green rushes of the valley floor
bend away from it, as the last
minute rush of air that bad weather brings
whispers threats to all living things. Clad in
waterproofs, I crouch down, back to the wall, and
await the inevitable soaking. Thirty feet away,
a mare and foal, half hidden in the vegetation,
instinctively turn their hind quarters towards
the hill-blown rain and drop their heads. Then, we
are nothing. That wall breaks over us with a soft,
insistent weight. Everything – the mountains,
ponies, even my own sense of self – is somehow
lost. Welcome to the world of Snowdonia’s
Carneddau ponies. them beading water droplets in a mesmerisingly ▲ UPLAND
Ten minutes is not very long in mountain time tactile way. Each sphere of moisture sparkles with ARCHITECTS
and I’m not sure it means much to one of these an inverted reflection of the sky. A half-hearted The ponies’ grazing
and trampling
ponies either. These ancient warriors can claim flick of a tail sends a fine spray of raindrops finally keeps the gorse
a lineage back to the Bronze Age and have been to the ground. Everything is saturated, but in the and bracken down
isolated from their close relatives, the Welsh dull, even light, saturated in colour too. The coats and helps shape
mountain ponies, for several hundred years – long of the ponies echo their surroundings: all is subtle, the mountain
enough to be considered a breed in their own right. everything blends in. It’s a timeless image. landscape, creating
short-grass habitats
Early autumn has urged the Carneddau ponies’ I’ve long been fascinated by the native pony ideal for rare birds
coats to thicken and through binoculars I can see breeds you see in the uplands, encountering them like choughs.
many times over the years in Britain’s more remote
regions. They’re not wild, nor even really feral, but
more free-range. They all have owners and those
owners pretty much know where they are, as they

▲ TAIL OFF graze these wild or common lands. The Carneddau Midlands, Creswell Crags is an upper Paleolithic
During the round ponies are rounded up once a year in November site of human habitation, and in its museum is a
up in November and given a health check, a quick trim of the tail to section of rib from a wild horse. Found in one of
a pony’s tail is
identify them as approved, and then set free in the the caves, it has the head of a horse scored on it
trimmed to show its
passed its annual hills for another year. About 300 of them roam an in the fewest lines possible, capturing its mane
health check. area that spans 77 square miles and rises to heights flowing in the most skilful rendition of movement.
over 3000 feet. When I round the spur of land that separates me
 OLD TIMERS It’s with this knowledge I set out into one of from these Carneddau ponies, it’s this ancient art
Ponies have my favourite mountain ranges, with the hope of I’m reminded of. The similarities are undeniable.
been roaming
Snowdonia’s
seeing some ponies and climbing a few hills and Getting near these ponies requires an off-path
Carneddau since having myself a bit of an adventure. As with all approach to walking. They are instinctively herd
the Bronze Age. expeditions, I don’t know if I’ll succeed but I have animals and there are around eight in this group.
two plans: 1) search from the east and 2) search In the true wild each herd would be lorded over by
from the west. Binoculars help and from a strategic a stallion, and there would be a separate herd of
vantage point in the east I can scan miles of ground bachelor males, all potential competitors come
in minutes. I find some on my first look, a bit lower the breeding season (just like red deer). Here the
down in the hills than I’d hoped, number of stallions is kept low to control the
but still exciting. I just have to population: the Carneddau mountains can only
get to them. support so many before their presence tips from
Walking is always a pleasure, a benefit to the environment to a problem of
but walking towards a herd of overgrazing. During the annual roundup, some
Carneddau ponies in the stallions are kept and sold on, many now grazing
mountains feels different. lowland nature reserves across the country.
It’s like I’ve tapped into part Reduced numbers can affect herd structure, but
of our deeply-buried past, not behaviour. A dominant mare will take the top
that of the Mesolithic horse role, and a large herd will divide into smaller sub-
hunter. Those last hunter- groups with overlapping territories. It’s probably
gatherers were some of the few one of these before me now, as half a mile away
to know the true herding habits I can see another similarly-sized group.
of wild ponies in Britain. Of I approach them slowly and steadily. I keep my
course, it wasn’t an island then, head bowed slightly, eyes looking at the ground.
but an interconnected landmass I’ve seen the film The Horse Whisperer at some
with mainland Europe where stage in the past which clearly makes me an expert,
animals and people could migrate and I know they feel less threatened if approached
at will. Over in the English this way. Once among them I stay still, watching
“towards
Walking is always a pleasure, but walking
a herd of Carneddau ponies in the
mountains – that feels different. It’s like I’ve
tapped into part of our deeply-buried past. ”
their ways. After my initial arrival they are very

accepting, dropping their heads to carry on feeding
which is a sure sign they don’t mind my presence.
At one point I witness some head tossing and
flaring manes; someone has stepped out of line.
It seems to do the trick as the dispute doesn’t
develop into biting or kicking. One behaviour I see
repeatedly is mutual grooming. As well as practical
benefits, it helps strengthen social bonds. Ponies
make a variety of noises. They snort and squeal,
whicker and whinny. The first two are signs of
aggression, the latter two of connection, with a
whicker a low-pitched call between mare and foal,
and the louder, higher-pitched whinny for when a
pony is separated from the herd. during the very worst of the winter. 2013 was a ▲ KING OF
The Carneddau pony is a very attractive, terrible year, when a severely cold spring killed THE HILL
generally small-headed breed, and able to give almost half the population. But they’ve since In 1509 Henry VIII
ordered a cull of all
warning of bad weather approaching – up to 24 bounced back, with numbers slightly higher than ponies too small to
hours ahead if a farmer is observant and has seen before the natural cull. carry a soldier in
them leave the hilltops to shelter in the valleys. What I really want to do is find some ponies up armour; this rugged
In summer, the ponies tend to be found in the high in these mountains, and by high I’m thinking terrain saved the
higher slopes of the range, although during foaling up at 3000 feet. From a recent backpacking trip Carneddau herds.
seasons from May until late July they’ll come I have a hunch where I might find them and next  EYE TO EYE
down off the tops to give birth in lower areas where morning I return in bright sunshine, yesterday’s Ponies have 350°
bracken grows. Come early autumn they’ll have heavy showers an impossible memory. At a remote vision, with small
grown their thick winter coats, but it won’t be car park, I check the immediate hills with my blind spots directly
enough to let them stay in the high mountains binoculars. There’s a mare and its foal on a close ahead and behind.

▲ ANIMAL hillside, presumably a filly that decided to start visible with the naked eye, and only identifiable
MAGNETISM her own group once she’d reached the age of four with binoculars. The climb towards them,
Humans and horses or five. It’ll be quite a while at this rate before 60 minutes of calf-burning, sweat-soaked
can form strong
bonds: terminally
there are many more of them. These two prove urgency, is hard. But I want to sit among these
ill patients in a more cautious, not letting me closer than 200 inhabitants of the mountains and know I’ve
hospital in France feet, and in the early morning September light, crossed their hills to be here. And that’s what
are comforted by they look as wild and untameable as any happens. Once at the lip of the col, the clouds
visits from a horse prehistoric pony. seem to mirror the ponies before me, strung out
called Dr Peyo.
They are a beautiful sight, but my nagging sense in the sky like a straggling herd.
▲ LONG IN of adventure sends me up onto a ridge above and The ponies advance in a slow steady wave of
THE TOOTH a big view of the high mountains. There they grazing, almost in perpetual motion. Just like the
Ponies can grind are, maybe 20 of them, on the saddle between Moon never stops moving across the sky, these
away 2-3mm of Carnedd Llewelyn and Foel Grach. I have to go. creatures know what has to be done and a strange
tooth every year as
they graze, so their
I need to see whether these hardier souls behave man with a camera and notepad isn’t going to
teeth keep growing any differently from the lower tribes. stop them. The wave keeps coming. I sit on my
through most of This is the walk I had in mind: chilling with the rucksack and they just keep munching, some only
their lives. ponies is my focus, but I also want to climb some six feet away, gradually moving forwards. In my
mountains along the way. The Carnedd range quest to get an interesting angle for a picture, I lie
seems huge from where I stand, the ponies just down in the grass. I knew instantly how the poor
defenceless blades of grass feel, as the shaggy
beasts tear them from the ground. From down
Track the pony

IN SNOWDONIA...
Over the last decade I’ve seen the ponies
on most of my visits to the Carneddau: on
the lower slopes of Pen yr Ole Wen above
the Ogwen valley; at the very north of the
range above Conwy; halfway up the sides
of the huge, empty valleys as you walk in
from Bethesda; and, as I did this time,
from the remote car park near Llyn Eigiau
Reservoir above Tal-y-bont at the east of
the mountains, which gives you the most
immersive start to a day spent looking for
ponies. But the wonderful thing is I can’t
tell you where they’ll be: you’ll have to
here, the ponies look more like horses. I look ▲ LIFE find them. There are enough to make it
up from my clickings and realise every pony is AND DEATH an achievable goal but take binoculars,
staring at me; they’ve clearly never seen a human Survival is tough in and most importantly, if the ponies don’t
the high mountains
lie on the ground before. I swear a collective let you near them then take the hint and
even for this hardy
‘What the hell is going on?’ telepathically breed; ponies that leave them in peace. Don’t be offended:
broadcasts among them. The moment flickers die are sometimes some are more used to people than
away as the ponies know I am no threat. Lying left in the hills to others and they do, after all, look best
down I’m relaxed, my breathing, thinking and provide food for from a distance, with the hugeness of the
foxes and raptors as
movements all happening slowly and deliberately. mountains as a backdrop.
part of the upland
The ponies can predict my actions and so I cease ecosystem.
to be of interest. ELSEWHERE...
I know these creatures aren’t truly wild, but  CAUTION Carneddau ponies can also be found on
they don’t know that, and having your presence Be very careful near Cheshire’s Bickerton Hill, introduced by
wild ponies, for your the National Trust for conservation
accepted within nature is one of life’s summits
safety and theirs;
for me. Up on the Carneddau plateau, the low sun some are not used
grazing, and there are other native breeds
backlighting those super-furry animals as they go to people and can to look out for in the British Isles. In the
about their business, only feet from me, makes me be unpredictable. south of England, Dartmoor and Exmoor
feel like I’ve climbed Everest. In the hours, days, ponies roam their eponymous moors,
and weeks that follow, I keep thinking about while the New Forest pony grazes the
them, still out there, day and night, 24/7, come glades of Hampshire. Dale and Fell ponies
rain or shine, and I begin to realise the true herald from the north of England, from
meaning of the word hardy. the east and west slopes of the Pennines
respectively, while the Welsh Mountain
WALK HERE: Turn to Walk 22 in this issue for breed can be spotted in the Brecon
a step-by-step route in the Carneddau. Beacons and out near the Pembrokeshire
Coast too. Ireland has the Connemara
pony, and Scotland the Highland breed,
the rare Eriskay of the Outer Hebrides
and, of course, the diminutive and
often≈rotund Shetland pony, familiar
to many from early riding lessons and
Thelwell cartoons.
MAKE TR ACKS
Prints in the mud
reveal ponies have
walked this way...

A Natural
Obsession
Tales of booby-trapped bulbs in a tumbledown
secret garden make for an irresistible explore.
W O R D S : J E N N Y WA LT E R S PHOTOS : CLIVE DOYLE
LANTS HAVE BEEN fuel for many Willmott’s expertise saw her accepted to the
an obsession. There have been Royal Horticultural Society where she made it
crazes for tulips, orchids, ferns, onto the previously all-male Narcissus Committee.
snowdrops, seaweed, even celery. She was one of the first women permitted to join
And there are people who have the Linnean Society and one of just two to win a
devoted their entire lives to the Victoria Medal of Honour for horticulture in 1897,
wonderful world of botany. the award’s inaugural year. The other
Take Ellen Willmott. In the late 19th century she was Gertrude Jekyll, who called
might be spotted walking the paths of Essex with Willmott ‘the greatest of all living
a knapsack full of muddy plants. She cultivated women gardeners’.
100,000 species from around the world and created Willmott cultivated plants more
a garden at Warley Place near Brentwood which skilfully than she cultivated cash
included an alpine ravine with boulders of though, and her fortune ran out. She
millstone grit brought from the north of England, was forced to sell first her European
a fernery in a glass-roofed cave, and thousands of properties and then her personal
bulbs that bloomed into bright drifts each spring. possessions including jewellery and
That garden is now a nature reserve but, aside a Stradivarius violin. She also had
from some spring bulbs which still flourish, it’s a to let staff go, including Warley’s
very different place from the one Willmott knew. head gardener, James Preece.
Today, the glasshouses are crumbling, and the Rumours flew about her
paths beneath your boots are twined with greenery eccentricity – she booby-trapped
yet in Willmott’s time a single weed would have daffodil bulbs to deter thieves, she
been a sackable offence for one of her gardeners. carried a loaded revolver in her
She employed over 100, all of them men, because handbag, she surreptitiously
‘women would be a disaster in the border’. scattered seeds of Eryngium
Willmott had the money to do it. On her seventh giganteum in other people’s gardens. In fact, this ▲TIME FOR TEA
birthday in 1865 she found a £1000 cheque on her tall sea holly became known as Miss Willmott’s ‘The greatest of
breakfast plate, a gift from her godmother, Helen Ghosts, as their silvery leaves mysteriously all living women
gardeners’ sips a
Tasker, from whom she inherited a vast fortune– appeared long after she had left.
brew of camellias.
in addition to the family home left by her parents. When she died in 1934, Warley Place had to be
She toured Europe buying plants, and estates in sold to pay her outstanding debts. It narrowly BY ANY
France and Italy. She funded botanists on plant- escaped being buried under a housing estate and OTHER NAME . . .
hunting trips to China and the Middle East, and eventually came into the care of the Essex Wildlife (flowers, inset)
more than 50 of the species they discovered were Trust, in a state of terrible disrepair. There’s no Rosa Willmottiae
was just one species
named after her or Warley Place. Here and there intention to fully restore Willmott’s estate, but officially named
you can still spot an exotic specimen among the instead to keep the site’s 25 acres in a balance of after Ellen; this
foxgloves and bluebells at Warley Place, like a wild nature and fascinating horticultural history, sea holly became
Japanese gingko or Chusan palm. like a magical secret garden. known colloquially
as Miss Willmott’s
“life“My
Ghost.
plants and my gardens come before anything in
for me, and all my time is given up to working in A WALK IN
THE PARK
one garden or another, and when it is too dark to see the Now tumbledown,
the gardens at
plants themselves, I read or write about them. ”

Warley Place are
still a gorgeous
place to explore.
ELLEN WILLMOTT

DISCOVER Flower Power
MORE
INFO
Find out more about
walking the reserve at
essexwt.org.uk/
nature-reserves/
warley-place
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
Hacking the
Wood Wide Web
Meet the mycologist on a mission to show us
*SAY IT RIGHT!
that this is fungi’s world – we’re just living in it. Fungi: Say fungee
Hyphae: Say high-fee
UNGI MAKE US react in the strangest undocumented. They mostly lie hidden in Mycorrhiza: Say my-
way: a woozy mix of delight, revulsion the ground in mycelial networks which are kor-RYE-za
and intrigue. Some walkers will normally outside the reach of our unaided senses.
salivate, others feel their stomach They behave in ways we don’t understand and often
churn. Is there any other species can’t predict.  TRUFFLE
that combines beauty, weirdness and danger so “Science is getting better at understanding HUNTER
emotively? Possibly not. fungi*, but there is a very long way to go.” Merlin Sheldrake and
a truffle. Walking is a
We might think of fungi as a seasonal phenomenon, Merlin’s interest was sparked at the age of six, vital part of his work,
a transitory sign of autumn. But in fact, fungi are when he developed a fascination with fungi, and in but he says the best
intimately enmeshed in almost every aspect of particular, their talent for decomposition. thing is getting lost.
biological life on this planet, in every second that “It’s an incredible transformative process; it was “It’s a good sign. It
passes. And no-one is keener for you to know that observably taking place but it was overseen by means you’re there
in the moment,
than Merlin Sheldrake. A Cambridge-educated organisms I couldn’t see,” he recalls. “To me it
and watching the
mycologist, he’s the author of Entangled Life, an seemed like a superpower, and it still does.” ground. Mushroom
eye-opening book which sets out everything He has since spent his life in pursuit of answers. hunters get lost all
science knows about fungi – and reveals just how His journey has taken him from Central America to the time.”
much remains unknown. Canada to Asia, and seen him conduct every form of
“The problem – and the beauty – of fungi is the experiment from ingesting mushroom-derived LSD
mystery that surrounds them,” explains Merlin. to feeding his own book to a colony of mushrooms
“Ninety percent of global fungal species remain – then eating the mushrooms.

WILD PEOPLE The Fungi Genius
He’s cross that fungi are the overlooked child of

the natural world. Despite the fact they pre-date the
plant kingdom (“they were waiting on land when
the first algal species left the oceans, and provided
WONDERFUNGI
the nutrients to nurse plants into existence”), fungi
Just some of the amazing species highlighted
were simply grouped in with plants when it came to in Merlin’s book, Entangled Life.
scientific classification, right up to the late Sixties.
And for centuries, it was presumed that fungi THE ARTISTIC ONE
were little more than parasites. Only in recent Shaggy ink cap mushrooms
decades have scientists discovered that many (Coprinus comatus) are powerful
common species actually exist in collaboration enough to push up through asphalt
with plants. They send out tiny tubes known as and lift paving stones. But leave
hyphae*, which weave into the tips of plant roots at them in a jar for a few days and they
ILLUSTRATION: MERLIN SHELDRAKE

a cellular level then combine to create a mycorrhiza*: will liquefy into ink. The illustrations
a complex, collaborative network which has earned in Merlin’s book were hand-drawn
the nickname of the Wood Wide Web. The web with Coprinus ink, making this
passes nutrients, impulses, even information and picture (right) a self-portrait.
warnings of danger, across multiple species and
over vast areas. THE BIG ONE
And fungi can be really smart. Merlin’s book Nicknamed the Humungous
relates experiments in which fungal tendrils have Fungus, a specimen of Armillaria
found the most efficient route through mazes; some ostoyae in Malheur
fungal-based slime moulds have even ‘followed’ National Forest in Oregon,
maps of Roman roads and the Tokyo subway, USA, is considered to be
mimicking human networks in organic form. the largest living organism
Merlin also believes fungi will play a vital role on Earth by mass, area
in our future. and volume: it’s spread
“There are so many ways fungi can help us, across 3.7 square miles,
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
whether it be fungal medicines, or fungal extracts or 2400 acres. Its network
helping bees to overcome colony collapse disorder, exists almost entirely
or fungal building materials that can replace underground; all you’ll see
plastics,” he explains. on the surface are pockets
“But there are also lots of ways in which fungi of mushrooms like these.
could make things harder for us. For example, as
the global temperature increases, fungal pathogens …AND THE NIGHTMARE ONE
might be able to move into areas where they could The jungle-dwelling Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is known as the
not go before. They could then kill off large areas zombie fungus. Its spores infect a passing carpenter ant, then the
of forest, which could in turn be digested by other fungus entwines itself through the ant’s body and floods its brain
types of fungi, releasing huge amounts of carbon with chemicals, coercing it to climb up the nearest plant stem.
dioxide. Fungi are brilliant opportunists and will Once here, it forces the ant to bite down, securing itself in place,
make the best of the situations they are presented then sprouts a stalk through the ant’s head. This releases
with. We need to think around that.” thousands of spores down onto the ground, perpetuating itself.
Much of Merlin’s book finds him on a quest to
think like a fungus; to anticipate its next move, or
work out where he’ll find a rare species thriving.
He’s also openly in awe of the skill and efficiency
of the mycorrhizal network.
So does he think we’d be in a happier place as a
planet if we could ‘be more fungal’?
“Yes,” is the short answer.
“We can think about the importance of robust,
decentralised networks, and how to build
regenerative systems rather than unsustainable,
disposable systems. And we should use more fungal
PHOTO: OLIVER THOMPSON-HOLMES/ALAMY-
metaphors in everyday life.

“There’s almost no sector
of human life, from global
warming to fashion, where
they don’t have something to
teach us.”
Entangled Life is available

from all good booksellers
for around £9, and is a
phenomenal read.

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Expert advice on the kit that makes a difference
YOUR
COMPLETE
BUYING Rucksacks
GUIDE TO
FOR BIG DAYS
F
OUR
OR MOST OF US, on the
average day walk, a 20-litre
About our reviews WHAT’S THE
TESTERS rucksack is usually more We’ve chosen 12 rucksacks which ‘TARGET
Country Walking than enough. It’ll hold a should be widely available in the UK at PRICE’?
always tests Shop around and
waterproof, a fleece, some the time of going to press. Nick (NH)
products for both you’ll probably find
men and women. food, a drinks bottle, a hot flask, your and Sarah (SR) tested six each; we’ll
the gear we review
Our reviewers poles, a first aid kit and valuables. indicate whether the pack is unisex or on sale for less
Nick Hallissey Why, then, do we need bigger packs? comes in gender-specific versions using than the RRP. Our
and Sarah Ryan Because sometimes we like to do these dots: ). We rate each pack Target Prices are
have notched up the lowest prices
thousands of miles
more, go further, walk for longer. And for comfort (how it feels on the go),
we could find from
on foot, so they that’s where 30-50L packs come in. stability (how it spreads the load),
reputable retailers
know the value They have multiple uses, whether it’s features (such as extra pockets, pole (store-based and
of good kit at the carrying extra layering options for storage, back system) and ventilation online) at the time
right price. This of going to press.
changeable days; carrying a towel for a (how it manages the buildup of heat as
test took them
to the Devon spot of swimming (and stashing soggy you walk). We focus on the pros and
Coast, the Peak swimwear afterwards); or carrying cons of each pack, but we’ve also
District, the kids’ kit and a picnic on a family walk chosen stand-out favourites and one
Lincolnshire Wolds (especially if they’re too little to be that offers the best value for money.
and the Lake
District.
carrying rucksacks of their own).
But the most common usage is on
single-night or two-night long walks
where you’re glamping, hostelling or
staying in a pub or B&B. These packs
will carry at least one change of clothes
and a washbag, on top of everything
you need for the actual walk. (If you’re
full-on camping, with tent, sleeping bag,
stove and food, you’ll need something
bigger, in the 50-60L bracket).
PHOTOGRAPHY: TOM BAILEY
These kinds of mission obviously mean

a heavier load, but the virtue of these
packs is the way they distribute the extra
weight. Pick the right one, and it should
feel just like you’re carrying that good
old 20L day pack you love so much.

Buying Guide 30-50L Rucksacks
ACCESS FIT
Most larger packs close Some packs are sold
with lid rather than a zip. in different back
Many have basement lengths; others have
compartments (often adjustable back
with separate access) systems so you can
which are great for customise the fit
storing overnight kit or yourself. Women’s
soggy things. You may packs are usually
also find zip-entry designed to
from the side, or even a work around
semi-circular zip which broader hips
allows you to open the and narrower
whole front panel for easy shoulders, with
access to the contents. an S-shaped
harness that
helps to avoid
the bust.
CAPACITY
A rucksack’s volume (the space
inside) is measured in litres, and
the capacity is usually included in
the product name, eg Azote 30.
EXTRA STORAGE 30-40 litre capacities are good
Extra pockets make it easier to for family walks or days when
organise your kit. They’re often the weather looks especially
found in the lid, on the front changeable and more layers may
panel and on the hip-belt. Look be needed. 40-45 litre packs are
for hydration system storage great for long-distance walks
and walking pole loops, as well and overnight stays. Some have
as stretchy pockets on the side ‘plus’ capacities (eg 42:47)
which are ideal for a bottle and/ which means the pack has a
or hot flask. You may also find an basic format which can then
open-top stretch pocket on the be expanded for larger loads.
front panel – good for keeping
a fleece or waterproof to hand.
HARNESS
A well-padded hip-belt
and shoulder straps
should spread the
weight of the pack, but
make sure it also offers
ventilation, especially if
the padding is chunky.
The harness may also
include lumbar
support for the lower
back and through
the hip-fins.
BACK SYSTEMS
There’s an immense variety
of back systems on offer.
Padded or channelled panels
sit close to your back but
have ridges or channels to
conduct air and prevent heat
from building up; suspended EVERYTHING
systems use a concave WE KNOW
mesh ‘trampoline’ to ABOUT BUYING,
push the pack away FITTING AND
from you for better LOADING A
ventilation. Find a more RUCKSACK
detailed guide on p90. SEE P90 Turn over to read the tests…
£60-£100
QUECHUA ALPKIT GREGORY

MH500 40L Orion 45 Arrio 30
RRP: £60 Target price: £60 RRP: £65 Target price: £65 RRP: £95 Target price: £79
Instead of male and female versions of Beautifully put together and great value The Arrio is a sleek, streamlined pack
this pack, Quechua have gone for a for money, the Orion is a simple, clean, with a lot of sophistication. The plus
height-based sizing system. Size S for throw-it-all-in-and forget-it kind of pack. points are really good: a cool and
those shorter than 170cm (5ft 7in) and You just get the one main storage space comfortable suspended back system,
L for those 170cm or taller. I’m right in (no divider), plus two huge lid pockets slimline compression straps that never
between and had the L. The hip belt, and two stretchy bottle pockets; no get flappy, and two huge and perfectly
padded and mesh lined, is remarkably flourishes like hip-belt pockets or placed zip pockets on the front panel
comfortable, sitting snugly on the hip easy-access zips. The back system (one swallows a fleece, the other will
bones without chafing. The shoulder is fairly unsophisticated – a central take a pair of z-folding poles), plus
straps on the other hand were a little padded-foam column with air channels single-clip lid closure that’s faff-free.
too wide to feel really secure, and down the side; this does make it a bit There’s acres of storage in the main
rubbed very slightly at my neck. These sweaty on summer climbs, but cuts compartment and in the lid pockets,
are fairly minor quibbles, though, for down on weight and keeps the load and at 828g it packs a lot of features
a bag which is such exceptional value. evenly dispersed. Two annoyances: the into a very light package. What
All the usual features of a premium chest strap is fixed on a daisy chain, so frustrates me are the stubby little
hillwalking pack are here, with a slightly adjusting the height is faffy (why not hip-fins; they’re barely big enough to
elevated mesh back panel allowing air use a simple slider?), and the drawcord help stabilise the load when the pack is
flow while still holding the pack close to for the main compartment is stiff and full, so I find I have to adjust the Arrio on
your body; this is great for stability. It fiddly, even after a lot of use. But there’s the go more than I’d like. On a pack of
also has a multitude of pockets, with the so much to like: the simplicity, the this size and styling, you’d expect to see
two on the side angled for easy access toughness, the low weight, and best a chunky, lumbar-supportive hip-belt
to your water bottle or map on the go. of all the superlight but highly robust with at least one quick-access pocket,
There are more pockets here than I ripstop fabric, which will shrug off rocky so it’s an odd decision. That aside,
quite knew what to do with, but at 40L scrapes and gorse thickets like they it’s an almost perfect pack; if you can
this is also the perfect size for a light didn’t happen. It’s not the cleverest, it’s live without the luxury of a more
weight overnight camp, when all this not the comfiest – but it’s great bang for sophisticated hip-belt, it’ll take you on
extra capacity comes into its own. SR your buck from top to tail. NH longer walks in considerable style. NH
INFO: Weight: 1320g Capacity: 40L Back INFO: Weight: 1034g Capacity: 45L Back INFO: Weight: 828g Capacity: 30L Back
system: Suspended mesh Extra pockets: 9 system: Foam panel Extra pockets: 4 system: Suspended mesh Extra pockets: 6
Contact: 0207 0643 000, decathlon.co.uk Contact: 01773 417007, alpkit.com Contact: No phone; eu.gregorypacks.com
Masses of pockets, front opening, Great value, lightweight but Great features in a light package,
+ great value + robust, no-nonsense + superb front-panel storage
Shoulder harness fit could be Lack of alternative storage, fiddly Tiny hip-fins lack stability and
– improved
– sternum strap and drawcord
– quick-access storage
COMFORT: ★★★★★ COMFORT: ★★★★★ COMFORT: ★★★★★

RATINGS
RATINGS
RATINGS
STABILITY: ★★★★★ STABILITY: ★★★★★ STABILITY: ★★★★★

FEATURES: ★★★★★ FEATURES: ★★★★★ FEATURES: ★★★★★
VENTILATION: ★★★★★ VENTILATION: ★★★★★ VENTILATION: ★★★★★
BEST FOR: Year-round hillwalking, BEST FOR: Walkers who don’t need all BEST FOR: Adventurous day-walks
lightweight camping. bells and whistles (but it has a whistle). where you want a little more kit.

£100-£150
VAUDE MONTANE DEUTER

Jura 32 Azote 30 Trail Pro 34 SL
The strongest aspects of this pack are The Azote has the closest, most Here’s a perfectly built pack for
its low weight and breathable sprung comfortable and secure fit of any of the hillwalking – and especially for long
back system which combine for great packs I tried, and at less than 1kg it’s weekends. Unusually for a day pack, it
comfort. A unisex design is often hard to easily the lightest. I have what you might has a ¾ wraparound zip on the front
get right and I typically find shoulder consider a ‘typical’ woman’s proportions which allows access to everything inside
straps in particular too wide and prone (if there is such a thing), with narrow at once. That’s brilliant on changeable
to slipping off. In this case, with careful waist and shoulders and round hips, days as it gives quick access to the
adjustment, I was able to get a good, and it fit me almost like clothing. The warm layers stuffed at the bottom,
secure fit, and the mesh back panel fit shoulder straps are narrow, lightly without having to drag out everything
so snugly around the hips I could barely padded and contoured to fit a slighter packed on top. I expect this to be even
feel it. Because the pack is held away upper body, with slashes in the foam to more useful in the colder months. There
from the body, it did feel a little unstable aid ventilation. There’s similar padding are loads of other great features too,
at times and wouldn’t be my first choice in the middle of the back, with a robust including a stretchy front pocket that’s
for scrambling, but for a long walk up a mesh-covered rubber frame holding large enough for a waterproof. It comes
high hill, it’s great. The Jura 32 is simple the main weight of the pack slightly in men’s and women’s variants; the SL
in a few ways, with no compression or away from the body, allowing for both (meaning slimline) has fine details like
bottom load carrying straps giving it a stability and breathability – perfect for narrower shoulder straps, anatomic
clean look and lodging it firmly in the my long day on Kinder Scout. The back hip-belt, shorter back length and smaller
category of daypack. There’s no front length is also adjustable, making it buckles. I have quite narrow shoulders
pocket and only one on the hip but, suitable for long and short torsos. There and found this one of the most
unusually, you get four side pockets, are plenty of features; the only let-down comfortable and secure feeling bags on
with the zipped ones tall enough to take is the stretchy front pocket: it closes test. The last big plus is the back system,
a water bottle or OS map. I did find this using a tab that slides into a loop, but which sits close to the body, with foam
a little odd and with a waterproof jacket this doesn’t feel very secure unless the channels allowing for ventilation. This
in the lid and snacks in the hipbelt, pack is full. A minor problem, though, not only means it’s breathable, but
found little use for the stretchy ones. All on an otherwise exceptionally light and because it’s nestled so close, it feels
in all though, a solid hillwalking pack. SR comfortable day pack. SR stable even on airy scrambles. SR
system: Suspended mesh Extra pockets: 6 system: Foam with channels Extra pockets: 7 system: Channelled foam Extra pockets: 7
Contact: 01665 510660, vaude.com Contact: 01670 522 300, montane.com Contact: 091 296 0212, deutergb.co.uk
Clean and simple looks, good Comfort, fit, stability; plenty of Exceptional fit, well thought-out
+ close fit, great ventilation + good features + features, comfort
No front pocket, no variety Front pocket not totally secure On the heavy side
– of back sizes
– –
RATINGS
RATINGS
RATINGS

BEST FOR: Long day-walks, BEST FOR: Day walks in all seasons, BEST FOR: Long weekends with an
especially in hot weather. especially if you want to travel light. overnight stay along the route.

£100-£150
LOWE ALPINE OSPREY SALOMON

Cholatse 42:47 Talon 44 XA 35
This is one of those packs that, from the The Talon (women’s Tempest) has been Here’s a totally different kettle of fish.
moment you pull it on, you know they a mainstay of Osprey’s larger-capacity When did you last try a rucksack that
got it right. Even full to bursting, the ranges for years, and the 44 excels in can roll up in a ball? With no rigid frame
carrying system is so well designed that all the essential areas: comfort, stability, at all and a lattice of thin cord instead of
the load barely troubles me on long, simplicity and storage. Its aim is to help straps, this thing’s like a jellyfish. It’s all
high walks. It comes in two lengths, you carry everything for a multi-day about weight: at 569g, it’s easily the
and on each the back system is easily hike in a pack that’s fairly light (it’s lightest pack in this test. It’s aimed at
adjustable for a perfect fit. Extra 400g lighter than the Lowe Alpine fast hikers and runners, but it could
storage is well placed, strapping is Cholatse, its closest rival in this test), also be good for those with back or
minimal, the front opens suitcase-style and whose flexible frame and height- posture problems who struggle with
for easy access, and you get a firm but adjustable harness will move with you more rigid packs. You can shove heaps
ventilated hug from the lumbar support on tough climbs. And it succeeds. On of stuff in, with no complex back system
and hip-belt. A fine flourish is the firm a full-on overnighter with scrambling, to impinge on storage. You must then
peak that forms the upper edge of the wild swimming and a bivy, I even forgot master the bewildering closure system
front panel; it folds to ensure secure I was carrying it. It does have drawbacks of roll-top plus compression cords, and
closure of the main compartment, then though, especially compared to the the equally weird chest cord. But then
acts as an extra weatherproofing layer Cholatse: there’s no zipped storage you’re off, and quite possibly flying. It
between the lid and the contents. There compartment on the main body of the comes with two squashy bottles which
is one oddity: the zipped internal divider bag, and the hip-belt and lumbar area sit on the harness so you can sip on the
is handy for creating a basement aren’t as huggy or well-ventilated. And go, and there are four more quick-access
compartment (eg for wet stuff or funnily enough it has the other half pockets for GPS, snacks and phone
overnight kit), but once sealed, there’s of the Cholatse’s problem: there’s a (although an iPhone 11 is a squeeze). The
no access from below, so whatever you basement access zip, but no internal bugbear is sweat: the back panel sits on
put in it will be stuck there until you divider to make that access really useful. your back with a full load on the other
unload. That quirk aside, the Cholatse That said, for this price and this weight, side, so sweat does build up. But if you
is secure, stable, adjustable, simple and this is still an overnight light hiking pack hate weight and can get used to all the
comfortable. Damn near perfection. NH that I’d recommend to a friend. NH cord, you may just love the XA 35. NH
system: Mesh/foam panel Extra pockets: 8 system: Mesh/foam panel Extra pockets: 7 system: Suspended mesh Extra pockets: 8
Contact: 0800 808 5392, rab.equipment/uk Contact: 01202 946444, ospreyeurope.com Contact: 0203 510 0639, salomon.com
Comfort, stability, ample storage Stable and comfortable on the go, Incredibly light, loads of capacity,
+ options, great extra features + good features, reasonably light + two compressible water bottles
Heavy; no access to basement Lacks zipped storage on main Pricey, runs hot, cord systems
– compartment when divided
– body; harness lacks support
– take a lot of getting used to

RATINGS
RATINGS
RATINGS

BEST FOR: Overnight stays and long BEST FOR: Same as the Cholatse, but BEST FOR: Walkers valuing speed
winter walks packing lots of kit. for those looking to go a bit lighter. and lightness above all else.

£160-£200 £200+
FJÄLLRÄVEN HELLY HANSEN EXPED

Kaipak 38 Resistor 45L Thunder 50
At 1.8kg, the heft of this pack is ‘Resistor’ is a funny name for a rucksack; If you’re planning something epic like
noticeable even when empty, but for it implies something that wants to fight the Coast to Coast, there are few packs
that you get an extremely durable bag you rather than make life easier. In which better suited than this. At 50L, it nudges
that might well outlast your walking case it’s an appalling name, because this the maximum size you’d want to fill, but
years. Part of the reason for that is the is a very helpful rucksack indeed: has the potential to almost double in
substantial fixed-size back panel, which packed with good features, well built capacity or shrink down to a bulky day
gives firm stability with a little bit of and a breeze to carry. The first thing pack. Instead of the usual clips, the lid
vertical flex for comfort. Another is the I noticed was how cleanly the lid is anchored by a metal hook and loop
quality materials. Made with Fjällräven’s closed over the main body of the pack. system, with daisy chain webbing
G-1000 Heavy Duty Eco fabric, it’s This a) helps keep the interior dry and down either side of the front pocket.
robust enough to stand up to serious b) helps to spread the weight evenly. This, paired with a floating lid (itself
punishment over time. Scrape through Everything is nice and chunky, from containing two massive pockets), allows
a rocky cleft on a scramble, or throw clips and straps to the firm, supportive a range of under or overpacking. The
it down as a temporary seat on wet hip-belt and padded but well-ventilated frame prevents it from shrinking down
ground, and it’ll come back with nothing harness. And it’s always obvious what to the size of a real daypack but does
more than a dusting of dirt. This is not to pull when things need a quick improve stability, which I was grateful
a pack that’s built for speed, rather for adjustment. There’s ample storage too: for on a narrow section of the South
endurance. Its design is clean and huge main bag, big front pocket, two West Coast Path. The webbing also
unfussy, with a zipped front pocket more storage areas in the lid. Lacks a allows you to adjust the side pockets
running the length of the bag and basement compartment or divider, and placement of the compression
a sensible array of other pockets, though, and you may find the single straps. If this sounds complicated, it is
including two net side pockets low back panel lets heat build up. Plus it’s rather, and might be too much for some.
enough to access while wearing, and unisex, so it may not cater brilliantly for One thing I was happy to discover
drawstring toggles to secure loose a women’s fit. Other than that it’s lovely; though, was the zip running around
items. Overall, it’s tough and timeless the only obstacle may be price – Osprey, the front of the pack. When undone, it
enough to become an heirloom piece Deuter and Lowe all offer similar quality allows equal access to everything inside.
– if you ever want to give it away. SR and features for a fair bit less. NH Handy in a hostel or a campsite. SR
system: Channelled foam Extra pockets: 7 system: Ventilated panel Extra pockets: 7 system: Channelled foam Extra pockets: 7
Contact: +46 0854 518 688, fjallraven.co.uk Contact: 0115 896 2388, hellyhansen.com Contact: 01539 624040, exped.com
Robust materials, floating lid, Great weight distribution and Versatile, adjustable capacity,
+ well-placed pockets + support; excellent features + superb storage options
Heavy, small inner lid pocket, Runs a bit warm; expensive Expensive, and all that
– pricey (but built to last)
– – adjustability is complicated

RATINGS
RATINGS
RATINGS

BEST FOR: Overnight trips in hills and BEST FOR: Walkers looking for lots of BEST FOR: Multi-day big walks where
wilderness (eg Scottish wild camps). features in an uncomplicated package. you’re carrying a huge amount of stuff.

THE KNOWLEDGEEverything we know about buying, fitting
and loading a rucksack, in two pages.
First: get measured

Getting your back length measured is Back systems
the surest way of finding the perfect EXPLAINED
pack. Many higher-capacity rucksacks Back systems go by different
come in Small, Medium and Large names but there are essentially
lengths, so knowing your back length three types…
is important. The measurement goes
from the C7 vertebra (the pronounced 1 PADDED FOAM
knobble at the base of your neck) to a The simplest option;
point on your spine halfway between used more often on
the two wings of the iliac crest (the smaller packs. A single
uppermost, outermost bones of your back panel with mesh
hips). A Medium is generally 18-22in, or foam padding,
with Small and Large sitting either side usually with
of those figures. Need help? Osprey’s channels
PackSizer app (pictured inset) does it between the
for you using your phone’s camera. pads to direct hot
air away from your
back. Pros: Maximises
The art of fitting your storage, doesn’t affect your
A good rucksack should transfer balance because the load is close
the weight to your hips and lower to your back, usually cheaper.
back, away from your shoulders. Cons: Not as effective at
1 Start with the hip-belt. Get it

sitting securely and level on your
hips, and close the clip.
ventilation, less stable structure.
2 CHANNELLED
2 Then adjust the harness straps

(left) so the pack sits close as
possible to your torso. If the back
A more sophisticated
option: still a single
panel sitting against your
length is adjustable, you might want back, but with carefully
to alter the length if the harness sits placed ridges and
too high or low. channels to direct
3 Then close the sternum (chest)

strap – this plays a vital role in
keeping the load stable.
airflow. Pros: Good
ventilation without
impinging on storage
space. Cons: Not quite
as well ventilated as
Should I trust the raincover? option 3; heat may still build up.
TOP TIP Most rucksacks aren’t fully waterproof. Instead, most aim
Just like to be shower-resistant, and larger packs usually offer an 3 SUSPENDED
footwear, onboard raincover. This might keep out the worst of the An airy mesh panel sits
rain, but it still won’t make the pack on your back while the
most watertight. If rain is forecast, try lining load is pushed right away
rucksacks the interior with a large dry-bag from you, allowing air to
require a (Sea to Summit, Osprey or Ultimate circulate freely in the
completely Performance) or a rucksack liner, empty space. Pros:
personal which are more likely to keep the The best ventilation.
contents dry. Also check where the Cons: Can affect your
fit, so do raincover is stored (top, middle or centre of gravity;
try before bottom) as it may affect weight reduces storage
you buy. distribution. It’s usually best if space in the pack.
they’re housed at the bottom.

The art of loading TOP TIP

Lay out everything
HEAVY ITEMS
• If using a hydration system,
you’re planning to load
make sure it goes in first.
into your pack the
• Put any heavy items as close to night before and check
your back as possible. it’ll fit in. Here’s how
much we managed to
BULKY MIDWEIGHT ITEMS get into an average
• Put bulky items (plus last-resort
things like waterproof overtrousers
45-litre pack.
and stuff you won’t need on the walk,
like overnight kit) at the bottom.
• Fill upwards and outwards with first
aid kit, hat and gloves, warm layers
and food (in a dry bag).
• Your waterproof jacket can either
sit at the top of the pack, or in an • The outer lid pocket can hold a dry
outer pouch or pocket or where it’s bag of little essentials, eg compass,
even quicker to grab. whistle, head torch, tick remover.
Put valuables (purse/wallet, car
LIGHT ESSENTIALS keys) in the inner lid pocket.
• Water bottle and/or flask can live • Use the hip-belt pockets for phone,
PHOTO: NICK HALLISSEY

in the side pockets. Or you might GPS, pain relief and/or a snack.
choose to store your poles in a side
pocket, secured with compression When it’s full, use the compression
straps (unless the pack has straps to close the pack firmly round
dedicated pole attachments). the contents for maximum stability.
A word on hydration
TOP TIP Open and shut case Most packs offer space and fittings for
You won’t know how We’re increasingly seeing ‘suitcase a hydration system. These are great for
well a rucksack really opening’ on larger rucksacks. on-the-go refreshment, but bear in mind
fits and moves until it’s These long, smile-shaped zips you can’t see how much is left while on
make it easy to access kit that’s the go. And check where the reservoir
full, so when browsing, buried lower down. In theory, any sits within the pack and how it might
take all the stuff you’d zip is vulnerable to rain ingress so affect the weight distribution and
take on a walk and ask the length of these zips may worry storage capacity when full.
to load up the packs some, but we’ve tested them in
you’re trying. wet conditions (with raincovers
on) and can’t report any more
substantial seepage than on
packs without them.
TOP TIP
Too many long straps?
Fill the pack to its
The joy of the hip-belt maximum capacity,
Hip-belts do the really hard work of tighten all the straps
transferring the weight from your back fully, then cut off the
to your hips. Lighter packs use a simple last inch or half-inch of
belt; chunkier packs offer supportive
hip-fins that wrap round your hips as
excess strapping. Then
part of a lumbar support system. It’s
you know you’ve only
nice if the belt includes good-sized got the strapping the
pockets – usually the only ones you pack really needs.
can reach while wearing the pack.

New stuff we love, long-term tests, and stories of much-loved kit…
TESTED OVER TIME INNOVATION OF THE MONTH
VIVOBAREFOOT Spin
Tracker Forest ESC on this
£180 Helinox’s outdoor chair
TESTED BY: Nick Hallissey, range is already terrific,
Deputy Editor but the new Swivel Chair
Vivobarefoot’s range is for (£125) is a particular joy:
those who want to feel the stable, sturdy, compact,
ground beneath their feet – but without these into the woods over the past few and just 1.3kg packed. It’s
feeling vulnerable to it. Their USP is months, I’ve come to understand the been great for picnic and
that ultra-slim sole unit, which feels like liberation and joy they can bring. Over beach walks all summer. Plus you
slippers, puts the soles of your feet muddy, earthy paths they feel great, as get to spin round and say ‘good
within a few millimetres of the earth, yet if you are genuinely part of the land and evening, Mr Bond’ whenever your
somehow offers robust protection too. not a visitor. In woodland, I totally get it. partner/friend/child approaches.
This new model is designed for Sadly, I still can’t think of them as my Never gets old. helinox.eu
woodland walking, and it is beautifully favourite footwear: I miss my underfoot
made. There’s no membrane (which comfort, and the fact they leave me
keeps it breathable), but you can still aching if I take them onto rockier terrain TESTED OVER (A LOT OF) TIME
rely on it in the rain: it’s made with really limits their versatility for me. But
naturally waterproof Wildhide leather here’s cleverness: Vivobarefoot offer a
which you can bolster with a balsam 100-day trial, with no-quibble refund if 55 years in a
treatment that comes with the boots. you decide they’re not for you. And if
I’m a tenderfoot and I hate the feel of they are for you, I think you’ll be very pre-loved shirt!
hard surfaces, so I usually like a fair bit happy not to get the refund. In 1966, 27-year-old Tony Poling
of support and cushioning. But taking vivobarefoot.com was walking in Snowdonia with
his dad when he found a shirt
hanging off a branch in a river.
COLUMBIA Tony rescued it, washed it and
Zero Ice Cirro-Cool tee £45 kept it. Some 55 years later, it’s
still going strong, accompanying
Columbia’s Omni-Freeze technology has been Tony, now 82, on all his walks.
around a while; it takes your own moisture (erm, As he puts it: “Sustainability
sweat) and converts it into a cooling agent. wasn’t something we were aware
Now there’s an enhanced version called Zero Ice, of back in my day; it was a natural
designed for the very warmest conditions. I’ve been mindset we grew up with: make
wearing this throughout the summer and it does do and mend. Or find and foster!”
indeed keep me noticeably cooler and drier than The shirt was made by outdoor
most synthetic tees. But also, it’s not so flimsy that it retailer Ellis Brigham, which is
can’t keep hold of heat when I actually want it to. likewise standing the test of time,
Expensive – but it works, and it feels lovely, too. and is still run by the outdoor-
columbiasportswear.co.uk loving Brigham family.
Says director Mark Brigham:
GOOD SERVICE AWARD “Tony’s story just goes to show
that it pays to opt
for good quality
Take it to the cleaners clothing that will
stand the test of
Nervous about washing and reproofing your Gore-Tex jacket? See time, rather than
Rab. They’ve launched a Gore-Tex Shell Wash Service: for £25, you fast fashion than
can send off any Rab Gore-Tex jacket (newly purchased or already owned) needs replacing
and they will give it an expert, eco-friendly wash and comprehensive regularly.” Good
reproofing, with the aim of prolonging its life, helping the planet, and saving point, well made.
you money in the long-term. Details at rab.equipment/uk/rab-wash ellis-brigham.com

Crossword & puzzles
Tea break PRIZE CROSSWORD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 SEPTEMBER ANSWERS
By Will Adams
Walking wordsearch
9 10
Edible berries – 10 to find and one bonus JUST
one hidden in plain sight! FOR 11
FUN
12 13 14
Y X A S Y P D N D S A W C F P 15 16
E B Y B G S D C F N D Y Q L F 17 18 19
H T L A W N L K R D X L B O S 20
C T X A O K G K X L M F R X C 21 22
H R H V C K Q M F E A E P F H 23
AUGUST WINNERS
Richard Guthrie, Nottingham
E A O W V K U J K Y D G I N K 24 25 Jackie Nairn, Kelso
R Q A S H R B U J L E L A A J Graeme Inness, Newport
26 27
Pagnell
R X P L E I M E E Q S W E H U 28 29 30
September issue winners will
Y N L O N H T X R D O B O B C be published next month.
X L U E K U I E I R A W Z F W 31 32 uFull terms and conditions can be
found at greatcompetitions.co.uk
N L M I I F W P B C Y M H O B
E U G N H N O T S E F T S W D
S N R F S V V C Y Z A D J O B
Win Cicerone guidebooks
Three lucky winners will each get to select two
V G N S U F P Y R H Q M L P N guidebooks from Cicerone’s range, including
V O S M T B P U H S I T Y V F The National Trails of England, Scotland and
Wales and Walking in Arran. For more details,
● ROSEHIP ● CHERRY Tel. 01539 562069 or visit www.cicerone.co.uk
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EMAIL COMPLETED PUZZLES TO: WIN!
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ACROSS DOWN
1 Countryside animals seen if I dwell in a 1 English forest with wild yew round foot
different place (8) of tor (4)
5 Minor thoroughfares around Norfolk 2 In the vale, a field with a bit of grass (4)
waterways? (6) 3 Left on to country road, left and left
9 Might be pleasurable, but no pub with again, then I find Carmarthenshire town
proper beers! (4,4) (8)
10 Air force reorganised without 4 & 7 down Enjoyed by walkers outdoors in
JUST
FOR commanding officer is more equable shire far removed (5,3)
FUN
Where is this?
(6) 6 Walked aimlessly, or made diversion (6)
12 Material’s evenly spaced holes initially 7 See 4 down
provide a net-like fabric (4) 8 Unusual spy threats in Scottish valley
Country: ____________________ (Apprentice) 13 Always set out for highest mountain (7) (10)
17 Let not rain spoil, though unwilling to 11 Branagh loses footing on English river
County: ________________________ (Master)
put up with it? (10) (6)
Specifically it’s: _________________________ 19 Domestic fuel from grass, oddly (3) 14 South-easterly gale dispersed wild
21 Bird nesting in Stonehenge (3) birds (6)
_______________________________ (Maestro)
22 Put spread before me on edges of 15 Bad dreams get ‘12’ rating, perhaps (10)
ravine by Cumbrian lake (10) 16 Some walkers knit socks, reversing bad
24 Huge service I have shortened (7) smells! (6)
Last month’s answers 25 Group of players having hot beverage 18 Itineraries sure to alter (6)
on mountain-top (4) 20 Where New Yorkers see a show in
PHOTO: STEWART MCKEOWN/ALAMY*
28 Say no to rubbish! (6) Cotswold village? (8)

30 In no particular place when year 23 Seat is repositioned for afternoon nap (6)
changes (8) 25 Singer delivers wrong note at beginning
31 Awkwardly master small river (6) of recital (5)
32 Marine creature – yes, large sort (4,4) 26 River forming part of the Tyne network
(4)
27 Remove outer layer in Isle of Man resort
WHERE IS THIS?
(4)
✁
Godmersham, Kent 29 Type of tree regularly seen in friary (3)

Downs, Kent

Discover
Hiking Collections
on komoot
Bryony Carter’s adventure on the John Muir Way
is just one of thousands of Collections you can view
– and follow – on the easy-to-use komoot app…
W
HEN IT COMES to the legendary coast and Muir’s birthplace, Dunbar, on the east
figure of John Muir, conservationist coast. She walked the entire route over seven
and avid walker Bryony Carter is days, each day bringing something new, from a
a self-proclaimed superfan. She deer-filled estate to a wild and empty beach.
describes him as a pioneer, a fearless adventurer, “The route is the perfect way to understand
and an activist who tirelessly campaigned to where John Muir came from,” says Bryony.
protect the natural world. Luckily she is also “He has always fascinated me – a man who
a komoot superfan (and official ambassador). started out in this beautiful countryside, then
Like millions of walkers, she uses the app to find, travelled to America where he is revered as the
plan and share her adventures. father of national parks. But walking the path,
For Bryony, walking the 132-mile John Muir and creating a komoot Collection as I went,
Way was not only an ode to his conservation has made me feel so much closer to his story.”
work, but a chance to explore the Scottish And now, thanks to the komoot app and its
scenery between Helensborough on the west Collections feature, you can do the same.

■ ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
The joy of the

John Muir Way
Bryony found herself meandering through
unexpectedly beautiful woodlands, gazing over
reservoirs, and bimbling along pretty canal
towpaths. The trail wanders through a number
of estates – deer and stately homes included
– and she also spent many peaceful hours
strolling along the coast. On a number of
occasions, she was joined by friends who
walked with her for a day or two at a time.
“This is one of the great things about this
trail,” she explains. “Never being far from a train
station or car park makes it easy to split the
walk up into weekend-length segments. The
komoot app makes it easy too, by allowing you
to copy and save individual routes to your
profile, make changes, and customise it all to
your heart’s content.”
HOW KOMOOT Your path

COLLECTIONS WORK to great
You’ll find hundreds of walking Collections on komoot, from adventures
big-name routes such as the Pennine Way and West Highland
Way to lesser-known but equally enjoyable trails. Each Collection If you think Bryony’s
includes a day-by-day route breakdown, stories of the adventure, John Muir Way adventure
and useful information for hiking the routes yourself. They are a looks fun, and you fancy
great source of inspiration and insider info, delivering insightful the challenge of walking
descriptions of each stage, photos, and the need-to-know details. the trail in one multi-day
To find them, hit Find your next adventure on the mobile app, adventure, you can
choose hiking, and tap in where you want to explore. bookmark the Collection
(Alternatively, on the website you can use the search bar.) so it’s easy to find from
your personal komoot
profile. And you can do
this with any komoot Collection, whether
your interest is in paying tribute to John
Muir up in Scotland, or exploring more walks
in England, Wales – or further afield.
GET STARTED!
Explore the John Muir Way
Collection, including
Bryony’s route, at
www.komoot.com/
collection/1176762 or scan
this QR code to access it directly.
FIND, PLAN AND SHARE

YOUR ADVENTURES
Visit www.komoot.com/g and enter the code
CWXKOMOOT to choose your free region
bundle of offline maps (you’ll save £8.99)*.
* Region bundle is free to choose. Valid for new
komoot users only. Redeemable until 31/12/2021.

EXMOOR WALKING HOLIDAYS 2022
• Iconic Exmoor - 8-10 mile walks taking in Tarr Steps,
Watersmeet, Dunkery Beacon, Valley of the Rocks –
what makes Exmoor Special.
• Exmoor Villages - Short walks 6-7 miles SPECIAL RATES FOR
walking across Exmoor to the pretty WALKING AND
villages of Dunster Withypool, Winsford RAMBLING GROUPS.
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Please contact us for more details or visit our website.
enquiries@simonsbathhousehotel.co.uk Bookings: 01643 831259
www.walkexmoor.co.uk
CAT HOLE COTTAGES EXPLORE NORTH DEVON COAST

YORKSHIRE DALES Pattard is in an area of outstanding natural beauty
where you can explore the North Devon Coast
Beautiful Dales scenery, between Hartland and Hartland Point. Walking
superb cottages, routes available straight from the doorstep and
great walks. a short stroll to the South West costal path. The
cottages are well equipped and dog friendly. Tuck
Tel: 01748 886366 into some delicious food at our onsite restaurant.
Email: judith@catholecottages.com Find out more
www. catholecottages.com www.pattard.co.uk or 01237 441311
ANDREW STANLEY
Clinical Director and State Registered PODIATRIST
Andrew Stanley BSc(Hons) PodM MChSSRCh
THE FORGE & SMITHY COTTAGES
offer superb accommodation with private gardens and
Leg or foot problems? secure parking in a beautiful Lincolnshire rural setting
Trail’s expert can help! He offers: Visit England cottages (Forge gold award) – highly
◆ Digital treadmill walking analysis commended awards. A covid-safe environment
◆ Walking/posture correction
◆ Single visit treatments For full details please visit our website
◆ Custom-made orthoses ‘while you wait’ www.the4ge.co.uk
◆ On-site workshop ensuring comfortable fit
◆ Orthotics tested in video gait laboratory
or email or call for more details on
01526 342943 or enquiries@the4ge.co.uk
EXMOOR COAST & COUNTRY

@SecretHillsWalking
WOODCOMBE LODGES & COTTAGES
info@secrethillswalking.co.uk Set in 3 acre gardens on a quiet country lane on
the edge of the Exmoor National Park yet within
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SPECIALIST GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAYS FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS South West Coastal Path, Coleridge Way,
Two Moors Way. Prepared walks from our door.
Friendly, experienced Walk Leaders make your walking holiday flexible, Dogs welcome, Free Wifi
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Discover more at www.secrethillswalking.co.uk or call 01694 723600 woodcombelodges@outlook.com 01643 702789
FOOTPATH
HOLIDAYS
27 ROUTES with Ordnance Survey Maps
Britain’s est
ALKS
OCTOBER 2021
SOUTH
WEST
SOUTH
EAST
MIDLANDS
PHOTO: CRAIG JOINER PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY
EAST
NORTH
WEST
LIGHT AT THE END NORTH

Autumn sunlight filters
through the yellowing
EAST
canopy of Hope Wood,
halfway round Walk 2
as it nears Ebbor Gorge
in the Mendip Hills.
On the wild side

WALES
SCOTLAND
Belfast’s volcanic mini mountain l Crowd-free fells
in the Lake District l A serene riverside circuit in
IRELAND
deepest Mid Wales... and more great walks
Britain’s est
WALKS
Find a great walk near you...
SOUTH WEST
SOUTH EAST
01 Devon Liverton MIDLANDS
02 Somerset Priddy & Ebbor Gorge EAST
03 Hampshire Titchfield NORTH WEST

25
04 Kent Lamberhurst NORTH EAST
05 Oxfordshire Blewbury
WALES
06 Bedfordshire Silsoe 24
SCOTLAND
07 Essex Hatfield Heath 23
IRELAND
08 Herefordshire Capler Camp
09 Warwickshire Welford-on-Avon & Dorsington
20
10 Staffordshire Abraham’s Valley 26
27
11 Staffordshire Brindley Valley 17
12 Nottinghamshire East Leake 19

16
13 Cambridgeshire Wicken Fen
14 Lincolnshire Crowland 18
22 15
15 Cheshire Macclesfield Canal & Bosley Binn
12
16 Lancashire Lancaster Marshes & Canal 10 14
21 11
13
17 Cumbria Copeland Forest Fells 09
08
18 South Yorkshire Dale Dike Reservoir 06
07
19 North Yorkshire West Tanfield 05
20 Tyne & Wear Big Waters 02
04
21 Powys Dolanog to Pontrobert 03
22 Gwynedd/Conwy The Carneddau Route 01
23 Renfrewshire Browside Braes updates
24 Stirling Craigmore u
Guiting Power & Hawling, Gloucestershire, Sep 21, Walk 3 – The Farmers
25 Aberdeenshire Tarland & Pressendye Arms at Guiting Power has temporarily closed.
26 County Antrim Cave Hill u
Onecote & Butterton, Staffordshire, Sep 21, Walk 9 – The Jervis Arms at
Onecote has now reopened.
27 Cumbria High Cup Nick CLASSIC
ROUTE If you spot a route which needs updating, email cwroutes@bauermedia.co.uk
How to use GRADE

Our routes are graded easy, moderate, challenging
your routes
or occasionally extreme, depending on distance,
terrain, elevation and ease of navigation. Easy and
moderate walks are usually less than 8 miles with
relatively gentle gradients. The table below shows
WALK INFORMATION how we grade our more challenging walks:
An estimate of how long the route will take,
based on a pace of about two miles per hour, TERRAIN: Min 2000ft ascent, sustained
with allowances made for slower, hilly routes. steepness and rocky or boggy ground.
challenging
NAVIGATION: Good map-reading and

OUR EXPERTS
N
W
compass skills required in places.

S
E
All our routes are written by experienced and

knowledgeable walkers who are experts at A DISTANCE: Route is between 8-12 miles
finding the best walks in their area and B from start to finish.
describing them clearly.
TERRAIN: 3000ft+ with sustained steep
ABBREVIATIONS ascent/descent; possible scrambling.
extreme
We have abbreviated left to L and right to R.

NAVIGATION: Sound navigation skills
N
W
GRADIENT PROFILE required; route may be trackless.

S
E
Check the ascent and descent (hilliness) of A DISTANCE: Route is more than 12 miles
the route with a quick glance at this profile. B from start to finish.
CW routes online MAPS (on reverse of route card)

and on your phone! Follow the red route marked clearly on the map.
It’s essential to take the relevant Ordnance
Country Walking has partnered up with Survey map with you in case you get lost and
Ordnance Survey’s OS Maps to bring you inadvertently leave the area covered by our map.
the ultimate interactive routes experience.
Subscribers to CW get half-price access to OS
Maps, where you can view and print 1:25 000 and 1:50 000 OS maps for all of GB at no extra cost, plan your own walks
and view this month’s routes online. In addition, the OS Maps app for smartphones and tablets turns this online tool into
a powerful navigation aid. Subscribers can upload their own routes, download the routes from the magazine and browse
more than 1000 more from previous issues. For more details, and to subscribe, visit www.walk1000miles.co.uk/cwroutes

SOUTH WEST
SOUTH WEST
01 DEVON
LIVERTON
A
02 PRIDDY
SOMERSET
& EBBOR GORGE
uDistance: 8½ miles/13.4km uTime: 5 hours uGrade: Moderate B uDistance: 6 miles/9.6km uTime: 3 hours uGrade: Moderate
PLAN YOUR WALK The sweeping view PLAN YOUR WALK
from Deer’s Leap.
PHOTO: ROBERT HESKETH
PHOTO: NIGEL VILE

ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking Roadside nr Start/parking The Queen
Following the Haytor Granite Liverton village hall, grid Victoria pub in Priddy, grid
Tramway through Yarner Wood. ref SX805751, TQ12 6HW ref ST528508, BA5 3BA
Is it for me? Tracks, Is it for me? A scramble
bridlepaths, quiet lanes up through Ebbor Gorge
CHOSEN BY… church, noted for its rood one 800m stretch on road CHOSEN BY… up through Ebbor Gorge, you and an ascent onto the
ROBERT HESKETH screen and wagon roof and Stiles 2 NIGEL VILE will certainly have earned your Mendip hilltops
This delightful edge the Carpenter’s Arms, with There may be pint of the local Butcombe ale, Stiles 12
of Dartmoor walk its huge welcoming fireplace PLANNING better-known Queen together with a plateful of
offers grand views of Haytor and refreshing beer from Nearest town Victoria pubs, such as the home-made food using, quite PLANNING
Bovey Tracey Nearest town Wells
Rocks and the Bovey valley. the barrel. one in EastEnders, but few naturally, locally sourced
Refreshments Carpenter’s Refreshments The Queen
Much of it is on the Templer Arms, Ilsington (01364 can match the charm and Somerset ingredients. Victoria, Priddy (01749
Way, following the Haytor
Granite Tramway and its hand
cut granite rails through
1 Start
Follow village street west.
After 200m turn R, then L
661629, facebook.com/
TheCarpsIlsington)
Public toilets None
character of the one in Priddy,

high on the Mendip Hills. This
Queen Vic is a typical country 1 Start
Walk back down to the main
676385; thequeenvic
priddy.co.uk)
Public toilets None
Yarner Wood Nature Reserve. opposite thatched cottages. Public transport Limited pub standing at almost 1,000 road through Priddy, turn L Public transport None
bus 193 Newton Abbot– Maps OS Explorer 141;
Effectively Devon’s first Narrow lane becomes track. Bovey Tracey, Wed and Fri
feet above sea level. Dating and, in 50m, follow the side Landranger 183
railway, the Tramway opened Branch L after 500m and only (01626 833664; from the late 1800s, it contains road that runs along the L side
in 1820, using horse drawn almost immediately L again. countrybusdevon.co.uk) many of its original features of Priddy Green. On the far
wagons to carry cut granite Track divides 200m ahead. Maps OS Explorer OL28; including wonderful flagstone side of the Green, turn L along further fields to stiles opposite
from Haytor Quarries. It was Branch R. Continue ahead Landranger 191 flooring, huge fireplaces and a cul-de-sac lane. At the end in each case, before walking
downhill 1300ft (394m) (Tipleyhill Lane) to Woodhouse beamed ceilings. It has as of this lane, cross a stile by down the L edge of the next
nearly all the way to waiting Cross. Turn R. Follow lane Oakley Cottage. When track much charm and character a bungalow called Trail’s End field. At the bottom of this
barges on the canal at 700m to Lower Brimley. divides, keep L, following it from the outside as it does before following a footpath field, cross a stone slab stile
Teigngrace, 8½ miles distant. into wood. Turn R at next inside, built with natural stone directly ahead across four on the L and follow the grassy
Barges took the granite to
ships at Teignmouth. Also en 2 1¾ miles/ 2.9km
Turn L on Public Bridlepath
junction. Walk past houses
to junction. Turn L and L again
set off with creeper cladding.
Following a stiff walk on the
fields, making for a stile in the
R corner of the fourth field by
path ahead across the hillside
to a gate and the car park for
route is Ilsington’s beautiful Bovey-Haytor Road past 50m ahead. ➥ local hills, including a scramble a telegraph pole. Cross two Deer Leap. ➥
GRADIENT PROFILE GRADIENT PROFILE
600 600
400 400
metres
metres
200 200
0 0
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
✁
SOMERSET OCTOBER 2021 DEVON OCTOBER 2021
02 PRIDDY & EBBOR GORGE 01 LIVERTON
SOUTH WEST
SOUTH WEST
uOS Explorer map 141 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map OL28 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop
1¾ miles/2.8km DON’T MISS...

2 Join road, turn R and, in
50m, cross stile on L, turn R Liverton’s
and walk across field to stile historic 19th
RT 4
opposite. Cross next field to STA century brick
stile alongside gate, walking in 1 pottery kiln. 3
the direction of the distant Tor
at Glastonbury. Join road and
turn L, walking downhill for 2½ miles/4.1km
350m before turning L into the 3 Follow Haytor/Widecombe
Ebbor Gorge parking area. Turn Road, part of the Templer Way,
R and walk down through car uphill for 800m. (Permissive
5
park and past picnic area to path shown on Explorer map
viewpoint on the L overlooking at SX796781 currently closed).
©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2021 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 003/21

Ebbor Gorge. Continue Join Templer Way R, Public 2
downhill, descending some Bridlepath. Follow drive ahead
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
steps to reach gate. 40m 2 into grassy path.

beyond this gate, turn R at a
junction and, in 250m, turn L 3½ miles/5.4km
on a path signposted ‘To the 4 Turn L to Templer Way. 6
Gorge’. Turn L and follow this Follow tramway and Templer
path for 300m to the gorge, Way signs. Ignore side turnings.
3
scramble up rocky path, and Cross private drive. Continue
continue for 100m to junction. uphill on Templer Way,
Turn R and walk uphill to over cross track and on to
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
junction in 100m. At this point, Haytor-Bovey road at Green 1

T
there is an obligatory detour to Lane End sign. AR
the R where, in 200m, you will ST
reach a clifftop viewpoint. 4½ miles/7.2km
Return to the junction and 5 Take lane parallel to Haytor
continue following the path Immediately beyond this field, corner of the second field, turn road. Turn L 50m ahead.
ahead up through woodland to cross a stile on the L – it has L and follow the field boundary Follow bridlepath downhill.
reach a second gate in 350m ‘Shine on you crazy diamond’ along to a stile and the road Turn L to Middlecott at next
and an Ebbor Gorge info board. carved on its woodwork. Walk from Deer Leap to Priddy. path junction and almost Carpenter’s Arms pub again at next path junction.
down the L edge of the field Turn R to arrive back at the immediately R at Bridleway (refreshments). Turn L down Turn R at road. Continue back
3½ miles/5.6km beyond this stile to join a track Queen Victoria in 600m. Road near Trumpeter. At lane Simms Hill. Lane becomes to start.
Beyond this gate, follow called Dursdon Drove. Turn L junction, keep R. Walk past track. Continue to crosstracks.
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
3
the L edge of a hilltop field and follow this drove track for Trumpeter cottages. Keep L Continue south to tarmac lane.
VIEW THE WALK ON VIEW THE WALK ON
around to a gate and water 850m to reach an enclosed OS MAPS ONLINE: on lane. Turn L downhill at the Turn R. At Great Lounston Farm OS MAPS ONLINE:
trough. Do not leave the field footpath on the R, ignoring a next junction. keep L past Lower Lounston.
walk1000miles.co.uk/cwroutes walk1000miles.co.uk/cwroutes
at this point – instead, follow much earlier bridleway on the Track winds downhill. Continue
the line of a hedgerow to the R R. Follow this footpath around IN ASSOCIATION WITH 5¾ miles/9.3km over two stiles and brook into IN ASSOCIATION WITH
down to a stile in a dip. Follow to a stone slab stile. Cross this 6 Turn R. Divert L to church. woodland. Turn L on footpath
the L edge of the next field as stile, turn R and follow the R Continue through churchyard. for Liverton Road near to
© Country Walking October 2021
it climbs gently uphill. edges of two fields. In the top Turn R and then R again past Woodgate Cottage. Turn L
✁
SOUTH EAST
SOUTH EAST
03HAMPSHIRE
TITCHFIELD 04LAMBERHURST
KENT
uDistance: 6¾ miles/10.8km uTime: 3 hours uGrade: Moderate uDistance: 3½ miles/5.6km uTime: 2 hours uGrade: Easy
Looking back along the PLAN YOUR WALK The view towards Bayham PLAN YOUR WALK
cliffs towards Hill Head. Abbey from south of point 4.
PHOTO: FIONA BARLTROP
PHOTO: FIONA BARLTROP

ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking Bridge Start/parking Free public
Street car park, Titchfield, car park in Lamberhurst,
grid ref SU541054, behind village hall and
postcode PO14 4EA Chequers pub, grid ref
Is it for me? Easy walking TQ676362, TN3 8DB
CHOSEN BY…
FIONA BARLTROP
Midway between
1 Start
Turn L out of car park and
follow path southwards, canal
on canal towpath, clifftop

path, farm tracks, field
paths and roads
CHOSEN BY…
FIONA BARLTROP
Situated within the
lies on the hillside beyond,

en route. South-east of
Lamberhurst is the National
Is it for me? Field paths/

tracks across gently rolling
countryside. Short main
Southampton and on R and nature reserve Stiles 1 High Weald AONB, Trust’s Scotney Castle estate, loop, optional extension
to Scotney Castle
Portsmouth, a couple of miles meadows on L. Keep ahead the attractive old village of which comprises a Victorian
PLANNING Stiles 1
inland from the coast, the when path joins stretch of Lamberhurst lies in the valley country mansion, the romantic
Nearest town Fareham
village of Titchfield is an tarmac (bridge on R), further Refreshments Pubs, cafés of the River Teise, a tributary ruins of a medieval castle and PLANNING
attractive little place with a on crossing concrete dam with and Chinese takeaway in of the Medway. A couple of moat, beautiful gardens Nearest town
long and interesting history. sluice gates, where water is Titchfield; Café at miles west along the valley, and acres of parkland and Tunbridge Wells
Linking it to the coast is one diverted from canal under path Titchfield Haven Nature just across the border in East woodland to explore. It’s an Refreshments The
of the country’s oldest into Nature Reserve. Just after Reserve (01329 661853) Sussex, are the impressive easy out-and-back extension Chequers (01892 891850)
Public toilets Barry’s and The Vineyard (01892
man-made waterways, the kissing gate a brief detour to R Meadow car park,
monastic ruins of Bayham to visit Scotney. 890222) in Lamberhurst.
Titchfield Canal. Before it was leads to Meon Marsh Sea Lock, Titchfield and Meon Shore, Abbey – well worth a visit Scotney Castle tea room
built in the early 17th century
it was the River Meon (and its
estuary at Hill Head) which
where road now crosses canal.

Continue to coast bending L
along path just below road.
near Hill Head harbour

Public transport Bus X4
Portsmouth-Southampton
(English Heritage and free

entry). Apart from the access
road to the site, unfortunately
1 Start
Turn L out of car park and
keep R where road forks. Head
(01892 893820)
Public toilets Car
park at start
(firstgroup.com) Public transport Bus 256
connected the then port of Carry on beside road (or along there are no other public uphill and at top, just before
Maps OS Explorer OL3; Tunbridge Wells-Wadhurst
Titchfield with the sea. Today sea wall on R if preferred) and Landranger 196 rights of way, so it’s best to a lane forks L, turn R up steps via Lamberhurst (Mon–Fri,
the canal and the meadows round picturesque Hill Head drive there before or after the and keep ahead along footpath 01892 833830), train
of Titchfield Haven Nature Harbour to reach entrance walk, although you’ll get a through vineyard passing station at Tunbridge Wells
Reserve alongside it provide
a valuable habitat for a
to Titchfield Haven Nature
Reserve, well worth a visit 2 2½ miles/4km
Retrace steps along road/
distant view of both the abbey
ruins, and the 19th century
former warehouse over to L.
At far end descend steps to
Maps OS Explorer 136;
Landranger 188
variety of wildlife. (excellent for bird watching). sea wall and just after toilets ➥ Bayham Abbey mansion which concrete drive. ➥
600 600
400 400
metres
metres
200 200
0 0
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
✁
KENT OCTOBER 2021 HAMPSHIRE OCTOBER 2021
04 LAMBERHURST 03 TITCHFIELD
SOUTH EAST
SOUTH EAST
uOS Explorer map 136 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map OL3 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop
continue for short distance

beside road behind chalets.
4 As road bends R carry on along
track between chalets – coastal
T
route is part of waymarked AR
ST
1 T
Solent Way. At end of chalets 4
STAR turn L then R and follow path 1
up and along top of low cliffs.
3 EXTENSION Just before it descends in front
of Sea House to the beach 5
2 there’s a fine view back as
there is from the beach.
4 miles/6.2km

3 Turn R before footbridge
and follow path/track inland
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
passing Lower, Upper and

Little Brownwich Farms. A path
¾ mile/1.2km 2¼ miles/3.5km Keep ahead with hedge on R. runs alongside track on its R
Turn R downhill, at the Turn R at entrance drive Cross fairway to another gap in but if you follow it ensure you 3
2
bottom crossing the River
4
to Hoathly Farm and in a few hedge ahead with marker post. rejoin main (concrete) track
Teise. Continue along track and paces bear R along footpath. Keep straight on at fork, hedge where another turns off R.
just before field gate turn L Follow path across crop field, on R, go through another Continue along Brownwich
along field edge path, with continuing along south edge of hedge gap and turn L along Lane (track) past Southleigh
hedge on R. Go through gap Timberlog Wood, then gently access road over A21. Turn R Farm to track on R with
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
in corner of field and then up pasture to far corner of at T-junction (Pierce Barn) footpath fingerpost.
re-cross Teise via footbridge. wood, field gate on the L. and head gently uphill, then
Continue to small wooden gate Keep ahead by hedge on the L through gate. Ahead a few 5¼ miles/8.4km 2
in front of Furnace Mill. L along edge of two fields, paces, then R downhill (hedge 4 Turn R soon bearing R and
then bear R downhill to barn. on R). Keep ahead across a L through kissing gate. Path
1⅓ miles/2.1km L and R through kissing gate, track and continue through continues along L edge of field junction. Continue ahead along Hampshire). Bear R past it
3 Go through gate and bear diagonally across grass, and woodland to drive. Cross to trig point in corner, where it Lower Bellfield and at next through churchyard, keeping
R along gravel drive past oast back over Teise. Then L back to and go through gate, then L bends R to another kissing gate road junction keep ahead along ahead at intersection to cross
house up to large white gate. car park. downhill, parallel to drive to on L. Follow track R on other Garstons Road opposite to L. footbridge. Turn R beside
Continue on other side along Scotney Castle entrance. side, soon bending L. Track As it bends L turn R into canal to Bridge Street and
path, soon reaching large To visit Scotney Castle (1¼ miles Return same way. becomes private road leading Gainsborough Mews and then cross road to car park.
barn. Follow track from here, each way), head to gate at back to a gate and Posbrook Lane. L along footpath beside brick
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
crossing the River Teise again of car park and continue wall on R. Cross residential
to reach a lane. For view of straight across recreation VIEW THE WALK ON VIEW THE WALK ON
OS MAPS ONLINE: 6 miles/9.3km road and carry on to West OS MAPS ONLINE:
Bayham Abbey, turn L (back ground passing football pitch Turn L for about 100m, Street. Turn R to High Street,
across the River Teise) and and, over to R, children’s play
5
cross road to stile and follow go straight across and then
uphill to lay-by on R by bend area. Aim for far R corner IN ASSOCIATION WITH footpath diagonally across continue along Church Street IN ASSOCIATION WITH
in road, then retrace steps, where you’ll find a gap in field to kissing gate. Keep to St Peter’s Church (dates
passing the appropriately hedge. Cross footbridge, noting ahead past garages and along back to the 7th century, said
named Oast House. the flying golf balls warning. enclosed path to road at a to be the oldest church in
✁
SOUTH EAST
SOUTH EAST
05OXFORDSHIRE/BERKSHIRE
BLEWBURY
A
06SILSOE
BEDFORDSHIRE
uDistance: 9½ miles/15.3km uTime: 5 hours uGrade: Moderate B uDistance: 6 miles/10km uTime: 3 hours uGrade: Moderate
PLAN YOUR WALK Looking out to Higham PLAN YOUR WALK
Gobion from the path.
PHOTO: PHOEBE TAPLIN

ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking St Michael’s Start/parking St James
Don’t miss the Blewburton church, Blewbury/roadside church, Silsoe/roadside
Hill Iron Age fort. parking nearby, grid ref parking and bus stop
SU530858, OX11 9QH nearby, grid ref TL082355,
Is it for me? Mud-covered postcode MK45 4DR
CHOSEN BY… R along Church End. Keep chalk paths can get slippy CHOSEN BY… past village sign and beside Is it for me? Muddy after
PHOEBE TAPLIN straight on streamside path after rain. Couple of road PHOEBE TAPLIN churchyard. Keep straight rain. Easy tracks and paths
The dramatic red and Watt’s Lane. Turn L into crossings and gentle This relatively short between lodge houses, and one short section
kite-haunted South Street and R, after climbs. Otherwise lanes, route is rich in over bridge and on along beside road, which could
clear paths and tracks be avoided via shortcut
downland south of Didcot is 100m, into Bessels Lea Road. historical interest. Looping tarmac path beside drive with
Stiles None Stiles None
packed with ancient sites, Cross B4016 and continue on through woods, fields and avenue of chestnut trees. The
from an Iron age fort on concrete track, signed Aston PLANNING pretty villages, it crosses eagle-topped stone gateway PLANNING
Blewburton Hill to a stretch of Upthorpe. Turn L through Nearest town Didcot grassy earthworks near on your right is the main Nearest town Flitwick
the Ridgeway long-distance gate, after ½ mile, to climb Refreshments Fat Frog in Higham Gobion, low ramparts entrance to Wrest Park. Refreshments Star and
path, following one of Blewburton Hill. Aston (01235 850666); that suggest an 11th-century Garter pub (drinks but
2
England’s oldest surviving Red Lion in Blewbury castle and a later medieval ½ mile/0.8km no food 01525 860250).
2
(01235 850403) Co-op and chip shop a
prehistoric routes. There was 1¼ miles/2km Public toilets None
village. There are glimpses too Continue along tarmac little off route in Silsoe
once a Roman temple on Walk back down hill and Public transport Hourly of 18th-century buildings in path, past main house and village. English Heritage
Lowbury hill and numerous turn L to continue on track or bus 94 (weekdays) from the wooded gardens of Wrest stable block. Keep on through café at Wrest Park.
Bronze Age tumuli survive grassy paths running parallel Didcot Parkway station Park, where three centuries of modern buildings of Wrest Weekday coffee shop in
nearby, including Churn Knob through fields. Fork L on (thames-travel.co.uk) garden design are spread over Park Enterprise campus. Capability House on Wrest
Maps OS Explorer 170; Park Enterprise campus
bell barrow. Blewbury village defined grassy path over 92 acres, and the walk could Immediately at end of the
Landranger 174 Public toilets None
boasts beautiful thatched second field, soon running complement a visit to this buildings, turn R onto signed Public transport Hourly 81
cottages and a choice of pubs. beside fence and hedge. Keep English Heritage site. bridleway along tarmac edge bus from Luton to Silsoe
1 Start
Exit churchyard through
on down steps through trees

onto pebbly Thorpe Street.
Follow lane L and R around
3 2 miles/3.2km
Turn R near pub onto
winding Spring Lane and follow 1 Start
From St James church in
of campus. Go through gate

posts and follow track ahead
between fields. Look out R
stops by the church

Landranger 153 and 166
gate near info board and turn little All Saints’ Church. it, ignoring turnings. The final ➥ Silsoe, walk along Park Avenue for monkey puzzles and cedars ➥
600 600
400 400
metres
metres
200 200
0 0
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
✁
BEDFORDSHIRE OCTOBER 2021 OXFORDSHIRE/BERKSHIRE OCTOBER 2021
06 SILSOE 05 BLEWBURY
SOUTH EAST
SOUTH EAST
uOS Explorer map 193 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map 170 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop
in Wrest Park and a glimpse section has great blossom

of the pavilion through a gap ST in spring. Cross A417 and
AR
in the trees. Keep straight T 2 continue up byway beyond for
between the half-timbered more than ½ mile, following ST
1 AR
T
lodge and the gateway of lane down again. Fork R near 2
17th-century Whitehall. barn onto gravel track. Keep 1
straight and L at first fork 3
1½ miles/2.5km along grassy track. At second
3 Cross stream and follow 3 junction, take middle track
mud track into trees. Just after uphill. Clump of trees near
gate with private sign on L, top marks part of Iron Age
turn R onto smaller wooded ‘Grim’s Ditch’, a boundary
path with bridleway arrow. 6 whose name may stem from 7
Keep going on grassy path Grimr – the Anglo-Saxon alias

beside fence. Cross lane and for the Norse god Wōden.
keep straight on concrete track.
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
At end of track, keep L on path 4 miles/6.5km

beside field heading in same 4 When grassy track ends, 6
direction with hedge soon on 4
turn R onto stony track (or
SH
R and distant hills ahead. detour first diagonally L up
OR
T
Keep going past small wood, Lowbury hill). Keep straight
CU
4
T
through gateway and over part onto grassy track, over junction 5
of triangular earthwork. of paths, and along Ridgway,
crossing former railway line.
2¾ miles/4.5km 5
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
4 Continue through another 5½ miles/9km

gateway and along edge of 5 Continue up Ridgeway,
field with hedge on R. Keep past gallops. At junction, after
straight past footbridge (or second field. Continue with and straight over field with about ¾ mile, follow Ridgeway
over it for shortcut) and turn R hedge on L. Where hedge Silsoe ahead and Wrest Park R R on concrete drive for 250m.
along road into Higham Gobion curves L, turn R on path. Keep (listen for skylarks). Continue Turn R again at signpost look back through gateway to Lane. Beyond the Red Lion
past St Margaret’s Church (with straight over footbridge and L past dilapidated barn ahead. (leaving Ridgeway). Follow see Churn Knob, part of Bronze pub, follow path between
bench and view). Just beyond along far side of field. Before Follow track L, then R, parallel Byway past gallops and back Age burial site. thatched walls. Cross the
turning to Hexton L, turn R hedge bends L, turn R through with main road. At signpost, over disused railway. footbridge and keep straight
through gate with footpath small gap in hedge, over turn L over bridge back into 8½ miles/13.7km across the grass to return to
sign and keep straight through stream. Keep straight with Silsoe or R to Wrest Park. 7¼ miles/11.7km 7 Continue on path between the church.
industrial estate, down steps hedge on L, through trees, and Continue, at junction near bushes. Emerging onto grassy
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
and along path by fence. beside paddocks and barns.

6
house, diagonally L along viewpoint with benches, fork R
Cross road and continue to
OS MAPS ONLINE: narrow lane past Churn Farm. down path near edge of field. OS MAPS ONLINE:
3¼ miles/5.25km Buckle Grove. Turn R, after ¼ mile, onto Continue down wooded path
5 Take path just R of tall concrete drive with bridleway and fork R again near foot of
dead tree along edge of field 4½ miles/7.25km IN ASSOCIATION WITH sign. Just after barn on L, turn hill up path between fence and IN ASSOCIATION WITH
with trees on R. Keep straight 6 Fork R on bridleway L onto grassy path for a mile, beech trees. Keep on down
on track and follow it L and through trees. At junction, keep keeping hedge on R. 350m track and cross road into
through gateway at end of L on main track through wood beyond white house in field, Nottingham Fee and Chapel
✁
SOUTH EAST
07 ESSEX 08 CAPLER
MIDLANDS
HEREFORDSHIRE
HATFIELD HEATH CAMP
uDistance: 6 miles/10km uTime: 3 hours uGrade: Moderate uDistance: 7¾ miles/12.5km uTime: 3½-4 hours uGrade: Moderate
PLAN YOUR WALK PLAN YOUR WALK
FOODIE
WALK
PHOTO: DENNIS KELSALL

ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking Holy Trinity Start/parking Parking area
The path runs beside fields church, Hatfield Heath/ Descending towards by village sports field, off
near Hatfield Heath. roadside parking, grid ref Caplor Farm (after 4). Capler Lane, Fownhope
TL523150, CM22 7EU grid ref SO578340,
Is it for me? Easy country postcode HR1 4PR
CHOSEN BY…
PHOEBE TAPLIN
Gently sloping fields,
Pond Lane and cross B183.

Keep straight along stony
driveway and fork R into
paths and tracks, but mud

all year. Seriously muddy
in winter. Steps can be
CHOSEN BY…
DENNIS KELSALL
Occupying a
1 Start
Walk back to Capler Lane
and turn R. After a mile, as the
Is it for me? Lane, field

and woodland paths
Stiles 4
streamside paths and Blaisdon Lodge. Go through slippy. Some road walking prominent hill above lane climbs into Capler Wood,
small woods make up the gate R of bungalow’s garage Stiles 3
the twisting River Wye, Capler take a track off R. Dropping PLANNING
Nearest town Hereford
quintessentially English and continue along narrow PLANNING Camp is a sizeable Iron Age through trees, continue above
Refreshments The Green
landscapes around Down Hall, fenced paths, over footbridge Nearest town hillfort that was used over the river for ¾ mile to a fork. Man (01432 860243) and
the hotel where this year’s and beside field. At junction, Sawbridgeworth a period of some 750 years, Bear L and head uphill onto The New Inn (thenewinn
The Great British Bake Off was fork R and continue beside Refreshments Two pubs, well into the middle of the a lane at the top. fownhope.co.uk; 01432
filmed. The cross-country Stort field, ditch on R. several cafés, takeaways, Roman occupation. Although 860350) at Fownhope
2
Valley Way and Forest Way good bakery and shops in partly overgrown by trees, the 2¼ miles/3.6km Public toilets None
2
Hatfield Heath, including Public transport Buses
meet to form a circuit that ½ mile/0.8km Tea on the Heath. Down
double rampart defences on Go L in the direction of 453/454 from Hereford
passes Down Hall (where you Turn R down steps, over Hall serves afternoon tea its southern flank are readily Brockhampton. After just over to Fownhope (yeomans
could have a fancy tea on the footbridge and keep straight (01279 731441) discernable for what they ¼ mile watch the Wye Valley coachholidays.com)
terrace) and runs through the along edge of field (ditch on Public toilets In Marriage were, but despite excavation, Walk is signed off sharp R. Maps OS Explorer 189;
pretty village of Hatfield Heath R). In next field, turn R and Feast Hall, Matching its purpose remains unclear. Follow the field edge to the far Landranger 149
Public transport Buses 5
with its bakery, pubs and cafés. immediately L across arable Its commanding position corner and go L on a contained
from Bishops Stortford to
field. At crossing track near Stansted Airport and 59 suggests a fortified settlement, track. Meeting another lane, opposite Brockhampton’s
1 Start
From church lychgate on
barns, turn L down into valley,
past pond (Shrub Farm
Harlow-Chelmsford stop
hourly near start/end
but it may have been simply
a seasonal gathering place or
go R and then, at the next
junction, L. At the bottom of
thatched church.
Hatfield Heath green, turn R
over footbridge to reach Tea on
Reservoir). Turn L along wide
grassy path at bottom with
Landranger 167
stock enclosure. Nevertheless,
it provides a fine focus for this
a dip, leave L and head up a
grassy fold to reach another 3 4 miles/6.4km
Go L to a crossroads and
the Heath café. Turn L beside stream on R. At end of field, ➥ enjoyable countryside ramble. lane at the top, to be found turn R to a viewpoint at the top ➥
600 600
400 400
metres
metres
200 200
0 0
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
✁
HEREFORDSHIRE OCTOBER 2021 ESSEX OCTOBER 2021
08 CAPLER CAMP 07 HATFIELD HEATH
MIDLANDS
SOUTH EAST
DON’T MISS... DON’T MISS...

The lovely The 15th- START
6 1
thatched of century
half-timbered
STA
All Saints’ at
RT
Brockhampton is one Marriage Feast Hall
of the finest examples that sits behind
1
of an Arts and Crafts Matching church. 2
church in the country. 6
follow path onto road and turn

of the hill. Just beyond, bear 5 R. Continue carefully uphill past
R on a track. Keep ahead at entrance to Down Hall.
a fork, but then branch R on a

waymarked path, a few yards 2 miles/3.3km
on. Curve R at the top and then 4 At foot of the hill, turn R 5
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
keep ahead through a gate

3
opposite metal gateway along 3
between the ramparts of edge of field, hedge on R.
Capler Camp. Follow path L around far end of
field and turn R at waymarked
5 miles/8km 3 post over stile. Continue past
4 Passing a cottage and pond. Turn L with stream and
barn, walk on down at the edge tall willows on L. In next field,
of grazing to a stile. A stepped keep R along hedge for a while 4
path drops through trees to a and turn R over stile. Turn L
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
gate at the bottom. Continue alongside field, following path

downhill beside a couple of 2 gently R and L again. Turn L
fields before emerging into a down steps through thorn straight on the wooded path 5¼ miles/8.5km
yard. Leave L to a narrow lane clearing. Go L, but immediately tree-tunnelled path down to a bushes and over bridge. Head for ½ mile. 6 Beyond Thatched Cottage,
and turn R to the main lane. fork R by a blue waypost. A meeting of tracks. Take that off diagonally R over another turn R along pavement beside
descending path leads to a second L, dropping to bend of bridge to Matching church. 4¼ miles/7km Matching Road for nearly ½
5¼ miles/8.4km gate/stile at the bottom of the a lane and follow it ahead back 5 At end of path, turn L and mile. When road forks, head
5 Go L for 50m to find a wood. As the way broadens to down to Fownhope. Cross the 2¾ miles/4.5km then immediately R through slightly L over village green,
track off R. Leave that almost a field, bear R up to a final main street and continue along 4 Go through gate into houses. Keep straight along past large oak, towards Co-op.
immediately through a kissing gate onto a lane. Capler Lane opposite, turning R churchyard. Turn R past porch drive with Parvilles farm on Head L near bus stop to return
gate and follow a diagonal trod back to the car park. and out of gate by old hall. L. Continue downhill and L to church.
L across pasture towards trees. 6½ miles/10.5km Turn sharp L down lane back around lake. Keep straight past
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
Keep the line down the next 6 Cross to a drive diagonally past church. Continue R and second lake. At far end, turn R
opposite (not adjacent track).
field, passing through trees at OS MAPS ONLINE: R again around large pond. over footbridge (if you are still OS MAPS ONLINE:
the bottom to another field. As the tarmac ends, bear L on Follow lane L and keep straight on upper path, walk down
Head away beside orchard a rising path along a wooded for ¼ mile. Turn R onto winding the bank first). Turn R beside
meadow, continuing along a ridge. Eventually slip through IN ASSOCIATION WITH Downhall Road past Stonehall stream and L up path between IN ASSOCIATION WITH
ridge to Paget’s Wood. Bear a gate and then fork R across Cottage. Turn L onto lane fields. Near farm, turn R on
R and ignore paths off L until the small meadow to leave the with asign for Kingstons Farm. track past Gibsons and then L
you reach a junction in a small reserve at the bottom. Follow a When the lane bends R, keep up the lane.
✁
09WARWICKSHIRE 10 STAFFORDSHIRE
MIDLANDS
MIDLANDS
WELFORD-ON-AVON & DORSINGTON BROCTON FIELD & ABRAHAM’S VALLEY
A
uDistance: 8¼ miles/13.3km uTime: 4½ hours uGrade: Moderate B uDistance: 7½ miles/12km uTime: 4½ hours uGrade: Moderate
PLAN YOUR WALK E E PLAN YOUR WALK
SE TUR E 16
Explore miles of heath
A G and woodland on the
FE PA Cannnock Chase plateau.
ON

PHOTO: ROGER BUTLER
ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking Welford-on- Start/parking Chase Road
The weir on the Avon next Avon, grid ref SP148522, Corner car park (free), grid
to Bidford Grange lock. postcode CV37 8EB ref SJ980175, ST17 0TN
Is it for me? Riverside Is it for me? Forest tracks
path, fields and quiet lanes and footpaths, some
CHOSEN BY… arboretum, where there’s an Stiles 2 CHOSEN BY… descending steadily into narrower paths muddy
ROGER BUTLER eye-catching mix of moated NICK HALLISSEY Sherbrook Valley. Near to after rain. Two stretches
The idyllic woods, manors and contemporary PLANNING Day 1 of a perfect bottom, join larger track and of ascent/descent
fields and rivers architecture. The route crosses Nearest town walking weekend turn R to descend to stream Stiles None
around Stratford-upon-Avon old ridge and furrow before Stratford-upon-Avon exploring the highlights of (Sher Brook). Cross via small
Refreshments PLANNING
are often referred to as passing to the west of Welford Cannock Chase, with its unique stepping stones. At junction of
Pubs in Welford-on-Avon Nearest towns Cannock,
Shakespeare Country and this Hill to return to the black and and Barton habitats and fascinating paths on far side, take L path, Rugeley, Stafford
varied walk also includes three white cottages of Welford. Public toilets None heritage. Both walks start from winding north then sharp R Refreshments None
scenic villages where thatched Public transport Nearest the same car park. This longer (ignoring branching path) and Public toilets None
1
cottages line narrow lanes and Start station at Stratford-upon- walk heads to the northern climbing steadily to reach trig Public transport
small greens. Welford-on-Avon Go L on path at bottom of Avon. Bus 27 to Welford area, visiting the First World point by major path junction. Chaserider bus 74
(diamondbuses.com) (Walsall-Cannock-
is clustered by the River Avon lane and walk through alleyway Maps OS Explorer 206
War firing range, beautiful Stafford) stops at Camp
and a scenic riverside path
leads west towards the small
village of Barton. From here,
between houses. Follow Avon

Valley Way signs and walk past
caravans to gap on R of gate
Landranger 151 Abraham’s Valley, the famed

stepping stones and the low
hills of Brocton.
2 1¾ miles/1.1km
At junction, take second L
(Marquis Drive) north, enclosed
Road car park close to

start (chaserider.co.uk)
footpaths cross fields and pass with path ahead between through copse of willows to by low hedges making for taller Landranger 127 and 128
through parts of the emerging
Heart of England Forest.
Extensive new woods and
fences. This becomes a broad

path running above and parallel
to the river. Continue to steel
another kissing gate and cross

footbridge, with corrugated
barn on far side of river.
1 Start
From far end of car park,
two paths lead onto heathland.
trees ahead. Entering trees,

reach First World War firing
range, then retrace steps to 3 2 miles/3km
Turn L and head north-
copses have been established, kissing gate with steps to field. Take L path, keeping copse L, first branching path L. At major west through Abraham’s Valley
and ponds and barns have
been restored. A lane runs east
Find another kissing gate after
250m and cross large field to 2 1½ miles/2.25km
Continue to grass path,
soon reaching large crossroads
of tracks. Cross main track and
crossroads, continue ahead,
descending to major crossing
for 1.2 miles/2km (ignore
branching paths), eventually
into Dorsington, past a large another kissing gate. Walk with fence on L, and continue ➥ take track heading north-east, track in Abraham’s Valley. passing a series of pools R and ➥
600 600
400 400
metres
metres
200 200
0 0
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
✁
STAFFORDSHIRE OCTOBER 2021 WARWICKSHIRE OCTOBER 2021
10 BROCTON FIELD & ABRAHAM’S VALLEY 09 WELFORD-ON-AVON & DORSINGTON
MIDLANDS
MIDLANDS
6 START
4 1
3
2
5
4
7
7
5

DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
2 by river through two gates. go R around properties and footbridge with two gates.
ST
AR Continue, with rough pasture continue with hedge on L. Walk Cross field with ridge and
T on L, cross small footbridge downhill and L at waymark. furrow to kissing gate at lane.
with gate and keep ahead, Turn R at next waymark and Go straight over to kissing gate
1
riverside hedge on R. Go down to bridge over stream. and cross stile in next fence.
through kissing gate, ignore Veer L to kissing gate in L
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
Oakedge shooting ground, also climb, before double gateway, 6½ miles/10.4km path forking L across field and 4½ miles/7.3km corner with small footbridge.
R. Track veers L to emerge in turn L on path climbing steadily 7 Cross car park and go through kissing gate with 5 Go through trees to pool in Go R on path with fence on L,
Beggar’s Hill picnic area. to top of Oat Hill. Continue continue ahead (south) on footbridge by derelict shed. Colletts Wood with memorial hedge on R. Go through gate
ahead to reach junction of Heart of England Way over bench. Continue to gap and on and L to gate at Hunt Hall Farm.
3 miles/5km paths, taking slight L path heathland. Just after trig point 2 miles/3.3km to kissing gate. Turn R here for
4 Take first path branching L down to Long Mere (may only and glacial boulder, branch R 3 Bidford Grange lock, with 400m, then follow path around 7¼ miles/11.5km
and continue ahead at next be a stream in summer). on grassy path towards road. adjacent weir, is ahead – walk two sharp bends to track. Turn 7 Go L through farmyard, join
crossroads of paths. Follow Just before road, turn sharp L past this and follow riverside to L – track becomes a lane and lane to road. Turn R and after
wide track heading uphill into 5 miles/8.5km on path across heathland. Pass cross footbridge over stream. passes entrance to sculpture 200m turn L onto Headland
woods. Continue for 1 mile, 6 Passing round top end of small pond and then return to Go through car park area and park. Leave lane on L when it Road. Walk to church and turn
passing through a steep-sided mere, take path L, climbing car park. turn L on track to lane. Turn R crosses stream and enter R up lane back to start.
valley and descending to small hill (Pudding Hill) and and walk to Marton, Cottage of arboretum. Leave arboretum
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
stepping stones over Sher descending on far side to join Content pub by bend. by stile near top of lane and go
Brook at Devil’s Dumble. crossing track (Heart of OS MAPS ONLINE: L to T-junction in Dorsington. OS MAPS ONLINE:
England Way). Turn L and 3 miles/5km
4 miles/7km follow track, passing unnamed 4 At next bend fork L on 6 miles/9.5km
5 Cross stepping stones then mere R. Continue on embanked IN ASSOCIATION WITH track by village flagpole. Walk 6 Turn L and fork R at green IN ASSOCIATION WITH
turn R on wide stony track path which weaves through uphill, pass barn on R and join by church. Go through kissing
north-west. Track veers sharp R Mere Valley, eventually to tarmac track to three houses at gate on L after 150m, walk to
round Harts Hill. After a slight Coppice Hill car park. Barton Hill. Follow waymarks to small gate in fence and cross
✁
11 STAFFORDSHIRE 12 EAST
MIDLANDS
MIDLANDS
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
BROCTON FIELD & BRINDLEY VALLEY LEAKE
uDistance: 6 miles/9.7km uTime: 4 hours uGrade: Moderate uDistance: 7½ miles/12.1km uTime: 3 hours uGrade: Moderate
E E Passing through the PLAN YOUR WALK Looking towards West Leake PLAN YOUR WALK
SE TUR E 16 Sherbrook Valley. from base of West Leake Hills.
A G
FE PA
ON
PHOTO: CAROL BURKINSHAW

ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking Chase Road Start/parking Free car
Corner car park (free), grid park next to Meadow Park,
ref SJ980175, ST17 0TN Gotham Road, East Leake,
Is it for me? Forest tracks postcode LE12 6PF, grid
and paths, some narrower ref SK554264
CHOSEN BY…
NICK HALLISSEY
The second day of
1 Start
Standing at car park
entrance and facing road, turn
paths muddy after rain.

Gentle ascents/descents
Stiles None
CHOSEN BY…
CAROL
BURKINSHAW
Trent Valley to Nottingham.

Later, descending the West
Leake Hills, to the mellow
Is it for me? Public park,

well-marked, gently
undulating paths/tracks
our Cannock Chase L (south) on footpath. Enter This predominantly red-brick cottages of the linear (prone to mud from Grand
weekend is slightly shorter, woodland, running parallel to PLANNING farmland and woodland circuit settlement of West Leake, Central Railway to Fox Hill
Nearest towns Cannock, and around Manor Farm),
allowing for a good pause at road. Pass Anson’s Bank car explores the gently rolling views open up south towards plus quiet roads
Rugeley, Stafford
the main visitor centre (with park R and continue on path, Refreshments Spring West Leake Hills and two Loughborough. And finally, Stiles 3
café) on Marquis’s Drive. eventually emerging on metal Slade Lodge tearoom; contrasting villages – East and back in East Leake, the
Starting from the same car access track close to junction café at Cannock Chase West Leake – at the foot of route passes through the PLANNING
park as Day 1, today’s route with road (note Spring Slade Visitor Centre this mini-elevation (95m). settlement’s historic core, Nearest town
heads southwards. You’ll pass Lodge tearoom on other side Public toilets Recorded in the Domesday which clusters around its Loughborough
At visitor centre Refreshments Choice in
the haunting Katyn Memorial of road). Turn L on metalled Public transport
Book as ‘Leche’, an Anglo- green and Sheepwash Brook. East Leake, plus just off
(commemorating the massacre track to reach Katyn Memorial. Chaserider bus 74 Saxon word meaning wet land, route Star Inn, Melton
of 22,000 Poles by Soviet
secret police in 1940) and the
German Military Cemetery, 2 ¾ mile/1.3km
Retrace steps along track
(Walsall-Cannock-
Stafford) stops at Camp
Road car park close to
East Leake has grown around

two brooks, and nowadays has
more of a feel of a small town
1 Start
With back to Gotham Road,
pick up surfaced path in far
Lane, West Leake

Public toilets Opposite car
park entrance at start
start (chaserider.co.uk) Public transport Bus 1
resting place of 5,000 but turn L just before road than a village about it. After L-hand corner of car park,
Maps OS Explorer 244, Notts-Loughborough
German servicemen killed junction to continue south-east Landranger 127 and 128 walking beside Kingston Brook which passes bowling club, and (Notts City Transport) and
over British soil in the two on path through woodland. At through East Leake’s Meadow crosses Sheepwash Brook to 863 Keyworth-Ruddington
World Wars, as well as crossroads of paths, continue Park this outing then ascends junction/sculpture. Turn R into (Nottsbus Connect)
exploring the beautiful ahead, later crossing small access track, detour R to visit Fox Hill to join the Midshires Meadow Park to meet Kingston Maps OS Explorer 246;
Brindley Valley and the open parking area (German cemetery Commonwealth War Graves, Way to a ridge that offers an Brook. Ignore bridge, and walk Landranger 129
heathland of Brocton Field. through trees L). At metalled then return along access track ➥ expansive vista north over the L with brook R. Nearing end of ➥
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200 200
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km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
✁
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE OCTOBER 2021 STAFFORDSHIRE OCTOBER 2021
12 EAST LEAKE 11 BROCTON FIELD & BRINDLEY VALLEY
MIDLANDS
MIDLANDS
park, path moves slightly L to arrive at German Military

away from watercourse to go Cemetery entrance.
1 START
under railway.
4 1¾ miles/2.7km
½ mile/0.8km 3 After visiting, turn L on
2 Immediately divert R access track downhill for a
through woodland and bend short distance, but at edge of
L beside Kingston Brook to perimeter fence of cemetery,
footbridge. Cross bridge turn R on footpath heading 6
2
and swerve L at marker post south-east. Continue to reach
to rejoin watercourse to the road (Penkridge Bank). Cross
T-junction. Ascend R, later with care and continue ahead
tracing field border L and then 3 on path on far side. At next
R to intersection with Midshires road, cross and follow small

Way at summit of Fox Hill. path into trees on far side.
T
At crossing path, turn L and 3
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
AR
1½ miles/2.4km follow path through woods. 4
ST
Walk R along bridleway, 2 At clearing, take wide track L. 5
1
3
which curves L at Fox Hill Farm 5 Emerging onto open heathland,
and becomes a wide gravel take R fork heading south-east.
track. Disregard track L, and At next junction, turn L on wide
stick forwards to T-junction/ track down into Brindley Valley
marker post. Bear L along top to meet crossing track.
edge of Rushcliffe Golf Club to
gate. Continue across Court 2¾ miles/4.3km 3¾ miles/5.9km 5 miles/8km
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
Hill, with an outlook across the 4 Turn R and follow valley 5 Pass a play area and join 6 Cross this track and second
Trent Valley – the village of path, passing pond and waymarked trail into woods. parallel track, and continue on
Gotham is in the foreground walkway L (not marked on At access road, turn L (Marquis’s far side, climbing steadily. Take
and the city of Nottingham R and L twice to T-junction/ to road. Walk L over railway map). Shortly after pond, turn Drive) and pass large open second track R, over knoll with
in the distance – as far as marker in field corner. Turn R and descend into East Leake L on newly-made path (white meadow L. The track joins the birch trees. Ignore branching
crossroads/fingerpost. on footpath to next marker to roundabout. Veer L, and arrow waymarker), climbing to main road; turn R and continue paths. Path veers L then R to
post. Climb stile L, cross middle when road curves R at viewing platform. Locate wide on roadside for a short distance major crossing track. Turn R
3 miles/4.8km of field, and stay forwards to church/village green, branch path behind platform and turn to Flints Corner. Cross the road then L to resume northward
4 Head L through gate and road at West Leake. L onto footpath to junction/ R, parallel to valley below. by cottages and continue course, and go ahead, ignoring
follow R-hand field boundary sculpture. Go R to retrace Follow track, which descends ahead on track into woods crossroad and branching paths,
to edge of Leake New Wood. 5 miles/8.1km steps to start. back into valley, to connect (Heart of England Way). Keep to return to car park.
Divert R and shortly L through Divert L, and swing R with valley path. Turn L and on this line, with two brief
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
woodland. Exiting trees,

5
at end of village. Go over reach Duffields car park and R-then-L wiggles on crossing
descend grassy path to Kingston Brook, and when OS MAPS ONLINE: emerge on road. Turn L on tracks. Carefully cross the road OS MAPS ONLINE:
intersection at base of West lane bends L, maintain verge for short distance, then (Penkridge Bank) and continue
Leake Hills. Bear L along direction up track. At Manor cross road and turn R on Nine on a stony track on far side,
woodland perimeter to marker Farm negotiate gate and turn IN ASSOCIATION WITH Gates car park access track. descending to major crossing IN ASSOCIATION WITH
post at one-time farm. Go R on L in several metres to track Just after parking area, turn L track. Turn L and then descend
gravel track, and take second L-hand field borders. Beyond on path climbing through into Sherbrook Valley to reach
track L. Clear field route jinks Calke Hall Farm path arcs R woods to visitor centre. crossing track.
✁
13 WICKEN
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
14 CROWLAND
LINCOLNSHIRE
EAST
EAST
FEN
A
uDistance: 7¾ miles/12.4km uTime: 4 hours uGrade: Easy uDistance: 8½ miles/13.7km uTime:3¼ hours uGrade: Easy B
E E PLAN YOUR WALK PLAN YOUR WALK
SE TUR E 56
Crossing Cock-up Bridge and A footbridge crosses the
A G bearing left at point 5. Welland at Four Mile Bar.
FE PA
ON

PHOTO: LYNNE MAXWELL
ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking NT Wicken Start/parking Trinity
Fen car park, free for Bridge, at junction of
members (£3 non- North, South, East and
members), open dawn to West Streets, Crowland
dusk; grid ref TL566706, (roadside parking on
CHOSEN BY… birds, including the bittern and postcode CB7 5XP CHOSEN BY… 14th-century Trinity Bridge North or West Street,
LYNNE MAXWELL marsh harrier. Harder to miss Is it for me? Level, obvious CAROL once marked the confluence or Crowland Abbey car
Flat it may be, but are the free-roaming herds paths. Expect puddles and BURKINSHAW of theses waterways, but now park); grid ref TF239102,
this watery fenland of hardy Konik ponies and mud after heavy rain Crowland is a small stands high and dry. Heading postcode PE6 0EL
Stiles None Is it for me? Easy
walk is awash with wildlife and Highland cattle, brought in market town on the southern north out of Crowland you
navigation on riverside/
big skies. A surviving fragment as specialist grazers. Adult PLANNING fringe of the Lincolnshire Fens. track the Welland out into the quiet lanes/town roads
of the once vast Great Fen, admission to Wicken Fen NNR Nearest town Ely The settlement’s origins date fenland landscape, and then Stiles 5
Wicken Fen is one of Britain’s is £8, see nationaltrust.org.uk/ Refreshments The Docky back to the early 8th century return beside the roughly
earliest nature reserves – wicken-fen for details. Hut café at start (01353 when a monk, named Guthlac, parallel New River (Drain). PLANNING
in the care of the National 720274), The Maids Head, established a hermit cell The ruins of Crowland Abbey Nearest town Crowland
1
Trust since 1899. There’s an Start Wicken (Wed-Sun, 01353 on land raised above the (open to the public) are a Refreshments Choice in
727762), The Five Miles Crowland and just off
admission fee for Sedge Fen Turn L out of car park down From Anywhere, Upware
surrounding marshy Fens. In familiar landmark throughout route Ye Olde Bridge Inn
(free for members) and its lane, passing Visitor Centre on (01353 721654) 716 King Ethelbald of Mercia this route. near Fen Bridge/Welland
Boardwalk and Nature Trails R. Follow path with Wicken Public toilets Car park founded a Benedictine abbey Public toilets
(summer only), but our route
explores the wider reserve,
where dogs on leads are
Lode (waterway) on R and past

silver windpump used to pump
alkaline water into the fen from
and behind café

Public transport None
for St Guthlac on the ‘island’,

and a community began to
grow around its ecclesiastical
1 Start
From Trinity Bridge (before
setting off it’s worthwhile
West Street, Crowland

Public transport Bus 37
Spalding-Peterborough
Landranger 154 (stagecoachbus.com)
welcome. Obvious paths make the lode. Just past Wicken showpiece. Until the draining standing on top of this unusual Maps OS Explorer 235;
it easy to follow, leaving time Poors’ Fen (common land of the Fens two rivers ran structure to look along Landranger 142
to enjoy the scenery and less where villagers could collect and bear L on path. Monk’s along Crowland’s main streets, Crowland’s main streets –
time with your head in a map. sedge and peat), immediately Lode is on L. Tall stems of which is the reason that today North, East, South and West)
5000 waterfowl overwinter beyond Adventurers’ Fen sign, yarrow and white-cupped these roads are so wide. The head along West Street, which T-junction with West Bank.
here, joining waders and other cross wooden Norman’s Bridge Morning Glory thread through ➥ town centre’s triangular curves R, signed The Lake, to a Go R along this lane and take ➥
600 600
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metres
200 200
0 0
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
✁
LINCOLNSHIRE OCTOBER 2021 CAMBRIDGESHIRE OCTOBER 2021
EAST
EAST
14 CROWLAND 13 WICKEN FEN
the next L onto the B1166. This bankside vegetation while

section of the B road up to the 3 water lilies dress the stream.
Fen Bridge/Welland is known Continue until track divides by
as the Gravel Causeway. You sign with Wicken Fen Vision 1
TRAIL
can either walk along the pink binoculars logo. STA
RT
footpath, over a series of
footbridges, on the R-hand 1¼ miles/2km
verge, or wander beside The 2 Turn sharp R, following 5 2
6
Lake on the L. This narrow cycle track through Baker’s
stretch of water, the remains 4 Fen, long and straight to Priory
of a canal cut to link the Farm. Look out for wheatear
Welland to Crowland, is now from March to October and, in
a recreational area strung with winter, birds of prey wheeling
picnic benches and is popular above. Just before small car

3
with fishermen. park a log pile in field on R is a
favourite early morning seat for
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
¾ mile/1.21km a Little Owl. The Environment

2 Do not cross Fen Bridge Agency sign for Cockup Bridge
– unless visiting Ye Old Bridge refers to the wooden and
Inn, which is just out of sight concrete structure nearby but
behind the water tower – you bear R and up steps to
and instead turn R along the cross the bridge ahead.
embankment of the Welland. 4
In the distance to your R is 2 miles/3.2km
Wash Bank above the New Turn L along Burwell Lode.
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
River Drain, along which you

3
After 400m, turn R along
will return to Crowland. If the National Cycle Network route reeds on R, with occasional 6 miles/9.5km
water level of the Welland 11 through Burwell Fen. Path glimpses of water. Views open 6 Turn R down Harrison’s
gets too high, the Wash area 2 bears R to glinting arch of up to reveal moored boats on Drove at black board showing
RT
STA
between it and the New River Reach Lode Bridge. Cross and the approach to Upware lock directions to Upware and
is allowed to flood. Later the 1 continue straight for some 50m and sluice. Wicken, and binoculars logo.
Welland almost converges with to reach clearing with metal Path can get muddy. After
the New River Drain, but you signed bridleway and when it Street. From Ye Olde Abbey figures commemorating 5½ miles/8.9km about 850 yards turn L,
continue with the former to a swings L at Cloot House ascend pub, the abbey is to your L, Fenlanders. Turn back on 5 Turn R over bridge, rejoining Monk’s Lode and
metal footbridge. Wash Bank ahead. and the Trinity Bridge start yourself towards bridge to being careful of traffic, and retrace steps over Norman’s
point is to the R. turn L along path or climb immediately R to follow Bridge back to start.
4½ miles/7.24km 6¼ miles/10.06km embankment for better views. opposite bank of Reach Lode
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
3 Divert R along a track to a 4 Beside a pumping station along public bridleway. Cross
fingerpost and cross the New the embankment bends L and OS MAPS ONLINE: 3½ miles/5.7km wooden bridge (another OS MAPS ONLINE:
River to a road junction at then passes in between ponds/ Long grassy embankment Cock-up, named for the cock
Brotherhouse Bar. Note the disused pits. Nearing Crowland,
4
continues to the triangular- horses used for towing boats
remains of St Guthlac’s Cross, climb a stile onto a gravel IN ASSOCIATION WITH shaped pond, where Burwell on the lodes). Bear diagonally IN ASSOCIATION WITH
probably one of Crowland track and continue to a road Lode joins Reach Lode. L towards Wicken Fen sign.
Abbey’s medieval boundary junction. Bear L, and at a Continue, with views over Follow grassy track with
markers. Go sharp R on lane/ T-junction turn R into Hall farmland to L and a wall of Wicken Lode on L.
✁
NORTH WEST
NORTH WEST
15 CHESHIRE
MACCLESFIELD CANAL & BOSLEY MINN
A
16 LANCASHIRE
LANCASTER MARSHES & CANAL
A
uDistance: 11½ miles/18.5km uTime: 4 hours uGrade: Moderate B uDistance: 11 miles/18km uTime: 4 hours uGrade: Moderate B
Looking out over the Cheshire PLAN YOUR WALK PLAN YOUR WALK
Plain above Hanging Gate Farm.
PHOTO: DENNIS KELSALL
PHOTO: JAMES DEBOO

ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking Large lay-by Start/parking Lancaster
in Bosley, postcode SK11 The leisurely stretch near railway station, Lancaster,
0NX, grid ref SJ918655 Conder Green picnic site. postcode LA1 5NW, grid
Is it for me? Canal ref SD472616
towpath, tracks, some lane Is it for me? An easy, level
CHOSEN BY…
DENNIS KELSALL
Connecting the Trent
1 Start
Take the main road south,
leaving beside the church
Stiles 6
PLANNING
CHOSEN BY…
JAMES DEBOO
This watery walk is
R, uphill to Castle Park, then

L past Lancaster Castle and
Priory. Take footpath downhill,
walk accessibile from

Lancaster Station Quiet,
route. Picnic site with café
and Mersey to the through kissing gate on the R. Nearest town Macclesfield leisurely in all but signposted Roman Bath-House, and toilets halfway round
Refreshments Harrington Stiles 4
Peak Forest, the Macclesfield Skirt graveyard and continue length. From Lancaster Station Maritime Museum and St
Arms, by start at Bosley
Canal runs 26 miles along over bridge. Walk on at field and Priory, with panoramic George’s Quay. Down steps PLANNING
(01260 223113)
Cheshire’s eastern hilly fringe. edge before dipping into trees Public toilets None views of Morecambe Bay, the (bath house on your R), cross Nearest town Lancaster
Arguably, its most interesting by stream and then beneath Public transport Bus 109 route follows the Lancashire the cycle path: Vicarage Refreshments Greenfinch
section is that explored on this abandoned railway bridge. Macclesfield-Leek to Coastal Way south along the Terrace and stone steps lead Café at Conder Green;
splendid walk, which includes Emerge through yard and Bosley (dgbus.co.uk) Lune estuary to the River onto St George’s Quay. Go L, options in Lancaster
an impressive 14m-high follow lane R across River Dane. Maps OS Explorer 268; Conder at Conder Green. under rail bridge. At Lune Public toilets At start;
Landranger 118 at Conder Green
aqueduct above the River Turning inland, the walk climbs Industrial Estate keep R onto Public transport Trains to
Dane and the canal’s 12 locks
lifting it through 36m. A climb
through seemingly forgotten
2 ¾ mile/1.2km
Immediately over the
bridge, leave along track on
and then climbing past 12-lock
rise of Bosley staircase. Keep
to a dizzying 30m before

joining the Lancaster Canal for
the return to Lancaster, where
riverside footpath. After 500m

footpath joins from L: keep
ahead. Keep ahead at second
start, plus buses 11, 4/4X

Landranger 97 and 102
woodland takes the way onto the R. Entering trees, cross stile going for another 1¾ miles to leafy footpaths lead through footpath: continue south then
the open high ground behind, and footbridge and then go R lane and swing bridge (No 49). a community nature reserve southeast 1.5km to picnic table
with unbeatable views of the to the Macclesfield Canal. back to the station. at Aldcliffe Lane. On the far passing the solar panels
surrounding hills and Cheshire
Plain. The ramble returns past
the Bosley Reservoir, built to 3 1¼ miles/1.9km
Cross and drop R to the
4 4⅓ miles/7km
Turn off R, crossing main
road to continue along Ratcliffe 1 Start
From Lancaster Station east
bank is the Golden Ball Inn,

closed at the time of writing.
at Stodday and Ashton
Golf Centre to reach the
Conder Green picnic site
supply the canal’s water, now
popular with birdwatchers.
towpath. Walk away, crossing
the impressive Dane Aqueduct
Road. At the bend, leave R
along rising track. Branch L at ➥
(southbound) side, head L up
concrete ramp onto rail bridge: 2 2¾ miles/4.6km
Continue south for 4.2km,
(with its useful public toilets
and café). ➥
600 600
400 400
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metres
200 200
0 0
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✁
LANCASHIRE OCTOBER 2021 CHESHIRE OCTOBER 2021
16 LANCASTER MARSHES & CANAL 15 MACCLESFIELD CANAL & BOSLEY MINN
NORTH WEST
NORTH WEST
DON’T MISS... later fork, eventually reaching

some container sheds.
The view at Abandoning the track, cross 4
the start from sharp L to gate from which
1 START
Lancaster a wooded path follows the
Priory; seabirds over catch-water drain. Keeping the
the Lune estuary; ditch on your R, carry on until a
and lunchtime at couple of wooden bridges lead
Conder Green. to kissing gate. The path climbs 5
away to another gate. Turn L
on wider path, soon breaking
2 6
The wonky house at from the trees to track. Go L
St George’s Quay. again, climbing gently and
eventually to warning notices.

6 miles/9.6km
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
Leave L through gate to 1

START
5
join another track that curves
up to Fairyhough Farm. Bear 8
L in front of the house, and 7
negotiate a couple of gates and 3
stile to the field behind. Head 2
out, closing with the R-hand
wall and on along a developing
track. At the end, go R but
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
immediately branch up L to gate by seat on the R. A trod below dam. Steps take the
PHOTO: JAMES DEBOO

gate. Turn R along the broad curves away L, eventually path over an outflow, but then
shoulder of Crocker Hill, approaching stile by power branch L to kissing gate. Walk
5½ miles/8.8km 3 keeping ahead as tracks join cables. Don’t cross, instead go on to stile and bear R across a
3 Keep L, past Stork Inn. Go to pass the transmitter tower. R by the fence on faint track. large field. Through a gate, go
L on A588 for 50m (cross road 4 Where that shortly bends R, R by hedge, passing through
for pavement) then take lane R. 7⅓ miles/11.8km leave ahead to find narrow kissing gate at the end. Walk
At electricity substation take fence R through gateway to Continue ahead, following 6 Just beyond the path dropping between trees away through a dip to kissing
footpath on L through stile. stile onto canal towpath. Go L, Sunnyside Lane to T junction compound, leave through gate to gate. Continue down, gate at the far side onto the
Cross two fields to corner of north, and follow towpath. with Westbourne Road. Go R on the L beside Lingerds Farm. crossing footbridge before main road. Cross and turn R
Crow Wood: continue east to return to station. Head away through succession rising to track. Follow that back into the village.
across two more fields to 7 miles/11.1km of gates, ultimately meeting forward to Stilesmeadow Farm.
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
Parkside Farm. Stile/gate leads 4 Follow towpath for 3 miles main road. Follow it L then take Walk between house and barn
across farmyard to gate. Along (5km) to junction with Aldcliffe
OS MAPS ONLINE: first track off R. Stick with main then bear R to contained path OS MAPS ONLINE:
fence to gateway R: through Rd. Cross road L, take footpath track as it follows the long, beside a large shed. Joining a
gateway path continues east west, curving north round broad ridge of Wincle Minn. drive, walk out to lane and go R.
along south side of fence to Fairfield nature reserve. IN ASSOCIATION WITH IN ASSOCIATION WITH
kissing gate. Continue east: Reaching houses go R, follow 9¼ miles/14.8km 10½ miles/16.8km
cross stile into Forerigg Wood, footpath north through nature 7 After some 1½ miles, at 8 Approaching Bosley
second stile into field; follow reserve to Sunnyside Lane. a bend, leave through kissing Reservoir, turn off L and bear L
✁
NORTH WEST
NORTH EAST
17COPELAND
CUMBRIA
FOREST FELLS
A W N
18 DALE
SOUTH YORKSHIRE
DIKE RESERVOIR
uDistance: 11¾ miles/18.9km uTime: 7 hours uGrade: Challenging B S E uDistance: 5¾ miles/9.4km uTime: 3 hours uGrade: Moderate
Epic vista of the Scafell Massif PLAN YOUR WALK The cast iron bridge over the Dale PLAN YOUR WALK
from near the summit of Haycock. Dyke Reservoir dam spillway.
PHOTO: GEOGRAPH/STEVE FAREHAM

PHOTO: JAMES FORREST
ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking Small layby Start/parking The Sands
on lakeshore road next car park in Low Bradfield
to Wastwater, grid ref near cricket ground, grid
NY151054 ref SK262920, S6 6LA
Is it for me? Fell paths Is it for me? Good paths/
CHOSEN BY…
JAMES FORREST
Visitors to Wastwater
verges next to road. Beyond

Goat Gill, turn L off road and
take trod traversing north.
with rocky ground and

rough, steep terrain; some
pathless sections
CHOSEN BY…
STEVE GOODIER
Cradled by Bradfield
1 Start
Exit carpark to main road
to fork R uphill. Continue ahead
tracks. Some quiet lane

walking. Plenty of ups/
downs and some forest
are spoilt for walking Cross un-named stream and Stiles 1 Dale on the eastern at junction R (Windy Bank). walking
Stiles 4
options, with most drawn by continue north to reach fence fringes of the Peak District, Follow Annete Lane that
PLANNING
the allure of Scafell Pike line. Here path follows fence Dale Dike Reservoir supplies descends to junction with Blind PLANNING
Nearest town Gosforth
(England’s highest peak), north, with Nether Beck Refreshments Wasdale drinking water to the city of Side Lane L. Continue ahead up Nearest town Sheffield
the Mosedale Horseshoe flowing in steep-sided ravine Head Inn (019467 26229) Sheffield. A circuit of its Dale Road (signposted Strines/ Refreshments The
(a ridge-walking epic) or to R. After fence ends, head Public toilets None on wooded banks from Low Derwent Valley). Follow lane Schoolrooms café and The
dramatic peaks such as north and northwest into long, route. Nearest at Wasdale Bradfield makes a pleasant rising and falling to eventually Plough pub (0114 2851280;
Yewbarrow and Kirk Fell. But remote valley. Stick to path as Head car park, CA20 1EX walk, joining up country lanes, reach a point where it bends theploughinnlowbradfield.
Public transport None co.uk) in Low Bradfield
to the north-west of the lake, you head northwest, crossing Maps OS Explorer OL6,
forest tracks and waterside right near bridleway L and Public toilets Near Low
the Copeland Forest fells Standy Gill and Ash Gill. Follow Landranger 89; Harvey footpaths. All is peaceful now, signs for Dale Road/Thompson Bradfield village hall
provide similarly superlative path as it veers slightly R to S’walker Lake District West but the dale was the scene of House Green. Public transport Buses
hillwalking terrain. This route cross Ladcrag Beck. Continue an horrific disaster on March 11, 61/62 from Hillsborough
2
ticks off four Wainwrights – north, following line of Nether 1864. Dale Dike Reservoir was 1½ miles/2.5km to Bradfield (travelsouth
yorkshire.com)
Haycock, Caw Fell, Seatallan Beck. Cross Waver Beck and along wall to Haycock’s summit being filled for the first time Go diagonally L down
Maps OS Explorer OL1;
and Buckbarrow – and serves arrive at Little Lad Crag. At cairn to L of wall. when the dam wall collapsed track/bridleway passing Landranger 110
up gorgeous views of the boggy hollow, veer slightly L, and 3 million cubic metres of through gate to take track
Scafell Massif throughout. and climb steeply north to col
between Haycock and Scoat 2 4½ miles/7.2km
Descend west and
water swept down the Loxley
Valley killing 244 people. The
beyond. Descend through gate
opening to go R on access near entrance to Hallfield go
1 Start
Head northeast on grassy
Fell. At cairn next to old wall,
turn L and ascend southwest
northwest on faint path to L
of wall. Before Little Gowder ➥
tragedy is known as the Great
Sheffield Flood.
track. Rise to pass through gate
descending beyond. At gate
L through gate following
Permissive Alternative Route. ➥
1200 600
800 400
metres
metres
400 200
0 0
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
✁
SOUTH YORKSHIRE OCTOBER 2021 CUMBRIA OCTOBER 2021
18 DALE DIKE RESERVOIR 17 COPELAND FOREST FELLS
NORTH EAST
NORTH WEST
uOS Explorer map OL1 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map OL6 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop
DON’T MISS...
2
STA The chance to
RT
1 pause at a
2 rocky outcrop
5 just to the SE of
Haycock’s summit –
it’s the perfect place
to ogle the Scafell
4 Massif in all its glory.
Crag, veer L on path to bypass 3

craggy hump. Continue west to

col below Caw Fell and ascend
easily. Pass slightly beyond
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
highest point and turn R

3 through gap in wall. Cross stile,
turn R and head to cairned
summit. Go back through
gap and head east. To avoid
Descend going R and R again as reservoir opens out. Follow bridge. Continue shortly going re-ascending Haycock only
4
around hall. Pass through gate reservoir bank over bridge L over stile before fork in lane. to descend its southern ridge,
going L on hillside track. Pass and stay ahead at two path Take path over field rising to instead take traversing shortcut
through gate continuing to junctions to pass building in continue in trees on more of ESE over gentle and grassy
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
START
descend through another gate. woods to reach dam wall L. a level. Cross brook and (but pathless) slopes. Aim for 1
After Stubbing (house) pick up continue above river L. Cross base of boulder field and
surfaced track and descend it. 3¾ miles/6km stile to field. Continue on path simply traverse southeast Ascend briefly to cone-shaped it guides you over rugged
Continue to junction near dam 4 Go straight ahead above river to cross stile. sticking to 600m contour line cairn. This isn’t the summit of terrain. At Gill Beck, fork L
wall/old house. Go L and at descending two sets of steps. Follow track beyond passing to emerge to south of Gowder Buckbarrow however. Descend and descend more steeply
end of house go L to descend Pick up surfaced track cutting house to reach road near Crag. Arrive at path descending briefly southeast, taking R fork south alongside stream and
through gate. Descend to gate R/L to follow it through woods. Plough Inn. Go L down road from Haycock and turn R. of paths, and beyond small edge of wood. Continue south
at woodland edge. Curve L over bridge and then into Low Bradfield. Stay Pass over High Pikehow and col climb to cairn atop craggy through passage between walls
curve L again. Rise to near dam ahead at junction R and pass descend gently S to Pots of mound – Buckbarrow summit. and arrive at the road. Turn L
2¾ miles/4.4km wall and curve back R. Pass bus stop. Rise to go R back to Ashness col. Ascend steeply and head east along road and
3 Pass through gate going under house going R at track car park. south and southwest to 9½ miles/15.3km back to the layby.
diagonally R through woods. junction reached. Rise on track Seatallan’s trig. Continue south to another
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
Round wall corner continuing past Reservoir Memorial/sign

4
cairned top with better views
VIEW THE WALK ON across Wastwater. A direct
VIEW THE WALK ON
to descend to cross bridge. to exit via low stile to lane. Go OS MAPS ONLINE: 7½ miles/12.1km OS MAPS ONLINE:
Take R fork (ignore second R on outbound route. Follow Descend south and descent to the road is blocked
bridge). Head for wall and this up/down to reach junction
3
southwest on wide grassy rake by near-vertical crags, so
shortly before it stay on lower R with Blind Side Lane. IN ASSOCIATION WITH to reach the cairn at Cat Bields. instead descend west briefly, IN ASSOCIATION WITH
‘Permissive Yorkshire Water Path veers L and descends skirt south around craggy
Path’ at split. Follow river L and 5¼ miles/8.3km southeast past craggy ground ground and then turn west
continue along reservoir bank 5 Go R descending over and down to boggy col. again following clear path as
✁
NORTH EAST
NORTH EAST
19WEST
NORTH YORKSHIRE
TANFIELD 20BIG
TYNE & WEAR
WATERS
uDistance: 7¾ miles/12.5km uTime: 3¼ hours uGrade: Moderate uDistance: 7¾ miles/12.5km uTime: 4 hours uGrade: Moderate
PLAN YOUR WALK Looking back at mound, PLAN YOUR WALK
Weetslade Country Park, point 3.
PHOTO: PAUK & CHRISTINE MONAGHAN

ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking West Start/parking Havannah
Looking towards West Tanfield from Tanfield Memorial Hall car Nature Reserve eastern
Tanfield Bridge over the River Ure. park (honesty box), off car park, postcode NE13
A6108; grid ref SE269788, 7AP, grid ref NZ215719
postcode HG4 5JU Is it for me? After a 1-mile
CHOSEN BY…
CAROL
BURKINSHAW
which also offers fine views of

West Tanfield’s watery setting.
Tracing the Ure downstream,
Is it for me? Gently

undulating riverside,
field paths/tracks and
CHOSEN BY…
PAUL & CHRISTINE
MONAGHAN
1 Start
Take path that forks R from
end of car park. Fork L at next
walk through quiet

suburban streets (points
2 to 3) the rest is green.
West Tanfield sits along a section of the Ripon quiet lanes This walk could junction then R on narrow path Historic waggonways and
Stiles 3 farm paths connect the
beside a large meander Rowell 50-mile circular trail, actually be called Big and and R again to walk L of fence
nature reserves
on the River Ure in Lower you pass a weir and former PLANNING Little Waters. Wideopen, past a pond. Turn L and L again Stiles 1
Wensleydale. Photographs mills to reach North Stainley, Nearest town Masham once a small village, is now around pond leaving on broad
shot from Tanfield Bridge/Ure renowned for its picturesque Refreshments The Bull Inn enveloped by suburbia, but path. Stay on main path to PLANNING
over the village’s red-pantile ponds. Cross-country fields and The Bruce Inn, West the distant views in Weetslade larger pond. Turn R with pond Nearest town
roofed cottages, church and quiet lanes then guide you Tanfield, and just off route Nature Reserve show where on R and go on to turn L on Newcastle-upon-Tyne
and Marmion Tower, strung in a westerly direction to hook The Staveley Arms, its name comes from. Nature boardwalk over stile. Fork L Refreshments The
North Stainley Travellers Rest, Wideopen
along the riverbank, are up once again with the Ripon Public toilets None
reserves can often be too on main path and stay in this (0191 2368460) or The
often featured in Yorkshire Rowell/Ure at Mickley. Public transport Bus small for a proper walk, but direction ignoring many Moor House, Seaton Burn
calendars. The Marmion Tower, 159 Ripon-Richmond near Wideopen there are three crossing paths. After a (0191 2368092)
a 15th-century gatehouse,
(English Heritage – free
admission) is the only
1 Start
Turn L out of car park
entrance onto A6108. To visit
(dalesbus.org) serves start

and North Stainley
such places, each with very

different characteristics, that
are suitable for combining.
footbridge, reach a footpath

leaving the reserve. Turn L
away from path and walk to
Public toilets None

Public transport Bus 42A
from Wallsend (gonorth
Landranger 99 east.co.uk) and 44 from
remaining feature of John Marmion Tower, go R at Bull Inn Havannah has many different exit (L of houses) at road. Newcastle Haymarket
Marmion’s fortified manor along Church Street, otherwise habitats in its small area. Maps OS Explorer 316,
house – Tanfield Castle. The
most striking feature of this
three-storey, square tower is
continue to cross Tanfield

Bridge/Ure, and divert L along
riverbank, signed Ripon Rowel.
through Sleningford Watermill

campsite. At buildings complex
walk R of site’s reception office
Weetslade has open aspects

and the large lake at Big
Waters is a popular site with
2 1 mile/1.8km
Cross road and continue on
broad path with allotments on
Landranger 88
then first L and L again, then R
its first-floor oriel window, On meeting lane, bear L and continue along grassy path ➥ bird watchers. L. At end turn R (Windt Street) on Melness Road. When road ➥
600 600
400 400
metres
metres
200 200
0 0
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
✁
TYNE & WEAR OCTOBER 2021 NORTH YORKSHIRE OCTOBER 2021
20 BIG WATERS 19 WEST TANFIELD
NORTH EAST
NORTH EAST
to rejoin the riverbank.

Approaching Sleningford
Grange, on outskirts of North
Stainley, negotiate two gates
and descend steps L to then 1
veer R. Path soon skirts pond START
and climbs R to A6108.
5
1¾ miles/2.8km
2 Go L into North Stainley,
passing cricket ground, to
4 lovely village ponds. Opposite
ST last pond on L, turn R into
A
3 Cockpit Close. When road ends

RT
2 follow L-hand field border and
1 5 2
after gate pick up track ahead,
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
which gradually ascends

between limestone quarry
workings and wood. At end 3
of trees, track swings R 4
(bridleway on OS map
re-routed due to quarrying
turns R take footpath between Keep R at fork. Turn R at Go through gate signed for operations) to lane.
houses. Follow this path Country Park information bird hide to a platform that
through underpass, then L at board past pond and over overlooks lake. Return and 3¼ miles/5.2km
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
T-junction (paved path) to a field. Turn R on Heritage Way continue on path through 3 Walk L through Musterfield
street of bungalows. At end Waggonway Cycle Route, kissing gate. Keep going to and stick forwards at two road
follow road L, then turn R on signed Six Mile Bridge. a boardwalk and gate, then junctions. When lane bends L,
Harrow Gardens. Take footpath turn L on track. (This is a go R at bridleway fingerpost.
to main road. Turn R, cross 4½ miles/7.4km permissive path. In the unlikely Gravel track curves L to gate.
pedestrian crossing and turn 4 At road cross and event it is closed, continue to Fork immediate L along top path towards Mickley. At falls through woodland into
L on Waggonway. continue. After passing road at Dinnington, turn L and edge of woodland and then bottom of slope turn R on field. Walk with fencing L to
Blagdon Terrace, do not go L again to farm). Cross road maintain direction to lane. enclosed path that zig-zags to gate, and go L on redirected
2 miles/3.3km straight on, but turn briefly and circle farm then turn L tall gate onto driveway to lane. permissive path to track. Divert
3 Continue into Weetslade L then R to A1 overpass. on track. At road turn R to 5 miles/8km R back to Tanfield Bridge and
Country Park and R at Turn R at T-junction and cross start point. 4 Divert R, and when lane 5¾ miles/9.3km retrace steps L to start.
T-junction on Reivers Cycleway. overpass. After 200m turn L begins to fall, climb stile R. Turn R through Mickley,
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
After bridge and signs, deviate towards Big Waters. Fork R Bear L down field and swerve R
5
and when road curves R veer L
R to see bird feeding area. to lakeside path and turn L OS MAPS ONLINE: to gate. Track L-hand field onto track, signed West OS MAPS ONLINE:
Continue to pass mound then around lake. Keep close to lake. perimeter to another gate and Tanfield. Climb stile into field to
circle L around it on broad continue across two narrow trace line of trees, and swing R
path to summit (360-degree 5½ miles/8.9km IN ASSOCIATION WITH fields to path intersection. to stile. Bend L through trees, IN ASSOCIATION WITH
views of Cheviots, Pennines, 5 At a small car park, cross Negotiate gate L to descend maintaining direction at fork, to
the sea). Return and descend to marked footpath in corner R-hand field boundary and cross stream and arc L beside
on dirt path (Heritage Way). and turn R at edge of field. continue to drop on grassy the Ure. Later path rises and
✁
21 DOLANOG
POWYS
22 GWYNEDD/CONWY
WALES
WALES
TO PONTROBERT BETHESDA & THE CARNEDDAU
A W N
uDistance: 6¾ miles/11km uTime: 3–3½ hours uGrade: Moderate uDistance: 11 miles/17.5km uTime: 6 hours uGrade: Challenging B S E
PLAN YOUR WALK E E PLAN YOUR WALK
SE TUR E 72 Ffynnon Llugwy from
A G Bwlch Cyfryw-drum.
FE PA
ON
PHOTO: MATTHEW PIKE
PHOTO: JULIE ROYLE

ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking Dolanog Start/parking Ffordd
On the banks of the River village car park, grid ref Gerlan, Gerlan, Bethesda,
Vyrnwy between points 6 and 7. SJ066128, SY21 0LQ grid ref SH632663, LL57
Is it for me? Mostly along 3TL; final bus stop in
good tracks and lanes, Gerlan is on Ffordd Gerlan,
CHOSEN BY… Glyndŵr, the Welsh prince though a few muddy CHOSEN BY… tops of Gyrn Wigau, Drosgl by Stryd Morgan, and
MATTHEW PIKE who fought in vain for his patches and fields. JULIE ROYLE and Bera Bach. The map space for a few cars
An incredibly country’s independence in Waymarked virtually Carnedd Llewelyn is doesn’t show paths across the beyond former post office
peaceful walk along the 15th century. the whole way the third highest tops of these hills but it does Is it for me? Grassy slopes,
Stiles None rocky sections, boggy in
the River Vyrnwy amid the mountain in Wales, and show a path running below
places; well-defined paths
verdant rolling hills of Mid
Wales. You won’t hear any
traffic noise, save the odd
1 Start
Leave the car park, turn R,
then take L fork along lane
PLANNING
Nearest town Welshpool
Carnedd Dafydd the fourth
highest, statistics which would
in themselves be enough to
Drosgl, Bera Bach, Yr Aryg

and Carnedd Gwenllian. This
is a wide path, useful in poor
to main summits, but

fainter elsewhere; pathless
descent from Carnedd
Refreshments The Royal
tractor – the loudest thing is heading uphill. Head through Oak, Pontrobert (01938 guarantee plenty of visitors. visibility. However, there is a Dafydd; avoid in poor
the river itself, which rushes gate and continue along track. 500243) Add to that the charisma of network of other paths, narrow weather as featureless
Public toilets In Dolanog terrain is unhelpful
down a series of small drops At waymarker, continue along this pair and it’s easy to see and faint, but with easy access
village car park Stiles 6
towards the Dolanog end. main track, following Ann Public transport None
why parts of the Carneddau to the tops and allowing
If the weather’s hot, take a Griffiths Trail. Follow arrows as Maps OS Explorer 239; can be rather busy at times. walkers to tailor a route of PLANNING
dip in one of the sheltered track drops and crosses stream, Landranger 125 This exhilarating walk avoids their choice. The main thing Nearest town Bethesda
swimming spots near Dolanog, then take L fork uphill. the crowds by approaching to remember is that you are Refreshments Bethesda
where you’ll find the water has from the north-west, staying heading for Carnedd Llywelyn Public toilets Bethesda
2 woodland, ignoring any tracks Public transport Buses
carved some wonderful shapes 1 mile/1.6km away from the A5 car parks, so and Carnedd Dafydd, and they
daily from Bangor; all
into the rocks. The outward Track initially follows R heading L. only on the two summits are are bigger and craggier than serve Bethesda and
journey follows the Ann edge of field, then cuts across you likely to meet many other anything else around. As long several continue to/from
Griffiths Walk, named after a
renowned local hymn writer.
The return journey is via
field and follows line of trees

on L to far L corner of field.
Head through the gate here
3 2 miles/3.2km
Turn R at narrow road, then
turn R at next road junction.
walkers. On this Carneddau

walk you don’t get to slog up
Pen yr Ole Wen, but you do
as you are walking towards

them you can’t go wrong.
The Carneddau are best
Gerlan (gwynedd.gov.uk)
Maps OS Explorer OL17,
Landranger 115; Harvey
Glyndŵr’s Way, after Owain and follow track through Follow road into Pontrobert, ➥ get to wander over the remote avoided in bad weather.
Maps Snowdonia North
➥
600 1200
400 800
metres
metres
200 400
0 0
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
✁
GWYNEDD/CONWY OCTOBER 2021 POWYS OCTOBER 2021
WALES
WALES
22 BETHESDA & THE CARNEDDAU 21 DOLANOG TO PONTROBERT
uOS Explorer map OL17 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map 239 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop
START 1 2
5 4
2
RT
6
STA
1

7
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
3 through the wood, take R fork, fallen tree. Path passes popular
A pied flycatcher
then shortly before reaching swimming spot before heading
spotted on the route.
the house, turn R through through gate and continuing
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
Start Grach. Proceed southwards on Afon Llafar. Head for R end of gate into field. Keep L close through field to another gate
1 Follow road out of Gerlan clear path which crosses this hill, which rises in a craggy to fence and join the track (another good swimming
then L at Ciltwllan. At end of Carnedd Llywelyn, visiting knoll. Cross hill L of crags and heading down to, and past, spot is on R).
road go through gate then R summit cairn, before down to descend to undulating ridge, evergreen trees.
on open hillside on path rising Bwlch Cyfryw-drum. A rocky Mynydd Du. Join good path 6¼ miles/10km
gently away from wall. After path ensues before you begin running along it. After finally 5 miles/8km 7 Head through gate, turn
short distance take path L the gradual ascent of Carnedd descending far end of ridge the 5 In far L corner of field, head R at road and follow it over
uphill. Keep L at next fork. Dafydd, west above formidable path takes a waymarked course through the gate and continue bridge into Dolanog. At L
Descend into slight hollow, fork cliffs of Ysgolion Duon. to meet road. Turn R, crossing as track becomes river path. bend continue straight ahead,
PHOTO: MATTHEW PIKE
L, then cross fence stile ahead Afon Llafar, then proceed to After ⅔ mile, path leaves river’s following signs to car park
and proceed to wall stile. Head 7¾ miles/12.5km Gerlan and back to start. turn R at junction, cross bridge, edge via slightly cruel ascent, which is soon on R.
NE for hill ahead, Gyrn Wigau, From summit shelters then turn R up lane opposite after which path continues
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
then proceed on obvious route

3
continue briefly along path community centre. At L bend, with river on R, soon cutting
over Drosgl, ESE over Bera
(which leads SW to Pen yr Ole OS MAPS ONLINE: take lane forking R (signed through field, then descending OS MAPS ONLINE:
Bach, Yr Aryg and Carnedd Wen) but only as far as a cairn Glyndŵr’s Way), and follow to gate.
Gwenllian, south to Foel Grach. just beyond a ruin. Turn R here for 1 mile.
for pathless descent north on IN ASSOCIATION WITH 6 miles/9.7km IN ASSOCIATION WITH
4½ miles/7.2km steep, grassy, stone-studded 4½ miles/7.2km 6 Head through this,
2 Pass R of emergency slopes. Go diagonally R, 4 Lane becomes a good continue round to L of rocky
shelter to cross top of Foel towards prominent hill above track and, soon after passing knoll ahead, and under large
✁
23RENFREWSHIRE 24 CRAIGMORE
SCOTLAND
SCOTLAND
STIRLING
BROWNSIDE BRAES & GLEN PARK DAMS
uDistance: 2½ miles/4km uTime: 1½ hours uGrade: Easy uDistance: 4 miles/6.5km uTime: 2½ hours uGrade: Moderate
The Campsie Fells PLAN YOUR WALK Ben Lomond PLAN YOUR WALK
from Brownside Braes. from Craigmore.
PHOTO: KEITH FERGUS
PHOTO: KEITH FERGUS

ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking Brownside Start/parking Large car
Farm Car Park, Barrhead, park in centre of
grid ref NS489607, Aberfoyle, grid ref
postcode G78 1HU NS522009, FK8 3UQ
Is it for me? Tracks and Is it for me? Waymarked
CHOSEN BY… is situated a short distance paths, pavement CHOSEN BY… then goes to rise sharply away trail through forest, path
KEITH FERGUS off Caplethill Road, 1.5km Stiles None KEITH FERGUS from Aberfoyle. over open hillside. Some
Brownside Braes, an and 3.5km from Barrhead The rugged hill of steep ascents/descents
2
extension of Gleniffer and Paisley town centres PLANNING Craigmore climbs to ½ mile/0.8km Stiles None
Braes, sit at the eastern edge respectively. Turn R from car Nearest town Barrhead 387m above Aberfoyle in After approximately 400m
Refreshments PLANNING
of Gleniffer Braes Country park, follow track through gate, the Loch Lomond and the pavement ends. Here bear R up
Cross Stobs Inn, Barrhead Nearest town Aberfoyle
Park between the towns of passing remains of Brownside (0141 881 1581) Trossachs National Park. A steps into woodland. Following Refreshments
Barrhead and Paisley, near Farmhouse. Track then curves Public toilets None good path rises through the green waymarks, take first The Forth Inn, Aberfoyle
Glasgow. Paths and tracks R through another gate, signed Public transport Buses 51/ Queen Elizabeth Forest Park path on R then go R again at (01877 382 372)
run along the base of the for Glen Park. Gradual rise now 54 from Paisley/Barrhead all the way to the top, from junction. Walk downhill for Public toilets At start
Braes and then through the continues west along track to near Brownside Farm where a spectacular panorama 250m, turning L when path Public transport Bus X10A
Maps OS Explorer 342; from Stirling to Aberfoyle
woodland surrounding Glen before it travels through Landranger 64
unravels. The return is steep splits. After short incline turn Maps OS Explorer OL46;
Park Dams. Superb scenery, open countryside at base of and rough at points but R, follow path through oak Landranger 57
wildlife and interesting sites Brownside Braes – here view beyond the David Marshall coppiced enclosure. Once out
associated with the poet across Paisley to Ben Lomond muddy as it passes through Lodge, a waymarked trail of enclosure, follow path above
Robert Tannahill all add to the is exceptional. gate to cross field. Much of leads back to Aberfoyle. Allt a’ Mhangan, eventually upstream. Path veers L then
joy of this short walk, offering grassland here is grazed by reaching junction. Turn R, shortly afterwards splits.
views across Clydeside to the
Campsie Fells. Go slow and
savour every step.
2 ¼ mile/0.4km
Soon afterwards track
splits so keep R and continue,
Highland Cattle so keep dogs

under control. Redwing, kestrel,
buzzard are species that
1 Start
Walk west through the car
park to Manse Road, turn R
continue to wooden bridge

spanning river.
Here keep R onto the blue
waymarked trail that winds
steeply uphill. Once across the
1 Start
enjoying marvellous scenery
which includes the distant
inhabit countryside here. Keep
on to reach another gate at
then R again onto Lochard
Road (B829). Take the next L 3 1¼ miles/2km
Don’t cross the bridge here,
stone bridge turn R, and then
continue to ascend steadily to
Brownside Farm car park Arrochar Alps. Track can be edge of woodland. ➥ onto Duke’s Pass (A821), which but instead turn L, continue Duke’s Pass. ➥
600 600
400 400
metres
metres
200 200
0 0
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
✁
STIRLING OCTOBER 2021 RENFREWSHIRE OCTOBER 2021
24 CRAIGMORE 23 BROWNSIDE BRAES & GLEN PARK DAMS
SCOTLAND
SCOTLAND
uOS Explorer map OL46 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map 342 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop
4
6
7
6
STA
3 RT
1
5

3
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
8 4
2
START
1
R onto path waymarked for outflow of Lower Reservoir go
DON’T MISS...
the waterfall. R, follow path along edge then
1¾ miles/2.8km to Ben Lomond, the Cobbler Lodge access road to fork, Tannahill’s turn L down steps. Turn R onto
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
4 Go straight across onto and Stob Binnien. keep R and just before Well, named 1 mile/1.5km track which rises to junction
another path, which zigzags up visitor centre turn R onto the for the poet 4 Once down flight of steps and go L. Descend access road
lower slopes of Craigmore with 2½ miles/4km waymarked path. Descend for Robert Tannahill, and it is worth turning L to walk to Glenfield Road, turn R.
fine views opening out to Ben 6 Descend to the tramway, some time to reach T-junction. Tannahill Birken Tree, short distance to reach the
Ledi. Further up it reaches path turn R and traverse Craigmore Go R, then at next junction a birch planted in waterfall, which is incredibly 1¾ miles/2.8km
on L with blue waymarked for 250m. go R again. Continue to path 1974, two hundred impressive. Return past steps, 6 Follow pavement for
posts on either side. on L, which in turn regains years after his birth. follow burn downstream, 300m past Thornley Dam,
3¼ miles/5.3km outward-bound route on passing Tannahill’s Well and go R onto shared use cycle/
2 miles/3.3km 7 Here tramway ends and a outskirts of Aberfoyle. From Tannahill Birken Tree. Born in footpath signed for Barrhead.
5 Take path, climb steeply narrow path drops steeply here, retrace your steps back ½ mile/0.8km Paisley in 1774, Robert Tannahill At its end turn R, return to
to slate embankment and old southeast. It can be overgrown to the start. 3 Once through gate bear L, wrote over 100 songs and the car park.
tramway, which was used to in summer, covering rougher follow path through trees to poems including The Braes of
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
link Aberfoyle’s slate quarries. ground, so take care. In time junction just above Lower Gleniffer. Continue downstream
Climb onto embankment, turn
VIEW THE WALK ON to R of river, cross footbridge
VIEW THE WALK ON
the path descends through OS MAPS ONLINE: Reservoir of Glen Park Dams. OS MAPS ONLINE:
L then, after 20m, go R onto woodland and crosses low Turn L to fork, bear R, follow then go up steps.
path that rises steadily west fence to reach A821 near this past Upper Reservoir.
towards top. After short IN ASSOCIATION WITH When path splits again keep L 1¼ miles/2km IN ASSOCIATION WITH
David Marshall Lodge.
descent the path makes a final then climb steps. At junction 5 Turn R where path heads
climb onto Craigmore’s broad 3½ miles/5.8km go R, ascend gradually to fork, downstream, passing Upper
summit. The panorama extends 8 Follow David Marshall go L up more steps then turn and Lower Reservoirs. At
✁
25 TARLAND 26 CAVE
SCOTLAND
ABERDEENSHIRE COUNTY ANTRIM
IRELAND
& PRESSENDYE HILL
A
uDistance: 9 miles/14.6km uTime: 4 hours uGrade: Moderate B uDistance: 4¼ miles/6.8km uTime: 3 hours uGrade: Moderate
Out on Aberdeenshire’s PLAN YOUR WALK Views over McArt’s Fort and PLAN YOUR WALK
rolling moorland. Belfast from Bronze Age cairn.

PHOTO: JENNY GILLIES
ROUTE ROUTE
Start/parking On street Start/parking Belfast
parking in the Square, grid Castle car park, BT15 5GR,
ref NJ480043, AB34 4TX grid ref NW457346
Is it for me? Tracks, path Is it for me? Some
and quiet minor roads. moderately steep climbs
CHOSEN BY… village. When the road splits, Some rough and exposed CHOSEN BY… Castle, walk along road with on stony paths, but mostly
JENNY GILLIES take the R fork. After 1.5km go ground on the open hill PHOEBE TAPLIN no entry sign, winding under easy and well-surfaced
The rolling moorland straight on at another junction Stiles None Looming over tall trees and rhododendrons. Stiles 2
hills of Aberdeenshire following a Scottish Rights of northern Belfast, the When road bends R, take path
rise up above the extensive Way sign as the road turns PLANNING craggy 368-high silhouette of L uphill, signed Estate Trail PLANNING
Nearest town Tarland Nearest town Belfast
farmland of the area and this into a track. Cave Hill is arguably one of with a blue arrow.
Refreshments Commercial Refreshments Café in
walk along the ridgeline Hotel (013398 81922); the city’s most recognisable Belfast Castle
of Pressendye provides
expansive views across the
northeast of Scotland. Quiet
2 2½ miles/4.2km
Turn R following a blue
waymarker through a gate and
Douneside House Hotel

(013398 81230)
Public toilets The
sights. Traces remain from

people who settled in here in
the Stone and Bronze ages,
2 ¼ mile/400m
Keep heading upwards on
main paths with blue arrows
Public toilets
Belfast Castle
Public transport Several
country roads and clear paths walk up the edge of the field. Commercial Hotel is part including caves, ringforts and through woods. At junctions, buses from central Belfast,
of Aberdeenshire Council’s including 1a, 1c, 1e and 1f,
take you up onto the heather After 300m turn L through a cairns. On the lower slopes, take the higher paths, climbing
Comfort Partnership stop at Gray’s Lane, less
-clad moors to enjoy the gate and into a wood. A grassy Scheme there are woods full of steps and stony tracks. At than ten minutes’ (signed)
expansive vistas and pleasant track leads through the wood Public transport Bus 201 bluebells and cow parsley. T-junction where Estate Trail walk from point 2
walking around Tarland. and turns into a footpath as it from Aberdeen to start The far side of Cave Hill turns L, turn R, now following Maps OS map Belfast Hills;
climbs uphill. The path swings (stagecoachbus.com) Country Park is beautifully green arrows for Cavehill Trail OSNI Discoverer 15
1
Maps OS Explorer OL59; rural, with green tracks and up through the trees. Pause at
Start R near the top of the forest and
Landranger 37
From the square in the then reaches a gate. views across the rolling the row of concrete seats to
centre of Tarland, take the road
heading N past the Commercial
Hotel. After 0.3km follow the 3 3½ miles/5.5km
Pass through the gate onto
reaches a fenceline running
along the ridge turn R along
countryside towards Divis and

the Black Mountain. Belfast
Castle, where the garden
admire views. Continue up and

R on stony path along ridge.
At the junction, follow the
3 1½ miles/2.3km
Opposite fort, you can
detour a short way R to see a
road L to pass the national the hillside, walking between a clear track to reach the provides one of many green arrow L onto a smaller bronze age cairn. Don’t miss
speed limit signs and leave the young conifers. When the path rounded top of Broom Hill. ➥ spectacular viewpoints along path, which loops L and then R the views from the fort either.
the route, is a pleasant place below cave. Keep the crags and Continue on gravel path and
GRADIENT PROFILE to end your walk with a formal cave on your L and keep going, follow it downhill, past stiles
600 garden and café to enjoy. L up the steps. Turn L, still and gates towards hills with
400
following the green arrows, up radio towers. Keep going
metres
1
200
0 Start on to clifftop and follow the on broad path, ignoring all
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
From car park 4 near Belfast path to McArt’s Fort. turnings, to reach junction ➥
✁
COUNTY ANTRIM OCTOBER 2021 ABERDEENSHIRE OCTOBER 2021
CAVE HILL TARLAND & PRESSENDYE
IRELAND
26 25
SCOTLAND
uOS map Belfast Hills uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map OL59 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop
DON’T MISS... Descend on the track to a low

point with a small lochan,
The lucky Cat where there is some damp
Garden at ground. Keep to the track,
Belfast Castle, climbing again towards 3 4
has cats made of Pressendye. Pass through a
stone, mosaic and gate and reach the summit
even topiary. trig point.
3¾ miles/8.8km
2 2
Belfast Castle Garden. 3 4 The track bears R away
from the fence and begins to
©THUNDERFOREST/OPEN STREET MAP CONTRIBUTORS

descend quite steeply SE,
4 becoming rough. After 700m, 5

START continue downhill as a track
1 joins from the L. The track
DATE WALKED
DATE WALKED
improves as it continues
through the forest. At a bench,
take a R turn onto a grassy 6
6 track that leads steeply
downhill. Once out of the forest
with bench, bin and small and onto the open hillside, go
waterfall nearby. Turn sharp L straight on at a junction of
here downhill. waymarked paths to reach a
7
large track.
TIME TAKEN
TIME TAKEN
2½ miles/4km 5
START
4 Follow path downwards 6¾ miles/11.1km 1
with more views ahead. Keep R 5 Turn R onto the track. After
at junction, following green and 100m ignore the waymarkers
red arrows towards castle. At as they indicate to follow the
next junction, fork L up main turn L uphill through beech garden and grounds are track L and go straight on to a
gravel path. Follow it down trees (you could turn R instead definitely worth visiting if single track path leading down straight on. The path rises your R, and carry straight as
again through gate and into if preferred for a shortcut along they’re open. When you have through sparse woodland. before reaching a minor road. you join the B9119. Walk the
trees. Keep on down stony the road). Keep L up this explored, continue on the 400m further on waymarkers Turn L onto the road and after short distance along the
path, which winds L. Keep wooded main path and follow tarmac road beyond the castle reappear just before a shed the 300m turn R onto a wide pavement to soon return to
straight down main gravel path it R. Turn R again soon at the to return to the car park. footpath becomes rougher, grassy path. Enter Tarland, and the village square.
past wooded streams to reach junction, winding back through dropping downhill and staying follow the track L to join a
YOUR RATING
YOUR RATING
end of Upper Cavehill Road. woods. Continue past the close to the edge of the trees. residential street.
viewpoint with a bin and turn
OS MAPS ONLINE: OS MAPS ONLINE:
3 miles/5km R at the next junction down to 7¾ miles/12.7km 8¾ miles/14.1km
5 Walk a short way down a small car park. 6 The path leaves the forest 7 Turn R at the bottom of the
road and turn L through stone IN ASSOCIATION WITH and bears R to descend steeply road, then first L onto Market IN ASSOCIATION WITH
gateposts back into Cavehill 4 miles/6.5km down a narrow avenue of trees. Stance and keep L at the next
Park. Take gravel path uphill. 6 Turn L along the road to At the end of this cross a junction to join Tarland Green
At junction by painted rock, Belfast Castle, where the footbridge and continue Road. Pass playing fields on
✁
NORTH WEST
27 HIGH
CUMBRIA
CUP NICK & MURTON PIKE
W N A
CLASSIC
WALK
uDistance: 8¼ miles/13.4km uTime: 5-6 hours uGrade: Challenging S E
B
VIEW FROM THE
VALLEY FLOOR
PHOTO: DAVID MARSH
Looking up the valley

of High Cup Gill.
✁
CUMBRIA OCTOBER 2021
27 HIGH CUP NICK & MURTON PIKE CLASSIC
NORTH WEST
uOS Explorer map OL19 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop
WALK
Start 3¼ miles/5.4km DON’T MISS... PLAN YOUR WALK

Murton Pike summit looking
Walk back to the crossroads Continue alongside the gill
towards High Cup Gill.
1
in the centre of Murton and
3
until it disappears into a band Appleby-In-
turn R. Follow the quiet lane of limestone. After an initial Westmorland
north for a mile until a bouldery section, the gradient with its castle,
detached house (High Cup steepens as head of the valley historic centre and
House) marks the track to is neared. The best line to take scenic river.
Harbour Flatt. is on grassy rake to L of main
boulder field, before cutting R,
1¼ miles/2.1km beneath the cliffs of the Whin point it descends steeply into
2 Turn R toward the farm. Sill, to emerge at High Cupgill a small valley to cross nascent
Just after the first barn take Head with its stupendous view Trundale Gill. Continue on the
the track L, through the gate. back down the valley. clear but boggy path until it
The track drops down to cross reaches a stone 4WD track. ROUTE
PHOTO: DAVID MARSH
Trundale Gill then climbs 4 miles/6.6km Start/parking

towards the crags of Middle Cross the stream at High 5¾ miles/9.1km Murton car park, grid ref
DATE WALKED
Tongue. Leave the track L

4
Cupgill Head and identify 5 Turn R and descend 4 NY730220, CA16 6ND
Is it for me? A mix of
about half way up, after a small another stream coming down towards Murton Pike. Leave
quiet country lanes, good
hillock, and contour round into the escarpment that rises stone track before a sharp L tracks, and pathless boggy
the valley. The numerous trods 200m to the south. Cross to it turn and ascend to Murton grass, with some steep,
converge as they head up the and climb on the R hand side Pike’s trig point. bouldery terrain
3 Stiles 1
valley. As the waterfalls of of the stream to reach a marker
Strands Beck are neared, post. Turn R and follow path, 6¾ miles/10.7km
PLANNING
high up to the L, use a stile periodically marked by posts Retrace steps back to the
Nearest town
to cross a wall to emerge and cairns, as it makes its way
6
4WD track. Turn R and follow it Appleby-in-Westmorland
TIME TAKEN
beside High Cupgill Beck. across Murton Fell. At one back down to the car park. (4 miles)
Refreshments Nearest is
The Stag Inn, Dufton
(01768 351608;
5 thestagdufton.co.uk)
Public toilets None on
route. Nearest in Dufton
Public transport
None to start
Map OS Explorer OL19;
2 Landranger 91
6
YOUR RATING
A panoramic view
of High Cup Nick. VIEW THE WALK ON
PHOTO: DAVID MARSH

OS MAPS ONLINE:
walk1000miles.co.uk/cwroutes
GRADIENT PROFILE
1200 IN ASSOCIATION WITH
1 START
800
400
metres
0
km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
OUR ROUTES YOUR WALKS
Tackled one of the routes published in
Email your
Country Walking? Send us a picture and picture, along with
a few words on your experience: you could a few words about
the walk and your
win a fantastic prize from Ordnance Survey. contact details to
cwroutes@
bauermedia.
THE RIVER THIS co.uk
WEAVER & T&M MONTH’S
CANAL, Route PRIZE 11 ALPORT
DERBYSHIRE
MIDLANDS
CASTLES
15, June 2021 WINNER

I bought a
subscription to ALPORT CASTLES, Route 11, 2
Country Walking for a June 2021 1

➥
friend who has been my We’re back from a long

rock since my husband weekend at Castleton. It was very busy, so
passed away and we we sought some peace and quiet, parking
have walked the length up at Bridge End car park near Ladybower
and breadth of Scotland Reservoir. We climbed up the footpath
together since. She through woods to open pastures at the
passed on the June issue top, rewarded with views all round. The
to me and I chucked ravine was a great place to stop for lunch
15 CHESHIRE
it in my suitcase to
NORTH WEST
and take in the Tower. The route was very
THE RIVER WEAVER AND T&M
CANAL
read when visiting my easy to follow and we only saw a handful

daughter who has moved to Cheshire. This walk was close to her new of other walkers all day. My wife Karen and
house and turned out to be along a canal where my husband and I had 1
I had a great time.
a boating holiday with our daughters many years ago. My daughter ➥ Andrew Fox, email
and her partner were both working so I thought this would be a nice
way to pass the day. Although I walked alone, the walk brought back so many
happy memories and I know my husband would be so proud of our daughter
who has settled with a lovely guy in this beautiful part of the country.
Rhona Little, email
BLACK CRAG & HOLME FEN, Route 18,

February 2020 13 POTTER
NORFOLK
HEIGHAM & THURNE
EAST
As Wainwright ‘baggers’, we’re trying to
complete the set (145 done in 33 years,
so 69 to go!). We completed Black Crag 1
and Holme Fell from the lovely Tarn Hows, POTTER HEIGHAM & 2
knocking off two more tops. It was THURNE, Route 13, July 2021
➥
22 THE
RHONDDA CYNON TAF
harder than we expected, especially as We did this excellent walk on a

WALES
CARIAD STONES
we weren’t sure which was Holme Fell! very hot day in July. The good news
We look forward to returning to the Lakes was that the route visits the pub in
2
to continue our challenge. Thurne twice! Lovely marsh and

THE CARIAD STONES, 1 3
Alison & John Lowden, riverbank walking, and an unusual
18
➥
CUMBRIA
north west
Route 22, July 2021 Crowborough, East Sussex converted windmill with a James
BLACK CRAG & HOLME FELL
✁
We fell ‘mewn cariad’ (in love) with Bond theme near the finish.
this walk. In late July we found Tim & Janet Bower, Norfolk
ourselves alone as we followed the 1
medieval pilgrim route along the 2

➥
ridgeway to the isolated ruins of St

✁
Peter’s Church. The wind turbines

were still, and our only companions Win a personalised
were butterflies and birds which rose
from the wavering grasses at each
OS map!
side of the path. We’ll return to enjoy The sender of our
the walk in another season. favourite Our Routes
Helen and John Kinsey, Caerphilly Your Walks photo
will get to focus
on their favourite
LYMPNE & HYTHE, Route 5, July 2021 area by winning a
This walk had a bit of everything. Starting by the Royal custom-made map
Military Canal we walked along the perimeter of Port worth £16.99,
Lympne Reserve where we saw some animals. We took in courtesy of
the views out to sea along the coast. The route Ordnance Survey.
05 KENT
SOUTH EAST
LYMPNE & HYTHE
passed a gentle brook, which our dog loved, For more details,
and the picturesque castle at Saltwood, or to buy your own
before dropping down to Hythe – a lovely personalised map, visit
place to stop for an ice cream. A great day! 1 os.co.uk/custommade
Trevor & Petrina Thurston, Sittingbourne, Kent ➥

Meanderings we couldn’t fit into the issue, but
which seemed terribly important at the time...
Good wea th er
for du cks…
Rob Holmes, Senior Art Editor

Miles walked this month: 74
Philip Thomas, It’s been a good long while since we did a family
holiday in the Lakes, and with the current frenzy for
Features writer UK-based breaks there was concern we’d arrive to
Miles walked this month: 112 find it ‘snided out’ (as my dad used to say). And while
Much of my job involves scrutinising yes, it did prove difficult to book a meal in the usual
turn-by-turn walk directions, so I was honeypot towns, we found plenty of legroom by
intrigued to come across some dating back to AD 955 keeping ever-so-slightly off the beaten track, or by just
this month. Written in Old English, they describe a getting out there when the weather forecast was doing
perambulation around Alwalton, which just so happens its best to persuade us to stay indoors.
to pass where the Country Walking office stands today: And so, after a day of persistent murk and wetness,
‘To Ermine Street at the posts and then north along the we took a chance on an evening wander around
street to the Chesterton ditch, along the ditch to the Buttermere. The mist and low cloud gave the lake
river in mid-stream and then back along the river to a spooky, ethereal beauty, with Fleetwith Pike barely
the meadow where marsh marigolds grow...’ visible on the far shore. An hour into our walk, having
This ‘boundary clause’ comes from an Anglo-Saxon only encountered one other family who’d braved the
charter, demarcating the land granted by King Eadred elements, slowly but
to a loyal thegn. It largely corresponds to the medieval surely the cloud began
parish that villagers would have periodically ‘beaten the to lift and break.
bounds’ of in past centuries, and it’s amazing how much Fleetwith Pike shrugged
of the boundary described can still be traced today. off its wispy cloak and
I can tread the riverbank and roughly follow the streams we were treated, (make
and ditches mentioned, though I won’t be wandering that rewarded), with the
up Ermine Street anytime soon (a Roman trunk road, first sunshine we’d seen
it’s now the A1). Over 1000 such clauses survive and all day – result!
many can be pored over at langscape.org.uk
Note to self: Just
Note to self: The Bangles had ‘Walk like an Egyptian’, get out there, whatever “Hold on – th e sun’s
but I can’t see ‘Amble like an Anglo-Saxon’ catching on. the weather forecast says. trying to com e out…”
Feeling alwight slots, smugglers caves, Needles rocks and the Ghoulish gift
I hadn’t seen my mum for almost two lighthouse. Mum borrowed my #walk1000miles A walk round
years, but we were reunited in the Isle cap and that was the last I saw of that, but it York revealed
of Wight this month for a holiday of was a fair trade! A Spitfire flew-over us twice, an amazing
walking and sightseeing. We walked so and I’ve since found out you can book a flight shop dedicated
much in fact it around the island. I’ve already started saving to selling (of all
was a relief up for my husband’s next big birthday! things) ghosts,
Sara
when she Bizarrely, we also attended a foam party in a The York Ghost
Herbert- pirate ship at the UK’s oldest amusement park,
surprised us Merchants. I’m
Mattick, with a boat Blackgang Chine – whose first exhibit was now the proud
Campaign trip under the a whale owner of one
manager 400-foot skeleton myself. It’s amazing what you
Miles walked chalk cliffs in washed up find on foot!
this month: Alum Bay, in 1842 and
87 past the gun still on show! Note to self: Replace that
#walk1000miles cap, pronto.
NEVER
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Mountains
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to love
Commercial Manager Anna Skuse
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MARKETING
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‘We're born with a connection'

The UK’s best-selling walking magazine

on stalks! The women who

The man who

This month I’ve been...

eople sometimes ask me – either appreciating and understanding it all a bit

Alana Bonnick David Lindo Merlin Sheldrake

OCTOBER 2021 COUNTRY WALKING 3

FEATURES COVER STORIES

44 Stop. Look. Wonder.

46 Deep sea diving (on foot)

4 COUNTRY WALKING OCTOBER 2021

11 The View PLUS…

33 Guest column: Vivienne Crow

A store of natural wealth: 92 Gear cupboard

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WALES SCOTLAND CLASSIC

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6 COUNTRY WALKING OCTOBER 2021

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LINES OPEN 8am-9.30pm

‘Above the sea of fog’

OCTOBER 2021 COUNTRY WALKING 11

NEED TO KNOW that and have just launched an interactive

for their Don’t Lose Your Way project to

2 The Lake of the 49,000 miles which are at risk.

3 IF YOU’VE EVER WANTED TO WALK ONTO SET…

against nuclear weapons and the US warheads set

12 COUNTRY WALKING OCTOBER 2021

Helm Wind Skincare

about Cumbria- For much of the year you could

Crib: A ridge or comb, like Crib Goch.

Cwm: A glacial corrie or valley

Gors: A bog (probably best avoided)

Llyn: Means lake. Also look for Afon

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The word is…

‘Springslade Lodge Café

There aren’t many places

OCTOBER 2021 COUNTRY WALKING 17

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Scene, herd A sight

6 ways walking helps

something positive for yourself.

“It’s like pressing THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION!

‘I’m a ‘I can BEFORE AFTER

‘It’s kept me sane’

OCTOBER 2021 COUNTRY WALKING 21

Miles that met

Collect bilberries Make a splash

Put a toaster #minichallenge39

▲Brian Holman went rather

22 COUNTRY WALKING OCTOBER 2021

Ask the group

Our new cap has been

BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

OCTOBER 2021 COUNTRY WALKING 23