Country Walking magazine April 2015

Gear up for spring! FREE 32-page kit guide APRIL 2015

April 2015

Great escapes

27

Four springtime walking weekends for under £50

There’s a great walk near you!

ROUTE CARDS

www.livefortheoutdoors.com

DONEGAL ◆ SOFT SHELL JACKETS ◆ POLDARK ISSUE 340 BUDGET ESCAPES ◆ WATERFALL WALKS ◆ NORTHUMBERLAND CASTLES ◆ ISLE OF WIGHT ◆ DONE

Britain’s best-selling walking magazine

PLUS

FESTIVAL FEVER The best walking festivals in Britain

ISLAND LIFE Walking right round d the Isle of Wight

GO WEST Adventures on foot on Donegal’s Atlantic coast

Chasing

waterfalls Discover Britain’s most spectacular cascades

Northumberland’s wild frontier

EXPLORE ENCHANTING CASTLES ALONG THIS DESERTED COASTLINE

Forces of

Nature Celebrate the river-swelling showers of April with a walk to Britain’s best cascades…

WO R D S : H A Z E L S I L LV E R

THE ARTISTIC ONE

PHOTO: © STEVEN MITCHELL/ALAMY

Aysgarth Falls, North Yorkshire In a wooded gorge in Wensleydale the River Ure falls over steps of limestone in a swirl of white water that was beloved by artist J M W Turner, poet William Wordsworth and Hollywood too as it starred in the famous fight scene in the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

The rushing peat-tinted waters don’t fall over high cliffs, but they are breathtakingly beautiful and spring is one of the best times to admire them, on a walk that takes in bloom-speckled riverbanks, the wildflower meadows of Wensleydale and Bolton Castle too.

More info: www.thefalls-aysgarthfalls.co.uk WALK HERE Download your 10.9km (6¾ mile) Aysgarth Falls walk at www.lfto.com/cwroutes.

u

DISCOVER Waterfall walks

APRIL 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 31

Great escapes

that won’t break the bank!

ON A SHOESTRING Enjoy moments like this on your bargain walking break, here above Llyn Crafnant in Snowdonia.

S owdo a

DISCOVER Great escapes

Make the most of your spring weekends with a walking break in a beautiful landscape, where your bed is a bargain and the views are priceless.

PAGE 38

from

Five-star Snowdonia

£22.50 pp/pn

PAGE 44

from

Hotel comfort in the Peaks

£19.50 pp/pn

PAGE 46

from

Cool camping £9.50 in the Cotswolds pp/pn PAGE 48

from

Highland bothy by the sea

£0

pp/pn

PLUS

SAVE £££££s!

PHOTO: TOM BAILEY

Top money-saving tips for your trip uPAGE 51 APRIL 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 37

Te

Wild Walk the Northumberland coast and discover the front line between land and sea, tumult and tranquility...

D

WORDS: RACHEL BROOMHEAD

UNSTANBURGH CASTLE is called a ruin, but really it’s a masterpiece. Step onto the beach at Embleton and there it is: an artist’s final flourish to a prize-winning landscape. The castle might have been sketched out by man, but it was finished of by Nature, who, let’s face it, always has the best ideas – particularly where Northumberland is concerned.

54 COUNTRY WALKING APRIL 2015

PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY

This 39-mile stretch of Northumbrian coastline, from the Scottish border at Berwick to the Coquet Estuary at Warkworth, shows of Nature’s work at its finest. A wild frontier of wave-lashed clifs, empty beaches and windswept battlements, it was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1958 and if there’s one walk which summarises why, it’s the ninemile stroll from Embleton to Alnmouth. u

DISCOVER Northumberland

CRUMBLING CRENELLATIONS Dunstanburgh was once one of the greatest forts in northern England; today it is gradually surrendering to the ďŹ erce e ce coasta coastal elements. e e e ts

Should you

vote with your

PHOTO: RICHARD FAULKS

These three MPs work in Westminster, but are just at home on the Lake District fells in their Cumbrian constituencies. They may disagree politically, but they all want walkers’ voices to be heard on May 7th.

SPECIAL FEATURE Vote with your feet

feet?

W

ALKERS HAVE A proud heritage of forcing change in politics.

Back in 1932, the Kinder Mass Trespass sparked a campaign which eventually gave us access to the upland areas of England and Wales.

In 2000, the Countryside Rights of Way Act gave us even greater rights to roam.

In 2011, when the Government tried to sell of England’s public forests, walkers were right there again, successfully telling Westminster to back of.

Walkers were the architects of the Wales Coastal Path; and we’re the ones wondering what has happened to the beleaguered English version.

And even on our day-to-day walks, politics has an impact. Austerity measures have seen big cuts to some local government rights of way departments.

An overgrown footpath, or an illegal right-of-way closure left unchallenged, can result in a mile-long detour that will really spoil a perfect walk.

So with election day looming, CW chose three MPs from the three main parties whose constituencies border one another in the Lake District National Park – one of Britain’s favourite walking destinations.

Rory Stewart (Con), Tim Farron (Lib Dem) and John Woodcock (Lab) are all keen walkers, so we challenged them to tell us how we can vote with our feet on May 7th… u

APRIL 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 69

Ticket to

PHOTO: © ISLE OF WIGHT TOURIST BOARD

Ryde

74 COUNTRY WALKING APRIL 2015

Walk right around the Isle of Wight this spring, exploring the beautiful chalk cliffs, secluded coves and fossil-rich beaches of England’s largest island.

WORDS: FIONA TROWBRIDGE

DISCOVER Isle of Wight

PILLARS OF CHALK Looking out to the seastacks known as the Needles, which mark the western tip tip p of o the t e Wight.

Wg t

Where

e

light lingers Mark Sutcliffe heads out west in search of wilderness and adventure in Ireland’s undiscovered northwestern corner.

I

T’S THE FORGOTTEN quarter of the Republic of Ireland – a quiet, unassuming corner of the Emerald Isle where stark limestone peaks meet the crashing surf of the North Atlantic along a strandline of spectacular sandy beaches, sheltered coves and precipitous sea clifs.

Donegal is so far west it’s almost in a diferent timezone.

When it’s already dark in Dublin, in Donegal, the sun is still sliding into the sea, its final lingering rays casting a pinkish glow over the bleached quartzite peaks behind the coast.

Walking for leisure is still a pretty novel concept in these parts, where the locals have been slow to appreciate the breathtaking beauty of the amazing landscapes they have taken for granted all their lives.

But that’s changing as more and more walkers – both native and, increasingly, visitors – begin to explore this huge natural playground just a couple of hours from Belfast, or a half-day drive from Dublin.

Donegal is also at the northern end of the Wild Atlantic Way, a new initiative designed to open up Ireland’s stunning western seaboard to outdoor adventurers. Stretching for more than 1,500 miles from Donegal to Cork and embracing 26 islands and numerous inlets and estuaries along this complex, almost ford-like coastline, the Way is designed to encourage visitors to explore the edge of Europe by car, bike, boat, on foot or any combination thereof.

One of only six Walkers Welcome hubs in the whole of Ireland and ofering easy access to hundreds of square miles of varied walking country, Donegal is unsurprisingly one of the most active. From challenging coastal treks like the vertiginous sea clifs at the tip of the of Slieve League peninsula, to the u

82 COUNTRY WALKING APRIL 2015

DISCOVER Donegal

PHOTO: FAILTE IRELAND

BEACON

BY THE SEA Fanad Head lighthouse stands sentinel at the mouth of Lough of oug Swilly.

Sw y

No-nonsense reviews for real walkers

OUR TESTERS

Country Walking always tests products for both men and women.

Our reviewers Nick Hallissey and Sarah Ryan have notched up thousands of miles on foot, so they know the value of good kit at the right price.

This test took them to the Cotswolds, the Lake District, and the very blowy Yorkshire Dales.

I

Soft shell

JACKETS

N EFFECT, a good soft shell jacket is probably the most adaptable single item you can put in your kit cupboard.

It’s not hard to see the appeal. Soft shell jackets are warm, windproof, breathable and waterresistant. Plus, they look good on the hill and on the high street – perhaps even more so than fleece.

Admittedly, it wasn’t the most scientific of tests, but as we traipsed through the Dales on a wet and windy day’s testing, we kept a tally of what other walkers chose as their outer layer.

The result was clear: full waterproof – 8. Fleece – 5. Soft shell – 19.

So it seems the battle is won, and many walkers now firmly put their trust in soft shell as a warming layer unless it is genuinely starting to bucket down.

But they do vary immensely in terms of their styles and focus. Some are extremely thin and light, more like slightly tougher windshirts; others are feature-packed and tough enough to replace a full waterproof if you want them to. As ever, layering is a very personal choice, but whatever your preference, you can be sure there’s a soft shell out there that suits it.

So this guide will show you what is out there, explain the different types of jacket you will see on the stands, and help you choose one that suits you.

88 COUNTRY WALKING APRIL 2015

About our reviews

We’ve chosen four jackets for men and four for women across a broad price range. Rather than a comparative test, we show what you can expect for your money at different price-points. We don’t pick an overall winner, as it can be like comparing apples and oranges, and no single option will suit every walker. Instead we focus on the kind of walking that each product suits best.

UNIQUELY ADAPTABLE A fully-featured soft shell like this one can solve all your layering needs – and look good in casual use too.

NB: WE ALWAY SPECIFY THE RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE (RRP) FOR CONSISTENCY. YOU MAY SEE THESE ITEMS SOLD FOR CONSIDERABLY LESS IN STORES AND ONLINE.

YOUR COMPLETE BUYING GUIDE TO

Buying Guide Soft shell jackets THICKNESS

Some soft shells prioritise lightness, resulting in a jacket that feels thin, almost like a beefed-up windshirt. Heavier-weight jackets are designed to function as your outer layer in all but the wettest conditions, and may include some interior fleece lining, multiple pockets and pit-zips.

HOOD

Most soft shells are hoodless, like this one.

This is great if you mainly wear the jacket as a midlayer, as a hood would get in the way and be rendered superfluous by the stronger hood on your waterproof. Hoods work best if you want the jacket to be your main outer layer; just ensure that the hood closes tightly and is properly water-repellent.

POCKETS FIT

Soft shells were developed for rockclimbing, so they tend to be cut rather short to allow you to bring your knee up high. They also tend to be quite a tight fit to keep out draughts.

Check if there’s an adjustable drawcord in the hem, and how high the collar sits when fully zipped up. You want the collar to be snug around your neck and chin.

Chest pockets like this one are great as they can store a GPS or phone and still be accessed if you are wearing a rucksack. Many jackets have larger handwarmer pockets on the lower abdomen, but check whether the hip-belt of your rucksack will impede access to them.

WINDPROOFING WATER RESISTANCE

Soft shells aren’t designed to replace a full waterproof jacket, but most offer some form of membrane technology and beading fabric to help keep out showers and drizzle. But while hard-shell waterproofs have taped seams, the stitching on soft shells is usually left exposed, and this is where water can come in after a prolonged soaking.

This is the big sell of the soft shell. Even a lighter jacket needs to be reliably windproof to earn its keep. They also need to balance windproofing with breathability, to regulate your body temperature.

APRIL 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 89

27 ROUTES with Ordnance Survey Maps

Bri tain’s best

WALKS APRIL 2015

s T heree’a r one nu! yo

SOUTH WEST

SOUTH EAST

MIDLANDS

PHOTO: © PEARL BUCKNALL / ALAMY

EAST

NORTH WEST

WELSH HIGHS Looking across Llynnau Mymbyr to Moel Siabod – turn to Walk 21 for your route to the summit.

Seasonal treats

Wooded wonders in the Chiltern Hills l Hebden Dale’s bluebells in bloom l Wild Cornish coastline and many more walks to celebrate spring...

NORTH EAST

WALES

SCOTLAND

IRELAND

Bri tain’s est

WALKS

SOUTH WEST SOUTH EAST

Find a great walk near you...

01 Cornwall/Devon Bude

MIDLANDS EAST

CHALLENGE WALK

02 Devon Otterton

NORTH WEST

25

03 Gloucestershire Nailsworth

NORTH EAST

24

04 Berkshire/Hampshire Beacon Hill

WALES

05 West Sussex Horsham

SCOTLAND FAMILY WALK

06 Bedfordshire Whipsnade

IRELAND

07 Shropshire Ironbridge

19

26

08 Shropshire Coalbrookdale 09 Warwickshire Weethley Wood

23

10 Leicestershire West Leake Hills

27 16

11 Derbyshire Ilam

15

12 Cambridgeshire Boxworth & Bar Hill

14

14 Greater Manchester Mellor

11

21 22

15 Lancashire Warton Crag

10

16 Cumbria Windermere

07 08

17 West Yorkshire Heptonstall Moor 18 East Yorkshire North Cave

02

22 Conwy Crimpiau

Route updates

25 Outer Hebrides Loch Druidebeag 26 County Antrim Murlough Bay

E

A B

NAVIGATION: Good map-reading and compass skills required in places.

DISTANCE: Route is between 8-12 miles from start to finish.

TERRAIN: 3,000ft+ with sustained steep ascent/descent; possible scrambling.

W

N

S

E

100 COUNTRY WALKING APRIL 2015

S

TRAILZILLA ID (on reverse of card) We upload all our walks to Trailzilla.com so subscribers can use the unique code displayed on the back of each route card to download and print the route.

TERRAIN: Min 2,000ft ascent, sustained steepness and rocky or boggy ground.

W

GRADIENT PROFILE Check the ascent and descent (hilliness) of the route with a quick glance at this profile.

GRADE Our routes are graded easy, moderate, challenging 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 how we grade our more challenging walks:

N

ABBREVIATIONS We have abbreviated left to L and right to R.

CLASSIC ROUTE

uThursley Common, Surrey, Spring 2015, Walk 06 Point 1 boardwalk no longer ends but continues beyond right turn. The power lines on the common are being replaced with underground cables, so can no longer aid navigation. Point 6 path can get boggy enough to be impassable.

If you spot a route which needs updating, email cwroutes@bauermedia.co.uk

CHALLENGING

24 Aberdeenshire Carn an Tuirc

EXTREME

23 Dumfries & Galloway Garlieston

OUR EXPERTS All our routes are written by experienced and knowledgeable walkers who are experts at finding the best walks in their area and describing them clearly.

05

01

21 Conwy Moel Siabod

WALK INFORMATION An estimate of how long the route will take, based on a pace of about two miles per hour, with allowances made for slower, hilly routes.

06 04

20 Gower Port Eynon Bay

How to use your routes

13 12

09

03

20

19 Northumberland Embleton to Alnmouth

27 Cumbria Newlands Round

18

17

13 Suffolk Kessingland

A B

NAVIGATION: Sound navigation skills required; route may be trackless.

DISTANCE: Route is more than 12 miles from start to finish.

MAPS (on reverse of route card) Follow the red route marked clearly on the map.

It’s essential to take the relevant Ordnance Survey map with you in case you get lost and inadvertently leave the area covered by our map.

CHALLENGE

8

1

14

16

18

Start There’s a car park and hotel (with bar, shop and museum) at Hartland Quay, which is a popular spot with day visitors for its stunning scenery.

The contorted rock layers are very striking. Looking north-northwest, assuming there are clear conditions, you can see Lundy island in the Bristol Channel on the horizon. Built in the late 16th century, Hartland Quay was a thriving port until the pier was destroyed by storms at the end of the 19th century. From the bottom car park follow the Coast Path sign for Speke’s Mill.

The path, which passes behind St Catherine’s Tor, leads to the impressive waterfall at Speke’s Mill Mouth.

12

GRADIENT PROFILE

10

PHOTO: FIONA BARLTROP 20

2

22

B

Bude

undy

24

26

Bide

Braunton

Hartland

Holswor

30

Okeham

28

1.3km/1 mile Turn inland to cross a footbridge over the stream,

Nearest town Bude Refreshments Bude & Sandy Mouth Public toilets Bude (in car park), Hartland Quay, Duckpool, Sandy Mouth Public transport Bus 219/217 from Bude (Strand) to Hartland Maps OS Explorers 126 & 111; Landranger 190

PLANNING

Start/parking Summerleaze Beach car park, Bude – close to Strand bus stop for bus to Hartland; also car park at Hartland Quay, where walk starts, grid ref SS223247 Is it for me? Very easy navigation but a long route with a lot of ascent and descent; (take two days over it, if need be) Stiles 10

ROUTE

Boscastle Ti l

PLAN YOUR WALK

A

CORNWALL/DEVON QUAY TO BUDE 01 HARTLAND

6

Stanbury Mouth beach – popular with seals and surfers.

uDistance: 24km/15 miles uTime: 8 hours uGrade: Extreme

4

➥

OTTERTON 02 DEVON

4

6

2

10

GRADIENT PROFILE

8

12

2.5km/1½ miles Cross lane via kissing-gates and follow path on opposite side, passing through Otter Estuary Nature Reserve.

Further on, stop at bird watching hide, L, for chance of rare birds and great views along estuary. Continue ahead and go through gate, then turn R beside wooden footpath

‘Budleigh Salterton’. Follow stony track, with River Otter, immediately L. Go through kissing-gate and pass footbridge, L. Ignore tracks to R, but cross large stone slab spanning stream and then keep ahead through kissing-gate.

Continue along main path beside river to reach lane called White Bridge.

14

Tiverton

Sidmouth

Honiton

Seaton

Lyme Regis

Axminster

Chard

PLAN YOUR WALK

Exeter

Exmouth Dawlish Teignmouth Newton Abbot

Paignton Brixham

16

18

20

sign, passing children’s play area and large car park, L. Once past play area, go through wooden kissing-gate.

Nearest town Sidmouth/Exmouth Refreshments King’s Arms and Otterton Mill (café/ restaurant), near start Public toilets Along beach promenade (No. 2 on route) Public transport Stagecoach Coast Hopper buses 157 and 357 stop near King’s Arms near the start of the route Maps OS Explorer 115; Landranger 192

PLANNING

Start/parking Roadside parking available on Fore Street, grid ref SY083853 Is it for me? Well-marked paths over flat terrain; short stretch of road at start and finish Stiles 2

ROUTE

rquay

on

uDistance: 8km/5 miles uTime: 2¾ hours uGrade: Easy

Otterton’s pretty Fore Street.

CHOSEN BY… MARTIN HALL This enjoyable walk starts in the idyllic village of Otterton, located within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

After tracing a scenic stretch of the River Otter down to the English Channel, the route then loops back round to the start via attractive meadows and woodland fringes rich in wildlife.

1

600 400 200 0 km 0

2

Start Head west along Fore Street, with its beautiful thatched cottages. Pass King’s Arms, R, and Otterton Mill, L, then cross road bridge spanning River Otter. Descend wooden steps, L, to follow signed path marked

metres

WALK

600 400 200 0 km 0

2

CHOSEN BY… FIONA BARLTROP Arduous though it may be, the stretch between Hartland Quay and Bude, is one of the most exhilarating sections of the South West Coast Path. The overall ascent of 4,170ft may sound daunting, but a suitably fit person with plenty of stamina should enjoy a great day’s walk. Fine weather makes all the difference; long days are best with late spring/ early summer when the cliffs are carpeted in wild flowers being particularly lovely. There are buses between Bude and Hartland, but no transport to Hartland Quay. It’s easy to walk it, but it does make the day that much longer.

metres

SOUTH WEST

✁

➥

SOUTH WEST

PHOTO: MARTIN HALL