FREE CAMPING GUIDE: 25 ways to stay out all night! July 2015
Britain’s best-selling walking magazine
Beside
East of Eden
Discover a secret Cumbria beyond the Lake District
e
SEA
10 CLASSIC COASTAL WALKS Dorset, Yorkshire, Highland, Sussex, Norfolk, Lundy…
PLUS
LITTLE BRITAIN Hills and history on the Isle of Man
EASY MUNRO BAGGING
Spectacular Scottish summits every walker can enjoy
WHICH RUCKSACK?
11 summer packs to suit men and women
MINI MATTERHORNS: Climb the UK’s Alpine lookalikes
27 ROUTE CARDS FOR SUMMER ESCAPES
JUR ASSIC PARK Walking the spectacular cliffs of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, with Durdle Door in the t e distance. d sta ce
DISCOVER Britain’s coast
Beside e
Sea
It’s summer and the coast is calling. Savour thrilling views on these 10 superstar seaside walks, starting with the Dorset duo of Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. W O R D S : J E N N Y WA LT E R S
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
JULY 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 29
Out of te Just a few miles beyond the holiday resorts of North Devon, there’s an island that offers the sort of stark scenery associated with the West Coast of Scotland. WORDS: MARK SUTCLIFFE
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
L
UNDY IS A bit of an enigma. Stare out to sea from Hartland or Morte Points on the north Devon coast and you’ll see it on the horizon. Or maybe you won’t. Or it will be there one minute and gone the next, obscured by the veils of mist or banks or fog that swirl across the Bristol Channel. And its ephemeral nature adds to the allure of this enchanted island. Generations of dreamers have tried to turn Lundy into an empire of their own – convinced they could establish some sort of utopia just 20 miles of the Devon coast. Catch the MS Oldenburg from Bideford on a perfect spring morning and you’ll begin to understand why. It’s unlikely that you’ll see the island from sea level as you leave the River Taw, but after an hour’s steaming, Lundy’s soaring granite clifs slowly reveal themselves through the mist. At three miles long by a mile and a half wide, Lundy is big enough to support a small community but small enough to manage without the need for large-scale infrastructure or services.
DISCOVER Britain’s coast
Since the Marisco family of pirate smugglers was ejected in the 13th Century, the Knights Templar, assorted members of well-to-do merchant families and a motley succession of brigands and bandits have all tried – and failed – to establish a self-sustaining Shangri-La here. Yet today, with a burgeoning tourist trade, for the first time since the murky machinations of those bloodthirsty Mariscos, Lundy is again able to sustain itself. And whether you make a day-trip from Devon or stay for a few days, the only way to explore this rugged lump of granite is on foot. The ferry puts in at the slipway on the southeastern tip of the island in a rocky bay enclosed on three sides by 300ft sea clifs. It’s easy to see how the Mariscos were able to terrorise the shipping lanes from this rocky eyrie for so long. Below these clifs is a fishing ‘no-take zone’, part of England’s first Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ), where fishing restrictions have been rigorously enforced. These measures have seen fish stocks recover to such an extent that local
fishermen are now as passionate about protecting q ABOVE THE WAVES the area as the conservationists. The lobster Exploring the population in particular has seen a seven-fold shattered granite increase in the first four years of the zone. sea stacks of Jenny’s Celebrity chef Rick Stein now sources his lobsters Cove on Lundy’s from these waters and some specimens have rugged west coast. grown so large that they will allegedly chase scuba divers around the seabed! Lundy’s east coast is the only place on the island where trees can establish a foothold, as it is sheltered from the fierce westerlies that barrel up the Bristol Channel. A rough track leads north then northwest, heading up through Millcombe towards the elegant church of St Helena – constructed by the Heaven family in 1896 in preference to a more substantial harbour. This may have atoned for their sins in employing slave labour on their Caribbean sugar plantations, but it condemned both island and first family to insolvency. In spring, the valley is heady with the scent u of blackthorn and gorse bushes in blossom and
JULY 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 41
Snowdonia’s
MATTERHORN 150 years ago this summer, humans first set foot atop the world’s most iconic mountain. Why not pay tribute by scaling its little Welsh brother? WORDS: NICK HALLISSEY
SEPAR ATED AT BIRTH? The world-famous outline of Cnicht, and (inset) a Swiss hill tthat at cop copies es it. t
DISCOVER Snowdonia’s Matterhorn
E
right up to the precarious mountain hotel that is the starting point for those following in Edward Whymper’s wake. But the good news is, you don’t have to schlep all the way to Switzerland to pay tribute to the Matterhorn. Britain has a few of its own little Matterhorns, and you won’t need a single karabiner to climb them. Fair enough, it is a mere accident of geology that gives them their link to the Alpine icon (they are, essentially, just pointy hills – and usually only from one angle). But that has not stopped generations of walkers
from being inspired to blurt out, “here, that one looks a bit like the Matterhorn, doesn’t it?” The best of the lot is Cnicht. At 2,260ft it is one-sixth the height of its Alpine counterpart, but seen from the west, Cnicht is every inch a Matterhorn: a steeple in the sky, with craggy faces dropping hundreds of feet into space, and the tiny hamlet of Croesor playing the part of Zermatt at its foot. Cnicht has always been saddled with comparisons: its very name is a corruption of the Old English ‘knight’, presumably in reference to it looking like a knight’s helmet. The more prosaic truth about Cnicht is that it isn’t a free-standing peak at all; it’s the end of a long upland horseshoe which connects Cnicht to its sister peaks, the Moelwyns. On the plus side, the whole massif sits just to the south of the Snowdon range, making it a peerless viewing platform for Wales’ highest peak, while its proximity to the coast means you get u JULY 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 47
MAIN PHOTO: © CROWN COPYRIGHT (2014) VISIT WALES; INSET: © FUNKY STOCK – PAUL WILLIAMS / ALAMY
VEN WITHOUT THE horrific accident, the first ascent of the Matterhorn would be the stuf of legend. The quest for the unclimbable peak; a race between obsessed mountaineers; the heroism of Swiss guides; the absolute lunacy which saw the lastminute recruitment of an almost total novice; and success against the odds. And then there was the accident. The greatest moment in the Golden Age of Alpinism, swiftly undone by the most tragic: a slip from the novice, a catastrophic tumble, and a 4,000ft fall that claimed the lives of four out of the seven conquerors of the Matterhorn. It all happened on July 14th, 1865; 150 years ago this summer. Today a visit to the Matterhorn features on the bucket-list of any walker with a soul, eager to gaze upon the colossal fang of rock soaring above the village of Zermatt and hear the story of what happened that momentous and terrible day. You can even walk its lower slopes,
East of
Eden Discover the quiet side of Cumbria this summer, with high adventure across the Eden Valley from the bustling Lakes... W O R D S : J E N N Y WA LT E R S
PENNINE VIEW Enjoy spectacular panoramas from Dufton Pike – just one highlight g g t on o tthiss walk. wa
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
DISCOVER North Pennines
JULY 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 53
Newark-on-Trent ✘
Treasure
MAPS GREAT WALKS EVERYWHERE
There are good walks everywhere – even away from ‘honeypot’ areas like the Lakes and the Dales – you just need to know where to look. This month we find some classic country walks among the rolling pastures of the Trent Valley on OS Explorer 271 Newark. WORDS: MARK SUTCLIFFE
60 COUNTRY WALKING JULY 2015
DISCOVER Great walks everywhere
5 NORTH
RETFORD
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DUNHAM SAXILBY WEST ON TRENT MARKHAM R Trent
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KEY
SUTTON ON TRENT
River Trent
CARLTON ON TRENT
COLLINGHAM
Major towns
SOUTH
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Long Distance Routes
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SOUTHWELL
1
NEWARK ON TRENT
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PHOTO: TOM BAILEY
ACED WITH A free Sunday to fll, most Nottingham-based walkers instinctively head northwest of the city to the popular (and usually busy) tracks and trails of the Peak District. However, out to the northeast of Nottingham lies some surprisingly picturesque countryside, where a necklace of pretty little villages lines the mighty River Trent as it fows inexorably eastwards to meet the Humber. This is where Nottingham’s wealthy merchants and factoryowners sought sanctuary from the smoke and grime of the city; it’s where the trappings of Victorian manufacturing yield to the rich agricultural landscape which was the source of the county’s wealth for centuries before the industrial revolution. Flanked by the verdant Vale of Belvoir to the south and Sherwood Forest to the north, this is a fascinating little backwater well worthy of a quiet weekend’s exploration. The unassuming but attractive market town of Newark is where the troubled King John eventually shufed of this mortal coil, just a year after conceding limits to his monarchical power at Runnymede and then losing the crown jewels in an ill-advised crossing of the treacherous marshlands surrounding the Wash. Slap bang in the middle of the tranquil corridor stretching between Nottingham and Newark is the elegant little market town of Southwell – a small but highly-polished jewel in the county’s crown with a small but perfectly formed Minster – whose architecture is on a par with some of England’s fnest – right in the heart of town. Following the Norman Invasion, Southwell was identifed as the richest town in the whole kingdom in the Domesday Book and it’s where King Charles I, following his crushing Civil War defeat at Naseby, spent his last night of freedom before surrendering to Scots forces garrisoned at nearby Kelham. Over the following pages, we outline fve of the best walks in this little-known corner of England. u JULY 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 61
PHOTO: © ROBIN WEAVER / ALAMY
ONE FELL SWOOP The route to Snaefell takes in miles of scenic variety. Right: Laxey’s waterwheel is the wo d s largest. world’s a gest
No-nonsense reviews for real walkers YOUR COMPLETE BUYING GUIDE
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 Jurassic Coast, Snowdonia, the Derbyshire Dales and Somerset.
for summer
W
E TEND TO be very demanding consumers when it comes to buying a backpack for use in summer. We want an awful lot: something compact that doesn’t feel like a heavy winter pack; something capacious enough to take the waterproof and mid-layers that we hope will stay in the bag the whole day; a harness that spreads weight evenly; and a cool, ventilating back-system that won’t make us feel sticky and horrible after the first hour of a midsummer walk. Plus, if it’s not too much trouble, some extra pockets, somewhere to stash two walking poles and the ability to carry a hydration system. Oh, and water-resistant zips. And a rain-cover. That’s quite a lot of need to pack into a small product, and different packs cope with all those demands in different ways, as you will see in the pages that follow. We’ve looked at packs with a capacity of between 18 and 25 litres as this is the ideal range for summer walking; you can of course find smaller capacities, but these tend to be geared more towards trail runners. So from a walker’s point of view, if you’re a demanding consumer who wants pretty much everything on the above list, there’s something here for you.
About this review We have tested eight unisex packs and three packs specifically for women, across a broad price range. We’ll explain what to expect at different price-points, and what the different features and functions mean. We don’t pick an overall winner as no single option will suit every walker; instead we focus on the kind of walking that each product suits best.
qLOADED UP Even fully loaded, this 25L pack still looks (and feels) trim and compact on your back.
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
OUR TESTERS
RUCKSACKS
NB: WE ALWAY SPECIFY THE RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE (RRP) FOR CONSISTENCY. YOU MAY SEE THESE ITEMS SOLD FOR CONSIDERABLY LESS IN STORES AND ONLINE.
84 COUNTRY WALKING JULY 2015
27 ROUTES with Ordnance Survey Maps
Britain’s best
WALKS JULY 2015
s T heree’a r one nu! yo
SOUTH WEST
SOUTH EAST
MIDLANDS
PHOTO: © GRAHAM BELL / ALAMY
EAST
NORTH WEST
RIVERSIDE RUIN The picturesque remains of Ogmore Castle – for a route to this scenic spot, turn tu to Wa Walk 23. 3
Blue sky July
Walking in the High Weald of Sussex l Crossing a natural bridge on the Pennine Way l Marching on Bosworth Field... and more great summertime walks
NORTH EAST
WALES
SCOTLAND
IRELAND
LUNDY 01 DEVON
6
Old mining works on the island’s rugged east coast.
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Start From slipway, follow coast N, climbing steadily up through valley to Millcombe House and zig-zagging R and L on grassy path to reach clifftop path. You can walk the entire length of the east coast if time permits, but if you are tied to boat sailings, you’ll probably need to cross over to the west earlier.
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1.2km/¾ mile Continue along clifftop path heading N, walking past the ruined quarry cottages looking out for the resident ponies and herd of sika deer.
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2km/1¼ miles Pass a pond on L and the time-keepers cottage then descend gently down grassy
10
GRADIENT PROFILE
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Lundy
Hartland
Braunton
Ilfracom
PLAN YOUR WALK
ROUTE Start/parking Next to ferry terminal at Bideford. Pay & display £3. Adult day return to Lundy £36. Family ticket £82. Crossing takes approx. 2hrs 30min. Bookings 01271 863636 Is it for me? Some steep ascents/descents, and occasionally scrambly section between upper and lower cliff paths Stiles 5
PLANNING Nearest town Bideford Refreshments Boat, island shop or Marisco Tavern Public toilets On ferry and near Marisco Tavern Public transport Bus 21/21a runs from Ilfracombe to Bideford Maps OS Explorer 139; Landranger 180
16
18
20
path continuing N. On L, amid quarried hollow, is a memorial to John Pennington Harman – awarded the Victoria Cross
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SOUTH WEST
✁
uDistance: 8.9km/5½ miles uTime: 4 hours uGrade: Moderate
4
DURDLE DOOR 02 DORSET
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6
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10
GRADIENT PROFILE
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12
4.4km/2¾ miles Continue along clifftop on SWCP with fence to R: this section is a little more level. Go straight on past footpath to R,
2
1.8km/1 mile Return to stone waymarker and turn L to continue west on SWCP. Follow it up and down the rollercoaster clifftop, past two footpath turns on R, and bear R with SWCP to climb up (past another path on R) to reach a beacon.
through gate near car park and turn L downhill on track towards Durdle Door. When coast path forks R at stone sign, go L out onto headland where steps lead down to explore the beaches below.
On the South West Coast Path looking back to Lulworth Cove.
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16
A
B
18
Swana
20
to reach Whitenothe Cottages. Turn L to reach lookout on cliff edge. There is an optional detour down steep path to L signed ‘Smugglers Path to White Nothe Undercliff’ – it’s well worth the effort. Return the way you came to lookout.
Nearest town Weymouth Refreshments Lulworth Public toilets Lulworth Cove Public transport Bus 104 from Wareham and Wool (station) to the cove (infrequent service; not Sun). X43 from Swanage and Weymouth in summer Maps OS Explorer 15; Landranger 194
PLANNING
Start/parking Lulworth Cove car park (charge), grid ref SY821800 Is it for me? Plenty of up and down; steep in places Stiles 1
ROUTE
Portland Bill
Fortuneswell
Weymouth
Ringwood Broc Wimborne Minster DORSET New Dorchester Poole Bournemout Wareham
PLAN YOUR WALK
uDistance: 14.6km/9 miles uTime: 4½ hours uGrade: Moderate
E E SE TUR E 28 A G FE PA ON
CHOSEN BY… JENNY WALTERS This walk takes in two of the most famous and beautiful sites in Dorset – Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. It also explores the quieter side of the Jurassic Coast as it ventures west from Durdle to the lush White Nothe Undercliff, and inland through tranquil fields.
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600 400 200 0 km 0
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Start From car park, take South West Coast Path (SWCP) west signed ‘Durdle Door 1 mile’, through gate and ahead on main cobbled path. Follow it up across hillside and over crest, passing fork to L (closed due to landslip). Continue ahead down wide path with fence to L. Go
metres
E E SE TURE 40 A FE PAG ON
600 400 200 0 km 0
2
CHOSEN BY… MARK SUTCLIFFE Often shrouded in mist and hidden from the mainland, the mysterious island of Lundy lies around 20 miles off the coast of north Devon, guarding the mouth of the Bristol Channel. At just 3½ miles long by a mile wide, it may seem small for a big day out, but don’t underestimate this little outcrop – you’ll be hard-pressed to explore it all in a day. This surprisingly rugged walk only covers about half of Lundy, but it’s an ideal route for walking on a day trip to Lundy – leaving plenty of time to enjoy the wildlife and stop off for a pint at the Marisco Tavern before catching the boat back to Bideford.
metres
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SOUTH WEST
PHOTO: TOM BAILEY
PHOTO: TOM BAILEY