27 HANDY ROUTE CARDS with Ordnance Survey maps September 2015
Britain’s best-selling walking magazine OUR BIGGEST AND BEST
LEATHER BOOT TEST
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Into the Britain’s 10 best walks in gorges, glens and dales
● Tranquil trails by the Wye ● The sacred paths of Ewyas ● Wainwright’s favourite valley
PLUS
SHROPSHIRE’S DARK RIDGE Explore a landscape forged by the Devil
BLOOMSBURY TO BRIGHTON
THE DINGLE WAY Walk Ireland’s wild Atlantic frontier
Walk in the footsteps of Virginia Woolf
YORKSHIRE’S SECRET HILLS
Five walks in Castle Howard country
WALKING WEEKEND
Your recipe for a perfect weekend escape in…
BEDDGELERT
‘BIG MOUNTAIN ’
THE PLAN
THE WALKS
Two great valleys converge here at Beddgelert; a cleft in the mountains where colliding waters are sent racing through the narrow Aberglaslyn Pass. Lush pastures and forests give way to some of Snowdonia’s best-known peaks: to the east are the Moelwynion, to the west is Moel Hebog and the Nantlle Ridge, and to the north, the Snowdon massif itself. From mountain top to valley floor, there’s so much to explore from Beddgelert – turn to Walks 22 and 23 for two great walks.
Jump on board one of the little steam trains of the Welsh Highland Railway to Rhyd Ddu, the start point for Walk 22: an out-and-back across the forested banks of Llyn Cwellyn and gnarled crags of Craig y Bera to climb the isolated top of Mynydd Mawr. The Nantlle Ridge and the Snowdon massif make up a fine summit panorama. The next day, Walk 23 takes you deep into the spectacular Pass of Aberglaslyn, before emerging high above the stunning valley of Nant Gwynant.
18 COUNTRY WALKING SEPTEMBER 2015
PHOTO: © THE PHOTOLIBRARY WALES / ALAMY
The magnificent peak of Mynydd Mawr, seen from the shores of Lllyn Cwellyn. Turn to Walk 22 for o your you route oute to the t e top. top
The VIEW GORGEOUS
INGREDIENTS
Clinging to the river’s edge, Walk 23 takes the Fisherman’s Path as it negotiates the Pass of Aberglaslyn.
★ Take a landscape of majestic mountains and striking valleys ★ Add two bracing walks ★ Pour in the waters of a spectacular river gorge ★ Stir in the old world charm of a picturesque Welsh village ★ Garnish with artisan foods and fine dining
PHOTO: © PBIMAGES / ALAMY
WHERE TO STAY... COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL
PHOTO: © THE PHOTOLIBRARY WALES / ALAMY
PREPARATION For a café with a difference, check out the quirky little Beddgelert Bistro – a bistro and antiques shop (left). Tuck into a hearty breakfast or choose from a selection of light snacks, scrumptious homemade cakes and beverages. www.beddgelert-bistro.co.uk
PIT STOPS Take a break at Café Glandwr, home to Beddgelert’s artisan ice cream parlour, Glaslyn Ices. Choose from dozens of mouth-watering flavours, from old
Indulge in a little luxury at Sygun Fawr – a country house with an idyllic hillside setting and picturesque views over Snowdonia. This small hotel has a restaurant and 12 en-suite rooms, including three deluxe suites. B&B from £42.50 per person, per night. www.plas-gwyn.com
RIVERSIDE GUESTHOUSE A characterful Georgian townhouse overlooking the River Colwyn, Plas Gwyn is a cosy bed and breakfast in
favourites like mint choc chip to the award-winning mango sorbet . Next door is the café and pizzeria, where you can enjoy lunch or a light snack. www.glaslynices.co.uk
REHYDRATION Savour a pint of Faithful Gelert – an ale that’s exclusive to the Saracen’s Head. A tribute to the legend of Llewellyn the Great’s loyal hound, it’s one of four traditional cask ales from Robinson’s Brewery served here. www.saracens-head.co.uk
the centre of the village with plenty of amenities nearby. B&B for two sharing a twin or double suite, costs from £70 a night. www.plas-gwyn.com
UNDER CANVAS Pitch up at Cae Du – a spacious campsite with modern facilities on the banks of the River Glaslyn, where the Nant Gwynant valley reaches Beddgelert. Pitches from £17 a night based on two sharing a tent/caravan. www.caeducampsite.co.uk
CELEBRATION After discovering the delights of the Aberglaslyn Pass and scaling Mynydd Mawr, you’ll probably have quite an appetite – so round off your weekend with an evening meal at the Hebog Café & Bistro. Accompanied by a good wine or local ale, treat yourself to Welsh sirloin steak, pan fried sea bass or tomato and spinach linguine. Then choose from a tempting selection of deserts. Ingredients are sourced as locally as possible. Mains from £10.25. www.hebog-beddgelert.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 19
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Into the
Leave the hilltops behind this summer and explore Britain’s winding dales, lost valleys, deep gorges and wild glens – starting here, in the glorious Vale of Ewyas. W O R D S : J E N N Y WA LT E R S
GREEN SANCTUARY The secluded lowlands of the Vale of Ewyas have drawn those seeking peace for o ce centuries. tu es
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
DISCOVER Britain’s best valleys
PHOTO: © GUY EDWARDES/GETTYIMAGE
SEPTEMBER 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 29
Secret Yorkshire ✘
Treasure
MAPS GREAT WALKS EVERYWHERE
We believe there are beautiful walks in every corner of Britain so each issue we pick a map at random and seek out its best trails. This month we venture to the undiscovered dells and wolds of Explorer 300: Howardian Hills & Malton. WORDS: ARNOLD UNDERWOOD
DISCOVER Great walks everywhere
Hovingham
Wintringham
3
Coneysthorpe MALTON
1 Kirkham
West Lutton
NORTON-ONDERWENT
2
5
Sledmere
Wharram Percy
Thixendale
THEDS L WO
KEY ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
National Trail and Recreational Paths
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Yorkshire Wolds Way River Derwent Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
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Featured walks (see next page)
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PHOTO: © MIKE KIPLING PHOTOGRAPHY / ALAMY
HERE’S A GOOD reason why Yorkshire is known as ‘God’s Own Country’: it’s home to some of the most iconic landscapes in England. Think of the sculpted peaks and valleys of the Yorkshire Dales, or the heather-swept uplands of the North York Moors. But there’s more to England’s largest county than these two superstar national parks, and OS Explorer 300 reveals some of Yorkshire’s best-kept secrets. The map is a tale of two sides. The western half is all about the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a tranquil world of rolling countryside given over to farming and forest, and dotted with country estates and pretty villages. There are stately homes, halls and manors, abbeys and priories – Castle Howard, Hovingham Hall, Nunnington Hall, Kirkham Abbey, to name just a few – and the hills are crisscrossed with the green dashes of paths and bridleways. By contrast the east side of the map is dominated by the high escarpment of the Yorkshire Wolds, overlooking the broad Vale of Pickering. In late summer, its long chalk contours are awash with acres of golden corn beneath wide, blue skies. Steep-sided dales hide secret hamlets like Wintringham and Kirby Grindalythe and ‘lost villages’ too, like Croom, Mowthorpe and Wharram Percy. Much of this land is farmed by large estates such as Birdsall, Sledmere, and Settrington, their magnificent halls sometimes open to the public. There are fewer footpaths on this side, but quiet country lanes and the Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail make for tempting walks. The two sides are separated by the River Derwent, which bisects the map on a SW-NE axis and flows through beautiful Kirkham Gorge. And sitting neatly in the middle of it all are the market towns of Malton and Norton: perfect basecamps for exploring the hills, dales and grand houses of Explorer 300. Turn over to discover our five favourite walks on the map... u t THE PATH LESS TR AVELLED
Discover the quiet side of Yorkshire on the the e Chalklands C a a ds Way near ea Thixendale. e da e SEPTEMBER 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 47
EAST
WEST
t R Derwen
4
On top of the
underworld Lose your soul to Shropshire’s most enchanting landscape on a ridge-top stroll along the Stiperstones. WORDS: RACHEL BROOMHEAD
SORCERER ’S STONE Sun and shadows in the charmed world of the St pe sto es Stiperstones.
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
DISCOVER Stiperstones
PHOTO: © JAMES BARRETT / ALAMY
SEPTEMBER 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 53
Walking “I etween e ines
Walking helped Virginia Woolf write some of the greatest novels of all time, but was it London or Sussex that inspired her genius?
WORDS: RACHEL BROOMHEAD
58 COUNTRY WALKING SEPTEMBER 2015
LOVE WALKING in London,” said Mrs Dalloway. “Really, it’s better than walking in the country.” Forgive me. I can already feel Country Walking readers shaking in their muddied boots. In my defence, I didn’t write those words: it was Virginia Woolf in 1925. Like the heroine of her novel, Mrs Dalloway, Woolf was that unusual breed of walker: the city stroller. Can shuffling along urban thoroughfares really be more enjoyable than striding over solitary hills? It seems unlikely, but if there’s anyone we should pay attention to on the subject, it’s Woolf. Born and bred in the capital, the writer’s urban walks kept the ink flowing while she was penning some of the most influential novels of the twentieth century; Mrs Dalloway is now a shoo-in for most ‘100 greatest books’ lists and To the Lighthouse and Orlando are firm modern classics. But her love of London walking wasn’t as straightforward as Mrs Dalloway’s. Woolf also held a soft-spot for the South Downs and made regular trips to her house in Sussex where she would stride for miles along the chalk ridgeways. So I’m curious: should the city really get all the credit for Woolf’s creative genius, or did her walks in the country quietly pave the way to greatness? To find out, I’m going on a walking weekend of two halves, hopping between Woolf’s urban and rural stomping grounds. First up: London. u
DISCOVER Town and country TWO -WAY TR AFFIC Virginia Woolf wasn’t afraid to walk both ways: through the city and the country.
PHOTOS: © THE PRINT COLLECTOR / ALAMY; © JOHN KELLERMAN / ALAMY; FACING PAGE: TOM BAILEY
Wild Atlantic shores
SEASIDE TR AIL Spend a week walking the edge of Ireland and enjoy views like this one from o Mount ou t Brandon. a do
Take a foottapping walk on IrelandÕs Dingle Way to discover golden beaches, mountain views, beehive chapels, a South Pole pub and a dolphin called FungieÉ WORDS: JASPER WINN
DISCOVER The Dingle Way
PHOTO: © ANNE HEINE / ALAMY
SEPTEMBER 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 67
No-nonsense reviews for real walkers YOUR COMPLETE BUYING GUIDE TO
OUR TESTERS
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BOOTS
EATHER BOOTS. They never change, right? They’re brown, they’re stiff, they stand up to any kind of terrain short of magma and they are heavy. Sometimes very heavy. That would be a common perception of the leather boot. To some walkers, the above will sound like just what they need (some, in fact, would never trust their feet to anything else). To others it may sound like a complete turn-off. But the good news is that the above doesn’t have to be the only truth when it comes to leather boots. Yes, you can still buy boots that fit those criteria perfectly. But you can also buy leather boots that are swift, soft, supple and stylish; boots which blur the boundaries between leathery toughness and the versatility of fabric. Leather boots that are fun to wear. Leather boots that are – say it quietly – surprisingly light. They will all still have a common DNA of good natural waterproofing, a firmer structure than most fabric offerings and a reassuring chunkiness. But in the boots that you’ll see in this review, you’ll see a huge variety of ideas as to how to interpret those basic propositions. If you like stiff, sturdy, brown, unfussy boots, you’ll find them here, never fear. But if you want proof that leather boots don’t have to be that way, well, you’ll find that in here, too.
74 COUNTRY WALKING SEPTEMBER 2015
About our reviews
We’ve chosen seven pairs for men and seven for women across a broad price range. Each pair offers a different range of features and shows you what to 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 boot suits best, helping you to find the perfect pair for your own needs.
qBEST OF BOTH WORLDS Bootmakers like Oboz have transferred the sleek stylings of fabric boots to the leather market. NB: WE ALWAY SPECIFY THE RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE (RRP) FOR CONSISTENCY. YOU MAY SEE THESE ITEMS SOLD FOR CONSIDERABLY LESS IN STORES AND ONLINE.
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 Austrian Alps, the Pennine Moors, the Lake District and Snowdonia.
Leather
Buying Guide Leather boots WATERPROOFING FIT Fit depends entirely on the foot, so we don’t usually review boots based on how they happened to fit our tester. But we’ll give a guideline assessment on the width and how it sits over the toe, the Achilles tendon and the upper. If when you try a boot on you find it rubs or pinches any of these areas, it probably isn’t for you.
All the boots featured here use a waterproof/breathable membrane. It may be one of the big ‘external’ marques like Gore-Tex (the market leader) or eVent; or the bootmaker may use their own membrane, usually to save weight, reduce cost or improve breathability.
ANKLE HEIGHT The higher the ankle cuff comes, the more protection it offers. However, if your priority is speed and flexibility, a lower ankle cuff (such as you find on a ‘mid’ boot) may suit you better.
LACING Higher-cut boots like this one usually have a locking eyelet, placed further down the side than the rest, which pulls the laces firmly down over the upper. Just be careful that these eyelets, and the pressure points where the bow sits, do not sit on top of a tender bone or tendon.
OUTSOLE The tread pattern affects how the boot grips the terrain. Deep-cleaved ‘lugs’ like these give better grip on mud, grass and uneven soil. Shallower lugs put more of the boot in contact with the ground so that it sticks better to harder surfaces like rock.
FLEX
RAND Some boots (such as the Oboz in the picture on the left) limit rubber reinforcement to the toe-box and heel, whereas others have a full rand: a strip of toughened rubber which runs all the way round the boot. This makes the boot very resistant to bumps and scuffs but it usually adds weight, reduces flexibility and can make the boot less breathable.
INSOLE Some brands use their own insoles while others use a specialist brand. Softer, squidgier insoles feel better for general walking but can be hot and a little imprecise if you’re rock-hopping. Also consider an after-market insole like Superfeet. (see p80).
Flexing the surface of the upper is the quickest way to see how good the leather is. Premium leathers may be stiff but they should still flex smoothly. Lesser quality leather is likely to be easier to flex but may squeak a bit, and flexing may result in a crease appearing quickly.
Turn over to read the tests…
SEPTEMBER 2015 COUNTRY WALKING 75
27 ROUTES with Ordnance Survey Maps
Britain’s best
WALKS SEPTEMBER 2015
s Theree’ar one nu! yo
SOUTH WEST
SOUTH EAST
MIDLANDS
PHOTO: © ATSTOCKFOTO / ALAMY
EAST
NORTH WEST
NORTH EAST
SEEK OUT A SUMMIT Turn to Walk 16 for your route to the majestic Lakeland tops of Pillar of a and a d Steeple. Steep e
Gleeful getaways Sylvan delights in Exmoor l A perfect day out in the Peak District l Britain’s most northerly walk on the Shetland Islands... and more great walks
WALES
SCOTLAND
IRELAND
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Britain’s est
WALKS
SOUTH WEST SOUTH EAST
Find a great walk near you...
MIDLANDS EAST
01 Cornwall Helston to Porthlevan 02 Devon Watersmeet
NORTH WEST
03 Somerset Blagdon Lake
NORTH EAST
04 Dorset West Bay
WALES 25
05 Hampshire Cheriton
SCOTLAND
06 Greater London Kensington to Bloomsbury
IRELAND
07 East Sussex Southease to Glynde 24
08 Worcestershire Eckington Wharf 09 Shropshire Stiperstones 10 Derbyshire Rowsley & Stanton Moor
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11 Derbyshire The Torrs, New Mills
15
19 18
12 Cambridgeshire Linton 14
13 Suffolk Bury St Edmunds 14 Greater Manchester Hollingworth Lake 16 Cumbria Steeple & Pillar
09
CHALLENGE WALK
17 West Yorkshire High Brown Knoll
20
19 Durham Shildon
02
20 Glamorgan Blaencwm 21 Monmouthshire Vale of Ewyas
FAMILY WALK
26 Shetland Isles Muckle Flugga
How to use your routes 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.
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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.
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92 COUNTRY WALKING SEPTEMBER 2015
TERRAIN: Min 2,000ft ascent, sustained steepness and rocky or boggy ground. E
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.
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:
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GRADIENT PROFILE Check the ascent and descent (hilliness) of the route with a quick glance at this profile.
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If you spot a route which needs updating, email cwroutes@bauermedia.co.uk
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ABBREVIATIONS We have abbreviated left to L and right to R.
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u Devizes, June 2011, Walk 03 – Point 3 Head in a kilometre long left-hand loop returning to the same point before heading to point 4. The footpath here is blocked (but still passable) on the descent after point 4, and the fields have been divided up at this point, making progress tough.
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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.
CLASSIC ROUTE
05
01
challenging
24 Dumfries & Galloway The Black Hill Ridge
Route updates
extreme
23 Gwynedd Beddgelert
13
07
03 04
22 Gwynedd Mynydd Mawr
27 Isle of Wight The Needles
12
08
21
18 North Yorkshire Wintringham
25 Perth & Kinross Birks of Aberfeldy
11 10
22 23
15 Cumbria Millom
17
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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.