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SPECIAL ISSUE
Your complete guide to discovering the best of the new season on foot
Think big!
From Coast to Coast to the South Downs Way: find the long trail for YOU!
RECORD BREAKERS!
www.livefortheoutdoors.com
The UK’s superlative spots: walk them all
TROUSERS TESTED Perfect pairs from £30-£145
JULIA TALKS WALKING
Plus all the walks from her new series
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Spring!
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B ◆ TROUSERS ◆ HAFOD ESTATE ◆ CYPRUS ISSUE 352 SPRING SPECIAL ◆ JULIA BRADBURY ◆ LONG DISTANCE TRAILS ◆ WALSINGHAM ◆ RECORD BREAKERS
Britain’s best-selling walking magazine
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Spring 2016 £4.20
SPRING ROUTE CARDS WITH FULL OS MAPS
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SPRING 2016
WALKING & HEALTH: the amazing truth
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Would you like to enjoy your favourite walk for more than a few hours?
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Would you like to relish the views you love for a weekend, week, or month? Then make your dream come true this spring by making plans to walk one of Britain’s gorgeous long-distance paths. Whether it’s a week in the Cotswolds or crossing the nation on foot, there’s an adventure here just for you. WORDS: DAMIAN HALL
DISCOVER Long-distance paths
People come from all over the world to walk this green and pleasant land’s trails. We have a fortunate combination of wellmarked footpaths – over 1400 of them – a lack of dangerous animals (though grumpy Yorkshire Dales sheep shouldn’t be underestimated), and beautiful landscapes interrupted by welcoming villages. You can get your hat blown off up on the moors, but still have a glass of red by the fire at night in that cosy village inn. The best of both worlds. Spring of course is a wonderful time to head outdoors. The daffodils. The lambs. That belt that must have somehow shrunk a bit over winter. There’s a very real and specific joy, a lasting sense of satisfaction, to be had in completing a long trail. You’ll likely gain a big sense of achievement, confidence, self-empowerment and independence – and all may bring positive repercussions to everyday life. You can forget all your troubles and discover hills, valleys and villages you’d never heard of but possibly won’t want to leave. You’ll feel happy (admittedly your toes might not all of the time) and alive. For some, as Hollywood shows, a longdistance walk is life changing.
OUR EXPERT Writer Damian Hall (www.damian hall.info) is happiest when yomping long distances in lumpy places. He’s trekked many of the world’s famous and not so famous long-distance trails, including the Everest Base Camp trek for his honeymoon. He’s author of the official Pennine Way guide (Aurum), Somerset Coast Path (Aurum), and Walking in the Cotswolds (Cicerone). His new book Long-Distance Walking in Britain (Crowood) will be out this autumn.
q PATH TO ADVENTURE
Enjoy views like this for a week on the South Downs Way, just one of Britain’s tempting treks.
“Your soul is fed on views of lakes and bumpy horizons. Your mind gets some vital nature therapy. Your backside gets a little curvier.”
So, which trail? Read on to discover 16 gorgeous paths to walk this spring, starting with the Cotswold Way... SPRING 2016 COUNTRY WALKING 31
MAIN PHOTO: TOM BAILEY
ITH WILD AND A Walk in the Woods both on the big screen recently, even Hollywood has belatedly realised a long-distance walk is about the best holiday you can have. Ever. Few things are more certain in this world than the simple fact that walking in green places is very brilliant. Your soul is fed on sightings of rabbits, butterflies and rainbows (possibly), melodramatic views of lakes and bumpy horizons. Your mind gets some vital nature therapy. Your backside gets a little bit curvier. You can legitimately feel a tiny bit smug about it all. And slurp a pint afterwards – and chomp on chocolate during – without feeling guilty. Think how happy a day’s yomp in the countryside makes you. Then imagine doing that again the next day. And the next. Even the next... Nowadays long-distance walking doesn’t need to involve lugging a back-breaking pack up dale and through bog (though we can’t guarantee there won’t be bogs). Well-oiled luggage courier companies can ferry your pack on for you, and even book your beds. Plus there’s no rule stating a long-distance trail must be completed in one continuous journey. Many walk them in sections. It can be a project for a year, or longer.
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alive! It’s
Soak up the joys of spring on the trail of eight seasonal wonders, as the world blooms, leaps, flutters, twitters and sings back to vibrant life.
Powered by sunshine LIKE MANY OF us walkers, the brimstone butterfly bursts into life at the first hint of warmth in early March. Their flutter out of chilly hibernation is one of the earliest signs of spring and you might see lone brimstones flitting along in the sunshine in search of a mate or pairs tumbling together through the sky in courtship. It gets its name from the sulphur or brimstone yellow of the male’s wings and many think this species’ buttery hue led to the term butterfly. The female is paler, but both enjoy incredible camouflage, with angular, veined wings that look like leaves when folded at rest. You can spot them on walks in a wide range of landscapes south of Yorkshire and the southern Lake District, from chalk grassland to woods to heath. They gather nectar from a buffet of spring
flowers like primrose and cowslip, although they lay eggs exclusively on buckthorn and alder buckthorn. And like walkers, they long to soak up the early sunshine so you might see them resting on the ground, leaning over with wings closed to catch as many DID YOU KNOW? rays as possible. Some say the brimstone butterfly is a harbinger of WALK HERE: bad weather. They do appear Stroll among to sense impending rain so fluttering if they all vanish from brimstones at the sky to find shelter Pendarves Wood, under leaves, you’d best put on your Corn; Bovey Valley, waterproofs! Dev; Durlston*, Dors; Mt Caburn, Ssx; Taf Fechan, Merthyr Tyfil; Burnt Wood, Staffs; Hatch Mere*, Chesh; Latterbarrow*, Cumb Tophill Low*, E Yorks. * Download your free walk guides and maps for these routes at www.lfto.com/cwroutes
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MASTER DISGUISE Is it a spring leaf? Or is it a butterfly? The brimstone’s camouflage lets it bask and feed safe from harm.
PHOTO: © NATUREPIX/ALAMY*
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DISCOVER Sights of spring
PHOTO: GUY EDWARDES
WALK INTO SPRING Tread paths made magical by spring, like this one through the bluebells in Dorset, with Colmer’s Hill rising above the the e early ea y morning o g mist. st
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DESTINATIONS Walsingham
THE ROAD TO THE
HOLY HOUSE
This Eastertide, become a pilgrim and take a walk to the place known as ‘England’s Nazareth’… WORDS: NICK HALLISSEY
T TURNS OUT, despite my romantic yearnings, that I’m a rubbish pilgrim. All that’s expected of me, to call myself a pilgrim to Walsingham, is to remove my boots and walk barefoot for a mile to reach the place they call ‘England’s Nazareth’. Gamely, nay, enthusiastically, I peel off my luxuriously padded Oboz boots, fling off the thick, cosy socks, and set out on the stony track that will take me from the Slipper Chapel to the Holy House. And look at me, I’m a pilgrim! Yeowch. Ow. Eek. Oof. Ooyah. Suddenly I’m making noises I normally only see in my daughter’s copy of The Beano. Every step has become murder. You can’t call this walking; I’m somewhere between a tiptoe and a mince. “You big softie,” says photographer Tom, a man whose feet are built like Sherman tanks. I’m crestfallen. I had visions of striding barefoot to Walsingham, treading in the actual naked footprints of thousands of 12th-century pilgrims. Instead I’ve been defeated by a flat stony track and been made painfully aware that I have squishy feet, which is not a medical condition but probably should be. Boots back on, then. And on we go. The pilgrimage to the beautiful Norfolk village of Walsingham is Britain’s Camino de Santiago. The village is tiny, yet for many Christians it has the magnetism of Rome, Santiago de Compostela or even Nazareth, the place with which it has been spiritually linked since one turbulent night in 1061. In that year, so the story goes, a Norfolk noblewoman with the magnificent name of u
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
PILGRIM PREP Nick takes off his boots to walk to Walsingham Priory o y (pictured (p ctu ed left)… e t)
PILGRIM PAIN …but finds he isn’t cut out for a life of walking hardship.
“For many, Walsingham has the same magnetism as Rome, Santiago de Compostela… or even Nazareth itself.” SPRING 2016 COUNTRY WALKING 55
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DISCOVER The Hafod Estate
Beauty BY DESIGN
Seeking ‘picturesque’ landscapes was once a national obsession and one man sunk his fortune into sculpting two exquisite spring walks in Wales. W O R D S : J E N N Y WA LT E R S
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
MONUMENT TO NATURE Man’s hand helped shape the natural falls of Rhaeadr Peiran and it’s now listed as an Ancient and Historic Monument of Wales. SPRING 2016 COUNTRY WALKING 65
PHOTO: Š KIMMO KULOVESI/GETTYIMAGES
FORGED BY FORCE The gnarled peaks of Kyrenia were formed millions of years ago, when rock was thrust upwards by the collision of tectonic of tecto c plates. p ates
DISCOVER Cyprus
CASTLES IN THE CLOUDS
Ancient wonders and untouched wilderness on the Kyrenia Mountain Trail – discover another side to Cyprus. WORDS & PICTURES
PHILIP THOMAS
SPRING 2016 COUNTRY WALKING 73
Expert advice on the kit that makes a difference YOUR COMPLETE BUYING GUIDE TO
OUR TESTERS
TROUSERS H eading into spring and summer, we’re looking for lighter, stretchier trousers that are tough enough to manage those big walks you’ve been been dreaming of, without overheating while you do it. So the trousers in this test are light and airy, using blends of polyester, polyamide, nylon and elastane for a bit of stretch. But we’ve also included a few which use a soft shell finish for those who want some extra protection against wind and rain. The higher-spec pairs offer a bit of UV protection or insect-repellency too – all handy for a warm summer’s day. Some offer a loose, airy fit for gentler summer strolls; others have a closer trim and toughened patches to help you up a mountain or two. Some come in zip-off versions, too – handy when it’s baking and you want to get the old pins out.
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 Rachel Broomhead 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 Great Langdale, Axe Edge in the Peaks and the hilliest bits of the South Downs Way.
Walking
About our reviews We’ve chosen five pairs for men and five for women across a broad price range. Rather than a comparative test, we focus on what you get for your money at each price-point. 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 aim to help you match the trousers to your specific needs. 80 COUNTRY WALKING SPRING 2016
pDITCH THE JEANS
Well-made walking trousers are stretchier, more robust and far quicker-drying than anything made in denim.
Buying Guide Walking trousers POCKETS
FIT
Looser trousers favour a ‘combat’ style with a lot of pockets, including cargo pockets which are deep enough to hold an OS map. You may also find hidden security pockets (good for travel). Closer-fitting, more technical trousers will generally have fewer and smaller pockets. Higher-priced technical trousers sometimes manage to combine a close fit with good-size pockets too.
Most walking trousers usually have a loose, often quite baggy fit for comfort and ventilation. Always check how high the seat rides up your back and/or over your hips – this is an area where women in particular can struggle to find a pair that sits where they want them to. Elastication can help, as can a supplied webbing belt. We’ve found that leg-length options can vary wildly from brand to brand.
GENDER NOTE Most of the pairs we tested come in men’s and women’s versions (indicated by blue and pink dots ), so don’t feel you can only read the reviews for your own gender. You may well find your perfect pair in the other lot.
STRETCH Look for elastane or Spandex in the label listing. These soft, pliable fabrics add stretch to the weave, giving you greater agility. Great for hill-walkers, and scramblers in particular.
ARTICULATION Check the knees for seams and panels. If the knee is a separate panel from the thigh and lower leg, you can expect more freedom of movement. But remember that the back of your knee is one of the tenderest and moistest parts of you: an awkwardly-placed seam can give a nasty rub.
ZIP-OFF
ANKLE CUFF Most walking trousers have a simple hem with no adjustment, which is fine for casual walks but can make them flappy (and billowy in wind). Others can be adjusted, usually by either Velcro, poppers or a drawcord, so they close securely over your boot.
Many of these pairs come in regular or zip-off versions. Generally non-zip-offs have a slightly better range of movement, as the addition of a zip can interfere with stretch and articulation around the thigh and knee. But the rewards of being able to turn your trousers into shorts when it’s baking hot speak for themselves. Some pairs have colour-coded flashes to help you reattach the legs quickly.
Turn over to read the tests… SPRING 2016 COUNTRY WALKING 81
27 ROUTES with Ordnance Survey Maps
Britain’s est
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SOUTH WEST
SOUTH EAST
MIDLANDS
EAST
PHOTO: JASON BALLARD
NORTH WEST
RINGING IN SPRING Come spring, the woods around Knebworth (Walk 8) are awash with bluebells. Catc tthem Catch e w while e you ca can!
Feel alive on foot
Scale fabulous fells in the Lake District l Ride high upon a white horse in the Wessex Downs l See Yorkshire’s biggest view... plus more great walks
NORTH EAST
WALES
SCOTLAND
IRELAND
Britain’s est
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SOUTH WEST SOUTH EAST
Find a great walk near you... 01 Devon Upper Plym Valley
MIDLANDS EAST
CHALLENGE WALK
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02 Dorset Abbotsbury
NORTH WEST
03 Somerset Monkton Combe
NORTH EAST
04 Gloucestershire Nottingham Hill
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05 West Sussex Hartin Downs
SCOTLAND
06 Kent Offham
IRELAND
07 Oxfordshire White Horse Hill
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08 Hertfordshire Codicote & Knebworth 20
09 Shropshire Hopton Castle 10 Worcestershire Stourport 11 Leicestershire Bradgate Park
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FAMILY WALK
12 Derbyshire Hope Valley
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13 Cambridgeshire Lode Mill & River Cam
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14 Norfolk Walsingham
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15 Lancashire Nick of Pendle 16 Cumbria High Tove & Blea Tarn
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17 Cumbria Grisedale Pike
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19 North Yorkshire Sutton Bank
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20 Tyne & Wear Newcastle 21 Ceredigion Llanon to New Quay
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22 Powys The Severn Way 24 Gwynedd Arenig Fawr
challenging
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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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TERRAIN: Min 2,000ft ascent, sustained steepness and rocky or boggy ground. 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.
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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For a full list of 2015 walks, visit www.lfto.com/countrywalkingroutesindex 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.
CLASSIC ROUTE
extreme
26 Fife Tayport & Tentsmuir
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.
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u Twa Lads Moor, February 2016, Walk 14: The walk starts at grid reference SD651124.
25 South Lanarkshire Camps Reservoir
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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Route updates
23 Gwynedd Aran Fawddwy
How to use your routes
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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.