Country Walking magazine November 2013

november 2013

NEW best ever ROUTE CARDS! ✓ compact n ✓ clear directions n ✓ OS Maps n ✓ tough n

Now with even more walks!

issue 321 ENGLAND'S BEST VIEWS ◆ LINCOLNSHIRE WOLDS ◆ NORTH DOWNS WAY ◆ PASS OF KILLIECRANKIE ◆ ARNSIDE & SILVERDALE ◆ RUCKSACKS

www.livefortheoutdoors.com

b r i ta i n ’ s b e s t- s e l l i n g wa l k i n g m a g a z i n e

top

100 listed inside

England’s

best views

And the walks that will take you there Yorkshire Dales ◆ The Lakes ◆ South Downs ◆ Peak District ◆ Exmoor

HIDDEN treasure

Scotland’s prettiest glen See red squirrels and leaping salmon in THE PASS OF Killiecrankie

discover limestone sea cliffs on the edge of the Lake District

Te ste d

48 Hours in the Lincolnshire Wolds

Large rucksacks for men and women

Great walks & surprising hills in England’s quietest county Give your gear a winter MOT: 16 pages of kit care tips november 2013 £3.99

The View

n e w s a n d e v e n t s f r o m t h e w o r l d o f wa l k i n g

NEWS

A bright future for

the Dark Peak National Trust launches ambitious plan to breathe new life into High Peak moors.

I

t’s one of the most famous and spectacular landscapes in Britain – and it’s about to undergo an epic transformation.

Whether you know the area as the High Peak Moors, the Dark Peak or simply Kinder Scout, the uplands of northern Derbyshire are unique within the UK: a “green lung” which – when working properly – should lock up carbon, breathe out oxygen and provide a home for countless precious species of wildlife.

But after centuries of intensive hill-farming and management for grouse-shooting, the moors have lost some of these unique powers. Their peat has eroded, their blanket bogs have dried up and vegetation has been suppressed through heather cultivation and rotational burning.

But now the National Trust is embarking on what it calls its most ambitious land-management project ever: a bid to restore 40 square miles of the Dark Peak to full working order over the next 50 years.

8 Country Walking november 2013

Work has already begun on blocking gullies which allow water to seep off the upland and on planting new vegetation. Sphagnum moss, cotton grass and bilberry will be allowed to flourish, and a greater mix of woodland in the lower valleys will allow the prevalent oak and beech trees to spread higher up the hillside.

Preventing peat erosion should also improve the quality of drinking water in the reservoirs beneath the moors.

The Trust also hopes the changes will create the right conditions for the black grouse to return to the moors; this rare upland bird disappeared from the Peak District altogether in the Nineties.

Most strikingly, the Trust has released a series of “before and after” images showing the scale of the restoration over the next few decades.

The plan won’t mean an end to hill-farming and grouse-shooting, but the Trust says it will work in partnership with farming and shooting stakeholders to create a better balance of land-use, while still retaining

 rebirth of

THE MOORS?

Moorland landscapes like this surrounding the Salt Cellar high up on Derwent Edge have lost many traditional upland species of flora in recent decades.

The new National Trust strategy is aiming to reverse that process.

first-ever new forest walking festival

LAKELAND BID FOR global profile

CW reader completes 6,000-mile ADVENTURE

pag e 1 0

pag e 12

pag e 14

What it could look like... before

FIND OUT MORE You can download the full ‘Vision Document’ at highpeak-moors. co.uk

WHY DO IT NOW ?

High Peak Moors Vision and Plan The next 50 years and beyond

Several key land management agreements on the High Peak Moors ended in 2013, allowing the Trust (as landowner) to create a new blueprint for managing the moors. After a consultation process last year, the Trust created its summary document ‘Our Vision for the High Peak Moors’ which sets out a variety of goals from ecological regeneration to helping more people access the moors from the urban areas.

after

Kinder Scout Areas of bare peat will become vegetated again with mosses, grasses and dwarf shrubs. This wet blanket bog will soak up water like a sponge, reducing the risk of damaging flash floods and locking up carbon as new peat forms.

november 2013 Country Walking 9

main image: © PANOCAM/Alamy; before and after Photos: © National Trust

access for walkers and other leisure users.

“These moors are in effect a life-support system,” says Jon Stewart, National Trust general manager for the Peak District.

“This vision is all about working with people who care for the land, whether that be our farm tenants, our partners or the many people that passionately love the Peak District, to restore the landscape and habitats, provide access to a wild place, deliver better water quality and care for the carbon in these upland soils.”

England’s

best views A beautiful panorama is the ultimate

reward for walkers and in a new book: England’s 100 Best Views, Simon Jenkins reveals the nation’s finest. Here, Simon explores what makes a view extraordinary and reveals six of his personal favourites.

the author Simon Jenkins is the author of the bestselling A Short History of England (Profile), England’s Thousand Best Churches and England’s Thousand Best Houses, the former editor of The Times and Evening Standard and a columnist for the Guardian. He is also chairman of the National Trust. He can be found on Twitter at: @simonjenkins4.

W

4

5 2

6 1 3

p dunkery beacon The finest view in England?

Walk to the roof of Exmoor and see for yourself...

november 2013 Country Walking 23

Photo: james osmond

HEn choosing the best of England’s views, my intention was to examine not only the landscape but also our emotions in responding to them, the impact they make on the eye and the imagination. I am not just presenting a picture of Buttermere’s pines, Snape’s marshes, Beachy Head or Tintagel – I am there on location, experiencing and trying to articulate the beauty of these places.

A view is a journey through a landscape, and to reduce a view to a single photograph is to lose the charm of the journey. The geology and flora of a place is only half the story. A view is a memory formed not just by the landscape itself, but by an accumulation of impressions. It is an ever-changing blend of geology and climate, seasons of the year, time of day, even one’s own mood at the time. In a nutshell, a view is nothing more than a walk with one’s eyes open. Here is one such walk… u

pictorial guide

38 Country Walking november 2013

The Pass of

killiecrankie Perthshire is known as Big Tree Country and there’s no better place in Scotland to enjoy autumn’s flaming finery.

Take a walk from Pitlochry to discover bright leaves, deep gorges, fast rivers and leaping salmon...

W o r d s : J e n n y Wa lt e r s

november 2013 Country Walking 39

Photo: © doug houghton/Alamy

 locH fask ally This picturesque loch curves two miles through the Perthshire hills between Pitlochry and the Pass of Killiecrankie. It's man-made, formed when the Tummel Valley was dammed as part of a hydroelectric scheme in the 1940s.

n ati o n a l tr a i l s N or th D owns Way

heaven H ig hway to

Based on an ancient path of pilgrimage, the North Downs Way is now a superb hilltop trek transporting world-weary walkers high above the chaos of south-east England…

Words: Nick Hallissey

46 Country Walking november 2013

 view from

box hill

Box Hill is the unofficial flagship summit of the North Downs Way, thanks to its perfect lines and immense views.

main image: © The National Trust Photolibrary/Alamy; inset: © peterlane/Alamy

T

he most miraculous thing about the North Downs Way is the quietness.

Consider: it sprints right through the southern commuter belt of London, one of the most populous corners of the nation, often parallel with the M25, right past the suburban hubs of Guildford, Reigate and Ashford.

And yet to walk the North Downs is to walk in peace and calmness almost all the way. From whatever starting point you choose, the speed with which the hubbub fades is phenomenal. It’s not just the cars that are silenced; the walkers are quiet too. Even on its busiest days, this 153-mile trail from Farnham in Surrey to Dover in Kent is nowhere near as well-used as its sister path the South Downs Way. Perhaps it’s because the hills it traverses aren’t quite so prominent, perhaps it’s because people simply can’t believe that a ridge that is attached almost umbilically to the Stockbroker Belt could be quite so wonderful to walk.

This is a place to escape to, especially now, as the leaves in the trail’s ever-present necklace of woodland begin to turn amber. It’s a place to walk above implausibly big views and beneath ancient broadleaf canopies. A place to reflect.

Reflection lies at the very heart of the North Downs Way, for it was once a route of pilgrimage, an act specifically designed to turn the walker’s mind inward to matters of the soul, and outward to the Great Beyond. For much of its length, the trail follows the line of an ancient track known as the Pilgrim’s Way. It was used through the Middle Ages and right up to the time of Henry VIII by faithful souls looking to venerate the remains of saints at the cathedrals of Winchester and Canterbury.

Today it’s impossible to follow the Pilgrim’s Way in full, but the North Downs Way was conceived to follow it as closely as possible – while also diverting to every possible beauty-spot along the way.

You don’t have to be religious to walk this trail and feel an urge to reflect on the mysteries of life. With views this big, and quietness this complete, the  celtic cross feeling that you have risen far above The route followed by the ordinary grows with every step. the North Downs Way So come with us on a pilgrimage in was once a major artery celebration of superb walking… u of early Christianity.

HIDDEN treasures

Arnside & S i lv e r d a l e After the national parks, Britain’s 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty offer some of the most striking scenery in these islands. In a new series exploring these enchanting landscapes, we visit a hidden gem that is at its best right now...

q stunning sunsets Arnside is famous for beautiful evening skies as the sun sets over the mouth of the River Kent.

Photo: Š Greg Artis/Alamy

november 2013 Country Walking 59

U R S I N t h e … lin c olnshire wol d s

I

1 The hills may not be huge, but the views extend for miles.

1

Photo: © Don Tiffney

2

2 Walkers are welcome – the distinctive stained glass window in the Ramblers Church at Walesby.

3 Walkers seeking solitude will find the footpaths largely deserted.

4 The elevated perch of All Saints Church offers inspiring views across the county to Lincoln.

2

Photo: Tom Bailey

t’s 40 years since the Lincolnshire Wolds was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty yet many people still think of the county as a flat land full of cabbage fields. A walking weekend centred on the village of Tealby, a few miles east of Market Rasen, will reveal the beautiful truth, though.

Tealby is an appealing cluster of buildings constructed from the local rust-coloured ironstone, with pubs, cafés and B&Bs to keep walkers fuelled and rested. The River Rase once powered corn and paper mills here, and there are illustrious connections through the Tennyson d’Eyncourt family to the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Green hills pile up in all directions and the highest point in Lincolnshire – 551ft Wolds Top – is just a few miles away. Footpaths, including the long-distance Viking Way, curve temptingly across the gentle slopes and from the summits, the views spread wide across acres of fields stitched together by golden autumnal hedgerows.

Perched on a hilltop above nearby Walesby there’s even a Ramblers Church. Officially known as All Saints, it fell out of use after another place of worship was built in the village below. On a clear day the panorama outside extends over sparsely populated farmland to the towers of Lincoln Cathedral; inside there’s a stained glass window dedicated to ‘lovers of the countryside’.

Every other place name seems to end in ‘by’, meaning farm or settlement, and a strong indicator that the area was populated by Vikings. There’s also evidence of a Roman villa near the Ramblers Church.

Your 48 hours in Lincolnshire’s Wolds will likely be a journey of surprise and discovery – long views, hidden dells, autumnal copses, and delicious local produce from the area’s fertile farmland. These hills may not be huge, but as the saying goes, size isn’t everything.

Photo: © John Leslie/Alamy

48 H

Day 1: IN THE FOOT

3

◆ 10am

FOLLOW THE VIKINGS

Photos: © Tom Bailey

70 Country Walking november 2013

4

Stock up with provisions at Tealby’s community-run village store, then pick up the Viking Way north-west towards Walesby to start your 8.5mile figure-of-eight walk.

You’ll soon stumble across the award-winning flock of Lincoln Longwool sheep at Risby – don’t miss the honesty-box shop full of sheep-related products, cold drinks and ice cream. As you approach Walesby you’ll see one of Lincolnshire’s finest views – the perfectly proportioned Ramblers Church perched on a hilltop with fields melting away to the horizon beyond. Wander inside and you’ll find the stained glass window depicting Jesus walking with ramblers and cyclists.

STEPS OF WARRIORS ◆ 11.30am

◆ 1.30pm

◆ 8pm

TO THE ROOF OF LINCOLNSHIRE

RETURN TO TEALBY

TUCK IN AT THE PUB

Just before the lane climbs back up to the Ramblers Church, turn right through a gap in the wall to cross fields to Catskin Lane, then trace the path south-east back to Tealby, passing by the crenellations and outbuildings of Castle Farm. ◆ 3pm

TIME FOR TEA

Pop along the road to the delightfully old-fashioned high street of Market Rasen to browse the independent shops. On the way, visit the Sunnyside Up Farm Shop and Café to refuel with a brownie or a slice of home-baked cake – they sell whole ones in the shop if you fancy a bit extra to take back home.

5 The King’s Head at Tealby – the county’s oldest thatched pub.

Back in Tealby the King’s Head is the oldest thatched pub in Lincolnshire. The set menu includes dishes like devilled whitebait with smoked mussel mayo, blade of Lincolnshire beef with pepper sauce, and seasonal desserts like apple crumble. Three courses £18. u Photo: © Transportimage Picture Library/Alamy

Drop down into Walesby, head west on Moor Road then north on tracks and lanes to loop round the western side of Claxby Wood and up to Normanby le Wold. This is Lincolnshire’s highest settlement (the county’s high point is the 551ft above sea-level Wolds Top, a mile to the north) and, despite its releatively modest elevation, it has stupendous views west across the vivid green of the low-lying plain towards Lincoln. Do visit the village's ironstone church, St Peters, where you’ll find interesting medieval stonework, including a carving of a man with toothache – then trace a pleasant section of the Viking Way back to Walesby.

5

november 2013 Country Walking 71

b u y i n g g u i d e 28 -3 8 - litr e r u c ksac ks

Big packs for big adventures

buying advice

features to look for...

A good larger rucksack will not only take the extra kit needed for winter walking; it will actually encourage you to get out there more. Here is your complete guide to choosing wisely.

BIGGER RUCKSACKS ARE primarily built for winter walks, but they have year-round value too. We often use our larger packs on bigger treks in the summer, when we’re more likely to be carrying items like waterproofs and warm layers than actually wearing them. That said, this is still the time when they are most useful: now you need the big winter waterproof, the chunky padded jacket, to say nothing of the extra layers, heartier food and hot-drink flasks that you didn’t need in July but really need in January – especially if you’re carrying kids’ kit too. So how do you choose the right one? As with most gear, it’s a question of trade-off: very few products offer every feature in one package. So you need to choose the features that are most important for you, and consider how much you want to spend. And that’s where we come in…

How we did our test We chose eight packs across a range of budgets. We packed each one with: hat, gloves, fleece, soft shell jacket, insulated jacket, waterproof trousers, waterproof jacket, first-aid kit, hydration system, spare socks, full lunchbox, flask of coffee, drybag containing car keys, phone and wallet, walking poles, GPS unit, binoculars, compass and whistle. We then took them to the Yorkshire Dales. In quite a lot of rain.

harness Most packs use a fixed harness with adjustable straps to fine-tune the fit. But some are fully adjustable, meaning the harness can move up and down the pack to help you tailor the fit. But remember: the crucial point is that the waist-belt should take most of the weight, not the shoulder straps.

our tester Nick Hallissey is the deputy editor of CW and has been reviewing walking gear since he joined the magazine in 2007 in locations as diverse as the Dales, Lake District, Dartmoor and the Swiss Alps.

Nick’s wife and walking partner Liz offered insights into the fit and functionality of the women’s packs.

BACK SYSTEM Airflow systems suspend the load away from your back. This allows air to circulate to reduce sweating but can affect the weight of the pack, and your balance.

A grooved channel system keeps the load close and lets air escape down the sides.

A simple padding system is light but can cause you to run hot. Several packs we tested use a compromise: a mesh panel which sits flat to your back, with an enclosed airflow system creating a gap so air can escape.

vango Transalp 30 £50

lowe alpine yocton 35 £70

vaude triset 35+8 £77

fjÄllrÄven friluft 35 £115

HIP - FINS

regatta berghaus deuter survivor 35 £45 freeflow 30+6 £85 act trail 28 £90

76 Country Walking november 2013

osprey kyte 36 £100

Photos: tom bailey

wo m e n ’ s st y l e s

unisex styles

t e st ed in the f ie ld thi s month...

More basic packs tend to have shorter hip-fins which only cover your lower back, leaving a simple strap to go across your stomach. Pricier packs have long, padded hip-fins which enclose almost all your torso, often with pockets on them.

EXTR A POCKETS Most kit should sit in the main section so it stays dry and secure. But there may be pockets for flask or bottle, and there’s usually a pocket in the lid, often two, internal and external. Hip-fin pockets let you access items like GPS or phone without having to take the pack off. And usually there’s a compartment for a rain cover.

CAPACIT Y How much can it carry, and where do you put it? Some packs have only one vast compartment, others as many as eight. Where you see figures like 30+6, it means the pack has expandable side pockets which can be used when you’re really taking a lot (useful on family walks). Check if there’s a removable internal divider: handy for shrinking the main compartment when there’s less inside, or separating wet kit.

COMPRESSION STR APS These make the pack secure and stable when it is full. They also shrink the pack right down to a much smaller size if it’s nearly empty because you’re wearing everything. A common problem is an excess of strapping – you may want to trim the straps once you have set the pack to its fullest load.

GENDER SPECIFIC

ACCESS Larger packs move away from zipped access and instead use drawcords. These make it easier to open the pack wide and stuff in bulkier items. Some packs (like this one) also allow access via the front panel, a bit like a suitcase: brilliant for accessing buried items quickly (but best to take the pack off first!).

There are unisex packs and women’s packs. Many women happily wear unisex packs, most of which can be adjusted for the female frame (especially useful for taller women). Women-specific packs tend to be slimmer, lighter and narrower, with S-shaped shoulder straps to fit round the bust, and many brands try to make them look a bit more feminine.

turn over to read the tests...

26 routes with ordnance survey maps

Britain’s best

on

e th e ne r ar e ’ s yo u

Walks

South west South east

midlands

east

North west North east

november 2013

Wales

Gold rush

Don’t miss out! Savour the colours of autumn with a walk from one of our 26 new route cards...

i n si de th i s month . . .

Shropshire’s secret glacial lakes u Chocolate box England at Castle Combe uThree classic Peak District dales u Gorgeous fell scenery in the Lakes and many more superb walks...

Photo: simon whaley

we promise More walks, in more places, than any other magazine!

Scotland

Ireland

new format!

doublesided A5 cards

!

Britain’s Best Walks

Welcome…

to Britain’s Best Walks, Country Walking’s fantastic routes section. Packed into the next 30 pages you’ll find 26 day-walks all over Britain, selected by our expert team and complete with OS maps, step-bystep directions and all the info you need to plan your next adventure outdoors.

They’re sorted into nine geographical regions for easy filing: cut them out, collect them and enjoy brilliant walks for years to come.

HOW TO USE YOUR ROUTES

south west south east

25 24

22

midlands

double-sided format

east North west

One route on one card, front and back. Find all the planning information on the front and the map on the back.

North east

Abbreviations

wales

We have abbreviated left to L and right to R.

Scotland

Maps

This month…

You may notice something different about this month’s walks, but also something vaguely familiar. After trying out our two-sided A4 format, you told us it’s far more practical to have one route on one piece of paper, so we’ve switched back to our classic A5 route cards. But this time, we’ve put them on tough, topquality paper so you can use them again and again – 26 walks every month and they’re all yours: enjoy!

Rachel Broomhead, Walks editor

18 15

Grade Our routes are graded easy, moderate, or challenging, depending on distance, terrain, elevation and ease of navigation. Easy walks are usually short and contour-free. Challenging or extreme routes require fitness and map-reading skills.

The red route marked is the one to follow. Maps are based on Ordnance Survey Landranger (1:50,000) and Explorer (1:25,000) maps and each square represents 1km x 1km. It’s essential to take the relevant Ordnance Survey map with you (we recommend the Explorer series) in case you get lost and leave the area covered by our map.

ireland

23 26

Time 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.

17

14 13 16

12 21

09 07

08

20 10

11

gradient profile You can check the ascent and descent (hilliness) of the route with a quick glance at this new gradient profile.

19 06 03

02

trailzilla id

05 01

Country Walking uses Memory-Map digitalmapping software to create our routes. You can use this unique number code to download and print the route.

04

There’s a great walk near you...

98 Country Walking november 2013

14 Cumbria Arnside Knott 15 Cumbria Hartsop 16 West Yorkshire Shepley 17 North Yorkshire Littlebeck challenge 18 Northumberland Grey Nag walk 19 Carmarthenshire Llandovery 20 Gwynedd Llanfihangel-y-pennant family walk 21 Conwy Llanfairfechan 22 Borders Cockburnspath & Cove 23 Dumfries & Galloway Loch Trool family walk 24 Perth & Kinross Pitlochry & Killiecrankie 25 Highland Castle Tioram 26 County Antrim Divis & Black Mountain

cut out and keep Cut out your routes and file by region, building your own collection month-by-month.

Photo: © scotimage/Alamy

01 Cornwall Padstow & Trevone 02 Somerset Dunkery Beacon 03 Wiltshire Castle Combe 04 Isle of Wight Five Barrows Circuit 05 East Sussex Bishopstone 06 Essex Great Dunmow 07 Shropshire Ellesmere 08 Leicestershire Long Clawson 09 Derbyshire Peak Forest 10 Cambridgeshire Papworth Everard 11 Suffolk/Norfolk Bungay 12 Lancashire Ashurst’s Beacon 13 Lancashire Silverdale

The Pass of Killiecrankie in autumn – Route 24.

route updates uLoch Lee, Cairngorms September 2013, Classic Walks Route Card, Point 5. There is no bridge across the river at NO379784. In dry conditions, it is possible to cross the river, but it would be better to use bridge, L, just past Falls of Damff and follow faint path south-east to Cairn Lick to rejoin

route at Point 7. Apologies for any confusion. uCauldron Snout, Co Durham Route 18, September 2013 We have been asked to emphasise that the former methodist chapel pictured in the above route is now a private residence and is not open to the public.

find more great routes online!

Download and print this month’s walks and many more at trailzilla.com Read how to do this over the page...

november 2013 Country Walking 99

Caherdaniel

Bear Island

Bantry

Skibbereen

Dunmanway

2

10

Cobh

Kinsale

Cloyne

Midleton

St Ives

Photo: Keith Fergus

St Just Penzance Sennen Land's End

12

Looe Fowey

CORNWALL

Bodmin

Wadebridge

plan your walk

Padstow

Newquay

Route

St Austell St Agnes Truro Redruth Camborne St Mawes Falmouth

Start/parking Car park Helston Padstow Harbour, grid ref SW919754 Is Lizard it for me? Quiet roads, coastal and countryside paths Stiles 10

Planning Nearest town Padstow Refreshments Golden Lion Hotel (01841 532797) Public toilets At start Public transport Regular Western Greyhound bus 555 Wadebridge to Padstow Maps Ordnance Survey Explorer 106; Landranger 200

3

16

18

20

4.3km/2¾ miles Go through gate here, cross stile, take R fork where path runs along windswept cliffs some 70m above shore. Once by 19th-century navigation beacon, known locally as The Daymark, continue by spectacular Pepper Hole. Gate above cliffs leads onto broad

14

Tavistock

Liskeard Saltash Torpoint

➥

Scilly Isles

Salcombe

Plymouth Plympton

E SeeTUR e 22 A g FE pa on

1

2

0.8km/½ mile At a fork in path do not take blue route zig-zagging uphill, stay alongside the East Water stream. At second ford/footbridge stay on west side. Cross four more footbridges/fords working your way upstream. After a track joins from R, join a road and turn R. After 500m pass a footbridge, L, and then a passing place before going through a small gap in hedge down to stream.

10

12

GRADIENT PROFILE

8

Honiton

Newton Abbot

18

20

Bridport

Crewk

Yeovil

SOMERSET

Lyme Regis

Axminster

Chard

Ilminster

Taunton Wellington

plan your walk

Tiverton

South Molton

Barnstaple

Ashburton

3

16

2.2km/1¼ miles Cross stream and take zig-zag path up behind trees on spur of Sweetworthy. When path forks go L (do not go through gate) keeping boundary on your R as you climb. Pass between three trees and eventually clear trees onto

14

➥

Start/parking Webber’s Post Exeter Seaton car park (NT), grid ref Sidmouth DEVON SS903439 Exmouth Is it for me? Woodland Dawlish Teignmouth streams and heather-clad

Route Crediton

Great Torrington

Bideford

Braunton

Ilfracombe Swanage

Hartland

Holsworthy

Tavistock

the East Water stream.

Wadebridge

Okehampton Boscastle Tintagel Footbridge and ford over Launceston

Portland Bill

Padstow

2

Bude

Fortuneswell

Lundy Weymouth

somerset 02 dunkery beacon

4

Start Take path north into woods signed with a little feather on a small post. Do not take compacted path by information board which is the start of the one-miler accessible walk. After 250m at a crossroads turn

600 400 200 0 km 0

6

moorland; some rough broken sharpBodmin L downhill to Stoke Pero. Buckfastleigh chosen by…

Torquay Liskeard stone paths Paignton Newquay CORNWALL Totnes Saltash Just before reaching stream a david le hunte Plymouth Stiles None Brixham Torpoint St Austell large track joins Looe from R. Turn L Dunkery Beacon is Plympton Dartmouth St Agnes Fowey toTruro reach stream. Use footbridge the highest point of Planning Kingsbridge Redruth St Ives or ford to cross stream on to its Salcombe Somerset and Exmoor and on Nearest town Minehead Camborne St Mawes Refreshments None side heading up-river. a good day can provide Falmouth west St Just Penzance Public toilets None Helston stunningSennen long-distance views Public transport Webber Bus End across theLand's Bristol Channel Route 10 Minehead-Porlock Lizard over to the Brecon Beacons, Maps Ordnance Survey south-west to Dartmoor and Explorer OL9; Landranger 181 even Bodmin Moor, and north-east to the Severn bridges and Cleeve Hill.

Kingsbridge

Exmouth Dawlish Teignmouth Newton Abbot Ashburton Buckfastleigh Torquay Paignton Totnes Brixham Dartmouth

south west

Cork

Bandon

Clonakilty

8

GRADIENT PROFILE

2.8km/1¾ miles Bear L at fork, make R turn at next junction then R again at sign for ‘Trevone Bay’. Once by houses go R onto road, pass through gate then climb steady path away from Hawker’s Cove.

Gradient eases when above Stepper Point.

coast passing large memorial cross, savouring views along Camel Estuary. Keep north along path, which soon heads a little inland. Field edge path crosses two stiles then turns R at junction onto rough track. Go L onto another field edge path.

Beyond gate drop down steps over footbridge then straight on up more steps. A R turn leads back to coast over stile then by Harbour Cove.

Scilly Isles

11.5km/7¼ miles uTime:4 hours uGrade:

6

Photo: David Le Hunte

metres

Bridgend Porthcawl BRISTOL BERKSHIRE Windsor Cardiff Head Chippenham Richmond Cowbridge Reading Hay-on-Wye Newcastle BristolFishguard H Staines VALE OF GLAMORGAN Avebury Hungerford Corsham Clevedon Emlyn Llandovery Bracknell Kings Barry Mathry Newbury Marlborough Congresbury Bath Melksham Sutton Brecon St David's Devizes Weston-super-Mare CARMARTHENSHIRE Woking Epsom Kingsclere P E M B R OTrowbridge KESHIRE Ramsey Camberley W I L T SCarmarthen HIRE Llandeilo Leatherhead Island CheddarNewgate Basingstoke Crickhowell Aldershot Abergavenny Reig WestburySt Clears Haverfordwest Lynton Lynmouth Dorking Burnham-on-Sea Whitchurch Frome Narberth Andover Guildford Ilfracombe Re Ammanford Farnham Lundy Skomer Milford Ebbw Brynmawr Minehead Warminster Wells Merthyr Island Pilton Haven Vale Godalming Blaenavon SURRE HAMPSHIRE Tydfil MERTHYR Watchet Kidwelly NEATH Glastonbury Neyland Alton BLAENAU GWENT MONMOUTHSHIRE Ly Amesbury Skokholm PORT TALBOT Braunton Aberdare TYDFIL Pontypool Crawley Bridgwater Tenby Pembroke Llanelli New Alresford Island Street Glyncorrwg Barnstaple TORFAEN Haslemere Mere RHONDDA Bargoed Liphook Hors Wilton Moderate uDistance: 6.8km/4¼ miles uTime: 3 hours uGrade: Moderate Chep Neath CYNON TAFF Winchester Wincanton CAERPHILLY Cwmbran Maesteg SOMERSET Bideford Salisbury Swansea Hayw St Govan's Billingshurst South Molton Taunton Risca Hartland SWANSEA Newport Pontypridd Port Petersfield Shaftesbury Cald Head Romsey Talbot Wellington Port Einon NEWPORT Midhurst Caerphilly Great Torrington Eastleigh Pulborough BRIDGEND Yeovil Avonm Ilminster Sherborne CARDIFF Southampton WEST SUSSEX Hurstp Bridgend Tiverton Havant Lyndhurst Porthcawl Cardiff Arundel Crewkerne Blandford Forum Cowbridge Fareham Chard Chichester Bude H Hythe Ringwood VALE OF GLAMORGAN Worthing Clevedo Holsworthy Brockenhurst Barry Gosport Br Bognor Axminster Honiton Crediton Wimborne Minster Congresbury Regis Littlehampton Lymington Portsmouth DORSET Weston-super-Mare Bridport New Milton Okehampton Cowes Dorchester Exeter Seaton Ryde Poole Boscastle Selsey Newport Lyme Bournemouth Ched Sidmouth DEVON Wareham Tintagel ISLE Regis Launceston Freshwater OF Lynton Lynmouth Burnham-on-Sea WIGHT Shanklin Minehead Wells Ventnor Watchet Glastonbury St Bridgwater

cornwall 01 padstow & Trevone Clear Island uDistance:

Stepper Point and The Daymark navigational tower.

chosen by…

KEITH FERGUS

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The town of Padstow is now a lively fishing port but it was once a major trading and shipbuilding centre. It stands on the Camel Estuary and the River Camel.

The surrounding sandbanks, reedbeds and saltmarsh abound with wading birds and wildflowers. The estuary’s soft fringes are in sharp contrast to the dramatic, windswept cliffs that run from Stepper Point to the quiet village of Trevone.

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Start From Padstow Harbour follow West Quay R onto North Quay. At sign for ‘Hawker’s Cove’ bear L, take path along

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Dursey Island

SOUTH WEST

5.7km/3½ miles You exit woods and enjoy a large vista while contouring the hill. At a fork in path turn L. Webber’s Post car park can be seen straight ahead. Cross three tracks and then a road to reach car park.

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3.7km/2¼ miles Head back down the way you came up. After 100m take the path on R. Just after passing top of Aller Coombe take L fork in path downhill through heather and bilberry (whortleberry) bushes. Turn R on to Dicky’s Path when it crosses at a group of hawthorns. The path heads into woods and crosses the tops of two unnamed combes until it crosses a small stream at the head of Hollow Combe.

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moorland of Dunkery Hill. Head up past R of an oak tree and rowan tree. As you cross Dicky’s Path follow path to L of a solitary holly tree, all the way to large cairn on top of Dunkery Beacon. Check out the toposcope for what you can see on a clear day.

Wooden Sculpture Trail.

Find numerous sculptures that were created during an international wood carving festival in 2004.

don’t miss...

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Start

© Country Walking November 2013

uDownload OS maps for PC, iPhone, iPad and Android from £12.50

Use the TZID to download the walk from www.lfto.com/routes or search for it in the Country Walking Best Walks in Britain App

Trailzilla ID: TZID19254

Left: A small waterfall on the East Water stream.

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uOS Explorer map OL9 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapshop

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somerset dunkery beacon

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Polzeath and the Camel Estuary from Padstow.

9.8km/6 miles Turn R then immediately L at little stone building opposite shop. Cross stile to L of stone

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8.3km/5 miles Turn L, climb steep road away from Trevone. Just before house take rough track on R. Walk by farm buildings through scenic countryside, bearing L at fork to crossroads beside Padstow Farm Shop.

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path. Follow this south-west over two stiles and through gate. Path drops steeply over stream, climbs over stile then through gap in wall. Descend by dramatic Porthmisson Bridge onto single-track road just before Trevone Bay car park.

The craggy backdrop of Porthmisson Bridge, where birdlife abounds and the views over to Trevose Head are superb.

don’t miss...

building, follow field path (where livestock may be grazing), cross stile at its R corner onto another field, again exiting by stile at R corner. Turn R, descend quiet country road

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1

Start

© Country Walking November 2013

uDownload OS maps for PC, iPhone, iPad and Android from £12.50

Use the TZID to download the walk from www.lfto.com/routes or search for it in the Country Walking Best Walks in Britain App

Trailzilla ID: TZID19253

to B3276 beside entrance of Prideaux Place. Go L onto Church Street, walk back into Padstow at Market Street.

Go straight on back to the harbour.

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uOS Explorer map 106 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapshop

01 cornwall padstow & Trevone

Ordnance Survey mapping ©Crown Copyright in association with Memory-Map/Bauer Media’s Media Licence number 073/13

SOUTH WEST Ordnance Survey mapping ©Crown Copyright in association with Memory-Map/Bauer Media’s Media Licence number 073/13

SOUTH WEST