Where do you want to walk today?

The UK has an amazing diversity of landscapes and habitats and there is no doubt that the best way to see and experience this natural beauty is to explore on foot. But where do you begin? Our Locations section is designed to give you some suggestions and inspiration for walking adventures from short strolls to walking holidays.

The UK has an extensive network of footpaths with public right of way, so it is possible to devise a walk in almost any area. The more recent 'Freedom to Roam' legislation has allowed even greater access to moorland and mountains. You can devise walks to suit you own preferred landscapes from hill walking to valley and riverside walks, coastal walks, woodland walks, lakeside walks, walks exploring historic sites, picturesque villages, following dismantled railway tracks and many more.

Obviously you need a map to be able to plan a route and the best choice for walking is the Ordnance Survey Explorer series. The large scale of 1:25,000 ensures that all the necessary detail for safe navigation is shown including field boundaries, all rights of way and access land. The immense detail on these superb maps gives a clear picture of the landscape and allows you to plot a route that interests you. Taking the OS Explorer map on your walks also aids in appreciating the structure of the landscape around you as well as enabling you to follow your route. When walking in open country across moorland, fell and remote areas carrying an OS map and compass are an essential safety requirement.

There is, of course, a simpler solution to finding a route and that is to let someone else do it for you. Purchase a good guidebook written by someone who has researched an area and can pass on that valuable knowledge to you. A good author will have surveyed on the ground the area covered in his book and identified the most pleasing paths, found the best viewpoints and identified places of interest. Many guidebooks contain sections on geology, natural history, social history and numerous other topics which help make your walks more interesting by providing information which you would never know from just using a map.

The ideal solution is to use a guidebook and an OS Explorer map to get the most enjoyment and maximum safety from your walks. You can select from nearly 2,000 guide books listed in our bookshop and for a very modest cost you can unlock the key to experiencing the best of any area you choose to explore on foot.

 

© Copyright 2000 - 2018 Walking Pages Ltd. and its associates. All rights reserved