The best walks in Britain
Fancy a ramble? Here’s my pick of the best walks in the country, for every level
A few weeks ago, I posted asking for your travel questions. In this age of AI, I’m proud to offer “Not a Bot Travel Advice”, where I curate a trip for whatever your travel criteria might be. I loved this question, emailed from Jacob, so thought I’d share my answer.
Q: For a tourist coming to the UK - let’s say for a two week trip - what are the best, most easily-accessible (in light of being a tourist on a budget, not wanting to rent a car), walking routes that the allotted timeframe could be near totally dedicated to?
Thanks Jacob. You are in luck - this year is an excellent year for walking, as the King Charles III England Coast Path National Trail is due to be completed, becoming the longest continuous path in the world, at an incredible 2,700 miles long.
The South West Coast Path
The most famous part of it is The South West Coast Path (also the subject of the new The Salt Path movie), and you could dedicate as long as you wanted to this. At 630 miles long, it goes from Somerset to Dorset, through Cornwall and Devon. You can get the train to a section you wanted to start from, then walk from hotel to hotel, for as little, or long as you like. southwestcoastpath.org.uk
The Cotswold Way
An easily-accessible walk I would recommend, if you wanted to mix things up and see more of the country, would be the Cotswold Way. Running from stunning Chipping Camden in the Cotswolds, to Bath, this 102-mile route would take 10 days, or you could just walk a section. You can get the train to the start or finish. nationaltrail.co.uk
The Thames Path
Not many visitors know you can just start walking along the Thames in London, and go all the way to the Cotswolds, through Hampton Court, Henley, Windsor and Oxford. It's 185 miles long, but you can walk however long you want and then catch the train back to London. Even for those only visiting London, it’s a lovely way to take in the city. nationaltrail.co.uk
Wales Coast Path
The Wales Coast is spectacular and if you take the train to Cardiff, you can walk to the coast and set off past some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The Wales Coast Path is 870 miles long and I have no idea why it doesn’t get the publicity the South West Coast Path does. There are day walks and circular walks listed on the website, so you can take as long as you like. I love the Pembrokeshire section. walescoastpath.gov.uk
The South Downs
I’ve included this as it’s one of the easiest walks to reach from London. The Seven Sisters on the coast near Brighton, is famous for its windy wonders. Walk from Seaford to Eastbourne along the white cliffs, in a day - or carry on along the coast! I was a student here many year ago and remember the walk fondly. sevensisters.org.uk
The West Highland Way
Scotland's most famous sights are on this route from near Glasgow, through Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park to Fort William and the Highlands. It’s 96 miles and would take about a week to complete, or you could just tackle a section. Start and finish destinations are on train lines. westhighlandway.org
The Travel List
Britain is peppered with public footpaths – I love to check out footpathmap.co.uk wherever I am, on my mobile and it will show you the nearest route.
For more inspiration, visit nationalparks.uk
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