Along the West Highland Way. A lonely hiker walks on the hiking path in the highland moor : A walker on the West Highland Way. Photo / 123rf
Whether you’re keen on a day walk or an adventure spanning several weeks, these 10 walks around Britain are some of the best, writes Andrew Marshall.
Best for beginners
For an introduction to overnight hiking in Britain, it would be difficult to beat the Dales Way – a classic week’s walk through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Starting in the former spa town of Ilkley in West Yorkshire, the Dales Way follows three beautiful rivers – the Wharfe, Dee and Lune. The route passes through a timeless land of rolling green hills, picture-postcard villages, drystone walls and barns, a 12th-century priory, an ancient stone circle and along a stretch of Roman road to finish in the Lake District town of Bowness-on-Windermere.
Best for dramatic coastal scenery
One of Britain’s longest National Trails, the South West Coast Path runs from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, before finishing at Poole Harbour in Dorset. The path scales the tops of rugged cliffs, skirts the ruins of old tin mines and drops down into traditional fishing villages and secluded coves along the way. The South West Coast Path is partly based on trails created by coastguards patrolling the area for smugglers that once abounded in these parts. The full length can take several weeks, while various sections (such as the four to five days between St Ives and Penzance) can be done by utilising local bus routes to return to your accommodation after a day’s walking.
Best for enjoying England’s national parks
The late Alfred Wainwright, England’s best-loved fell walker, once wrote that a walk without a goal is like life without ambition – aimless wandering. The 196-mile Coast to Coast Walk across northern England certainly has a goal, which is to cross an island and to gaze over another ocean. The countryside is astonishingly beautiful and varied, accompanying the walker on a roller-coaster of three spectacular national parks: The Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Yorkshire Moors. Traditionally, the walk is completed west to east, starting at St Bees Head and finishing at Robin Hood’s Bay, and takes about 12-14 days.
Best for history lovers keen on castles or Christian7th-century heritage
Opened in 2006, this six-day hike links various sites with the life of St Oswald, the 7th-century Anglo-Saxon king largely responsible for the introduction of Christianity to Northern England. The walk begins in Heavenfield (near Hadrian’s Wall) and stretches to Holy Island on the Northumberland Coast. The trail traverses a range of landscapes from rolling farmland and heather moorland to sandstone crags and one of Britain most beautiful stretches of coastline dotted with ancient castles such as Warkworth, Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne.
Best for industrial heritage and moorland views
Officially starting at Clay House in West Vale, the route encircles the industrial mill towns of Ripponden, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Halifax and Brighouse, following ancient packhorse trails across the open gritstone hillsides, including a canal towpath section. Highlights include medieval settlements at Lumbutts and Mankinholes, the hilltop weaving village of Hepstonstall (home to the imposing ruins of the 13th-century St Thomas a’ Becket church), the beautiful wooded valley of Cragg Vale, and panoramic views of Calderdale from the scenic lookout of Stoodley Pike. The walk can be comfortably broken down into four day-long sections of between 18.5 and 22km.
Best for seasoned hikers chasing a rugged challenge
Since opening in 1965, Britain’s first National Trail has been known as England’s toughest long-distance walk because of its infamous muddy peat bogs and notoriously inclement weather, but the upgrading of the path in recent years has tamed the beast. Starting in Edale in the Peak District, the trail runs up the spine of England to finish at Kirk Yetholm just inside the Scottish border. According to Wikipedia, the full length of the iconic route includes 204 bridges, 287 gates, 249 timber stiles, 183 stone stiles, with a total ascent greater than Mt Everest. Depending on fitness levels, the Pennine Way can be comfortably divided into 17 day-long stages.
Best for moorland solitude and striking seaside charm
Showcasing Yorkshire’s diverse scenery, this horseshoe-shaped long-distance path heads north from the attractive market town of Helmsley, arching east through the great expanse of heather moorland of the North York Moors National Park to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, then hugs the coastline south to Filey Brigg. Key attractions include characterful fishing villages like Staithes and Robin Hood’s Bay, and the historic whaling port of Whitby with its imposing 13th-century abbey and the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Whitby is renowned for its fish and chips, and the famous Magpie Cafe is one of the best places to sample them after a day’s walking.
Best for Roman history buffs and ancient fort lovers
Stretching coast-to-coast, from Bowness-on-Solway in the west to Wallsend in the east, the Hadrian’s Wall Path is especially for fans of ancient British history. The focus here is following Hadrian’s Wall – a World Heritage site of epic proportions that marches 73 miles from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, across some of the wildest and most dramatic countryside in northern England. Built on the orders of Emperor Hadrian between AD 122-128, there are 80 mile-castles, 160 turrets and 16 forts dotted along its length, with the best preserved example being Housesteads Roman Fort near Haltwhistle.
Best for cinematic Scottish Highland landscapes
Scotland’s most popular long-distance hike heads north from the town of Milngavie in the Lowlands to the town of Fort William in the Highlands. The West Highland Way passes through some of Britain’s most spectacular scenery, flanked by wild mountains, lochs and fast-flowing rivers, and employs old drovers’ roads and old coaching routes. The trail is typically walked from south to north in about 6-8 days, with the final stage featuring the extremely picturesque valley of Glen Nevis, used as a filming location for movies such as Braveheart, Highlander and Harry Potter.
Best for those wanting to walk the coast of a country
This is the big one. When it opened in 2012, the Wales Coast Path became the first in the world to follow a country’s coastline in its entirety, from the border with England near Chester, all the way to Chepstow in South Wales. This is a journey through thousands of years of history with awe-inspiring views and a multitude of maritime landscapes from rugged cliff tops to windswept beaches and winding estuaries. Depending on fitness levels, it takes around six to nine weeks to complete the route, but more realistically, it lends itself to ticking off sections bit by bit while enjoying the journey at a slower pace.
When to go: The summer months of June, July & August are the most popular months for Britain’s walking trails with longer daylight hours and hopefully better weather, but early spring (April/May) and autumn (September/October) are quieter, less crowded with a better chance of securing accommodation.
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfasts (or B & B’s ) are a great British institution and offer walkers a warm bed at the end of a day’s walk and a hearty breakfast to begin the next. Other accommodation options along or near walking trails include Airbnb’s, local pubs and inns, youth hostels and backpackers. Many long-distance walks can be done with the assistance of ‘packhorse’ operators who book your accommodation in advance and transport your pack to your next day’s accommodation so you don’t have to carry it each day, such as sherpavan.com
Equipment: Worn-in hiking boots, a windproof/waterproof jacket and trousers, thermal tops and hiking sticks are key items to be considered for walks. Britain’s weather is varied to say the least, so be prepared for cold and wet conditions at any time of year.