Walking is a healthy, accessible, enjoyable and safe activity for everyone. You can do it almost anywhere, from town parks to mountain tracks, and it can cost you next to nothing. You can go on your own, relishing your independence and sense of individual adventure, or with friends and family, or make new friends by walking in a group. Walking will keep you healthy - even half an hour of brisk walking every day can help prevent heart disease, keep weight down and improve your mental well-being. Walking is also the most sustainable means of transport.
This page gives an easy introduction for beginners, and includes suggestions for further reading.
Starting out
First steps
As with any physical activity, it’s best to begin gradually, learning the basics in safe surroundings and perhaps with other, more experienced walkers. Start by underestimating rather than overestimating your capabilities: you’ll soon learn how far you can walk before you start to feel tired. Don’t push yourself too hard on distance and terrain: the idea is to enjoy yourself, and if you end up too stiff and sore it might put you off going out again.
First try out short walks along level paths, in populated areas where there is transport and accommodation near to hand and you can easily cut your walk short if you get tired, or get help if you get into trouble. Consider towpath and riverside walks, or low-level walks near to population centres
You can start with very short walks, of say 2-3km/1.5-2 miles, and increase the distances covered once you get to know your capabilities. There’s no target to aim for: do only as much as you enjoy. While some long distance walkers might easily walk around 30km or 20 miles in a day, most walkers are satisfied with much less.
For more on planning easy walks, see Walking for everyone. For more on where to walk, see below.
How much time will I need?
Most people can walk 3km/2 miles in an hour, but allow plenty of extra time to take rests along the route, and to enjoy your surroundings. Experienced walkers generally walk a little faster. Climbing hills also slows you down: the usual rule of thumb is to add half an hour for every 300m climbed. You’ll find you walk faster on smooth surfaces such as metalled paths and good tracks, while more difficult surfaces such as mud, sand and uneven ground will slow you down.
Where to walk
Walking in towns and cities
Towns and cities offer public parks, canal towpaths, riverside paths, traffic-free pedestrian routes (perhaps shared with cyclists), commons, woodlands, heaths and nature reserves. Most towns also have ‘heritage trails’ which mainly follow streets and pavements, introducing you to the history and the architecture of the town. On the outskirts of cities you will often find Country Parks, usually offering signed walking routes and some paths suitable for disabled people.
Walking in the countryside
England and Wales have a network of 225,000km/130,000 miles of ‘public rights of way’, paths crossing private land which every walker has a legal right to use and which are shown on Ordnance Survey maps (see below). There are many other paths, sometimes called ‘permissive routes’, which you can use by permission of the landowner. Not all paths are easy to use, however, and it’s possible you will encounter blocked or overgrown paths, particularly in arable areas.
There are also areas of ‘access land’. This is usually open, uncultivated countryside or woodland where you are free to wander at will. During 2004 and 2005 new rights to roam on most mountain, moor, heath, downland and "registered commons" in England and Wales are being introduced. Much land owned by organisations like the National Trust and Forestry Commission is also open for public access. Most access land is shown on the newer Ordnance Survey maps (see below).
In Scotland there are many miles of public paths, and a right of access to most land.
Threading through Britain’s footpaths and access areas is a growing network of named and signed routes ("promoted routes"). These vary from short circular walks and nature trails to lengthy challenges such as the 1014km/630-mile South West Coast Path around the Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. ‘National Trails’ like the SWCP and the Thames Path, and Scottish Long Distance Routes, are nationally recognised routes of exceptional quality, but there are many other attractive routes created by councils, walkers’ groups and even individuals. Longer routes don’t have to be walked in one go: they are also popular as the basis of shorter walks.
There are countless guidebooks covering particular areas and themes, ranging from glossy productions by commercial publishers to collections produced by local walkers. Most favour circular routes starting from a point such as a car park or station, but may also include linear routes, where you return from another station or bus stop. Most guides include suggestions for refreshment stops and notes on interesting features along the way. Check carefully before you buy to see if the book contains routes which are within your capabilities in terms of distance and difficulty. Walk suggestions also appear regularly in magazines like Country Walking, available from newsagents.
Most places in Britain are perfectly safe for beginners to walk in. But there are a few remote, highland areas, particularly in parts of Wales, Scotland and northern England, where walkers need to take care, especially in bad weather. These areas are often very beautiful and attractive, but beginners should stick to well-marked paths in the valleys and lower slopes: stay away from the high tops unless you know what you’re doing and you are properly equipped, or in the company of an experienced leader or guide.
Walking with a group
If you’re uncertain about finding your own way, even with a good guidebook, don’t feel confident about going out on your own or just want some company, you could walk with a led group. Ramblers’ Association groups organise a full programme of walks across the country, with walks varying enormously in length, level of difficulty and surroundings: some walks are aimed especially at beginners.
Group walks are also organised by independent walking clubs, some local councils, conservation groups and organisations connected with popular countryside areas such as National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Many councils, voluntary groups and health authorities now organise very short, easy walks for complete beginners. Then there are regular walking festivals offering a large number of public walks over the course of a few days: national festivals such as the Ramblers’ Welcome to Walking Week, and more locally-based festivals often promoted by local tourist agencies. Amongst all this there are bound to many walks suitable for you.
Then there are organised guided walking holidays, both in Britain and overseas, which can vary from a long weekend of local centre-based walks to a fortnight’s trek along a long-distance path. Some operators offer holidays specifically for beginners, and the bigger operators grade their holidays to suit a variety of abilities.
Finding your way
While there are many opportunities to go walking with a led group or a good guidebook, regular walkers usually find that carrying and using a good map enormously enhances their enjoyment and opens new opportunities. With a map you can devise your own routes, get a better idea of the surrounding countryside and possible detours and shortcuts, and get back on the right track more easily if you get lost.
Britain’s national mapping agency, the Ordnance Survey (OS), publishes the excellent Explorer series of maps at 1:25 000 scale, ideal for walkers since they show public paths, longer signed routes, locations of circular walks, access areas and all sorts of other useful information. In urban areas you may be better off with a street atlas: the Philip's series show most off-road paths, parks and open spaces.
Basic map-reading skills are easy to learn. You can gain experience by walking a route from a guidebook and attempting to follow the same route on the map, relating what you see on the ground to the map. Choose an easy, safe route and go in good weather where you can clearly see the surrounding countryside. Once you’re confident with reading a map, you can use it to plan your own routes. There are numerous books, leaflets, CD-ROMs and even taught courses that will help you learn these skills.
What to take
For most walks in Britain, you will need very little in the way of specialist equipment and clothing. For short walks in urban areas or easy countryside, all you need is a good, comfortable pair of shoes that won’t cause blisters, and ordinary comfortable clothing.
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Use tough shoes that are a good fit, with arch support, a slightly elevated heel and ‘breathable’ uppers such as fabric or leather: casual shoes or quality trainers (sneakers) with heavy soles will do. If you go walking regularly, you could invest in a pair of proper walking shoes, or some lightweight walking boots: these will give your feet and ankles proper support, and will be much more waterproof. Wellingtons may be adequate for short walks in very wet conditions but are not recommended for longer walks. If you only intend to go on easy, lowland walks, there’s no need to buy a pair of expensive heavy-duty boots which will only weigh you down; for highland walks over difficult terrain, however, good walking boots are essential.
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Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothes appropriate to the weather: in Britain it’s always advisable to take a waterproof top layer or anorak. Several layers of clothing are best, since they insulate better and you can take them on or off as needed - for example, a T-shirt; then a sweatshirt or fleece, then a waterproof jacket on top.
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As with any other physical exercise, you will need to replace fluids lost through exertion: still water (tap or mineral) is by far the best for this, though some walkers also like to take a hot drink in an insulated flask, especially in colder weather. Food will boost your energy, and also give you the opportunity for an enjoyable break.
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A small rucksack or backpack, sometimes called a ‘daysack’, is the best way to carry food, drink, maps and guidebooks, spare layers of clothing and other essentials: it will be much more comfortable and better-balanced than bags held in the hand or over one shoulder.
If you walk regularly, there is a huge range of clothing and equipment on the market to make your walking more comfortable: a good pair of boots, proper walking socks, a lightweight breathable waterproof jacket and a well-made daypack are all very useful items and for walking in challenging terrain, proper clothing and equipment are essential.
See also Outdoor footwear, clothing and equipment
