www.ramblers.org.uk

Walking for you

Ideas for easy, local walks

Parks

For most of us a nearby park is the most convenient option for a refreshing break in green space. Some parks now have signed walking routes and trails. Local councils are usually responsible for parks and can give more information about your local park as well as details of others nearby: try devising your own walking route that links them using quiet streets and paths.

Waterways


Photo: Phillip Waterman

With 4,000 miles (6,500km) of waterways in Britain, there’s bound to be one near you. Canal towpaths provide excellent easy walking: they’re almost always flat and level, with sections accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs too, and in urban areas they provide surprisingly quiet, green links. Children will enjoy seeing things like locks, as well as passing boats. Many walking routes also follow rivers, and just being next to water, like being in green space, makes most of us feel good. British Waterways can tell you more about the canal network and towpaths near to you.

Woodlands

The Forestry Commission manages most of Britain’s larger forests, and encourages visitors on foot – many sites have easy trails, visitor centres and other facilities. The Woodland Trust owns hundreds of woods open to the public, including pockets of precious woodland in or near urban areas. New community forestry projects are not only planting trees but creating new recreational opportunities too.

Country Parks

These are large parks with a rural character near to urban areas: they’re great for easy walks, often offer disabled access, and include some truly beautiful sites. Your local council, or a tourist/visitor information centre, will know about country parks near you. Some are listed on our regional Parks and countryside pages.

Nature Reserves

There are hundreds of nature reserves ranging from modest squares of undeveloped land in a town to lengthy stretches of internationally important coastline. Many nature reserves are open to the public free of charge and best visited on foot. They are mainly managed by organisations like English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage, The Countryside Council for Wales, Wildlife Trusts, RSPB and local councils.

The countryside

If you already live in a rural area, you’ve probably got great walks on your doorstep. Those who live in towns will usually find there’s countryside within fairly easy reach, often by public transport. Experienced walkers often plot their own routes through the countryside using maps (see Now you're walking), but if you don’t feel confident doing this, try a signed walking route or use a guidebook (see below). For more about your rights when walking in the countryside see Walking in the countryside.

‘Protected Areas’

Some large areas of especially beautiful countryside – such as National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (in England and Wales) and National Scenic Areas (in Scotland) enjoy special protection. Visitors are made welcome by visitor centres and offices that can provide ideas and advice on local walking. You'll find more about these areas in our Parks and countryside section.

Walking routes

Named and signed walking routes include everything from short health walks and heritage trails to very long countryside routes. Some, known as National Trails in England and Wales and Long Distance Routes in Scotland, are directly supported by national government agencies, while local councils and other organisations, including the Ramblers, have developed many others. Most have guidebooks or leaflets that not only describe the route but also give interesting background details on topics such as history and wildlife as well as practical information on local services and facilities. You don’t have to walk the whole route at once – you can often walk a shorter section of a longer route and return by public transport.

Our Paths and routes section lists many popular routes, and details can also be obtained from local information sources (see below).

Walking guidebooks

Look in the local interest section of most bookshops and you’re likely to find books of local – usually circular – walks. Some of these will be too long and difficult for beginners, but there are increasing numbers of books of easy walks and walks suitable for families. Our regional pages list some books of shorter walks, including some published by the Ramblers. Tourist/visitor information centre are another good source of walking books.

Group walks

If you don’t want to walk on your own, try a group walk. Ramblers volunteers organise many hundreds of these  -- see our Local Groups section, or our list of Groups offering shorter walks. People like councils and health projects organise many others (see information sources below).

More information

Our regional pages have an increasing amount of information about local walks near you.

Local councils have information about local parks and open spaces, footpaths, walking routes, accessibility and nature conservation. The county council, unitary authority or urban borough council is the one to try first. If you live in a part of England with a district council, they may be able to help too.

Tourist/visitor information centres (TICs) are often overlooked by local people who assume they are just for visitors, but these places are a mine of useful information of use to everyone

Pages in Walking for You

See also

Walking for you is a Ramblers promoting walking project. Read more about promoting walking work in Great Britain.