Meandering across a giant swathe of hill country in the heart of Wales, the peaceful and picturesque Glyndŵr’s Way might just be the most under-appreciated of all our National Trails.
Following the route of King Charles II as he fled Parliamentarian troops and escaped to France in 1651, the Monarch’s Way is a delightfully meandering 1,006km/625-mile trail through 15 English counties.
The GM Ringway is a walkable work in progress that traces a surprisingly varied 300km (186-mile) loop through all 10 Greater Manchester boroughs, dipping in and out of the area’s social and industrial heritage and delivering dramatic panoramas at every turn.
For experienced hillwalkers in search of an adventure, the Welsh 3,000s is a classic mountain route that links all 15 of Snowdonia’s biggest peaks.
The revitalised 108-mile Dartmoor Way showcases a different side of the national park and will provide a valuable boost for local communities – but its creation has not been easy.