Welcome to the Walking Pace newsletter! At Walking Pace we love walking and celebrate every walker and every walk – no matter how far, fast or technical. Set up by Matt Overd and Anita Kerwin-Nye Walking Pace promotes good ideas, shares knowledge and highlights experiences from across the vast walking community.

In these regular updates we look back at walking related news you may have missed and highlight interesting articles, walking jobs, opportunities and upcoming dates. If you have any walking news or events you would like included in the next newsletter then please contact: matt@walkingpace.uk.

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Newsletter May 2024

Since our last newsletter in early March Spring has sprung, daffodils have given way to bluebells and the sun has occasionally made an appearance.

We have seen lots of new walking and cycling routes given a boost, hundreds protested the charges at Cirencester Park, the National Trust have told us that children want more time in nature and we learnt that walking 5000 steps in a day, three times a week could increase life expectancy by three years – plus lots of other walking news, personal challenges and fundraising.

We are now well into May – National Walking Month. The first of the May Bank Holidays was a bit of a wash out for many – though lots of walkers found a gap in the weather (or carried on regardless). Have you got walking plans for the month ahead? There is a huge range of walks, walking festivals and other walking related activities to keep you busy.

Wildlife Trust

Photo: Wildlife Trusts, Donald Sutherland

Quote of the month

“It is very noticeable today how green everything is once more.”

(@Matt_GetOutside)

Walking Pace articles

Here are four articles from Walking Pace you may have missed.

Petersfield station Midhurst sign Copy
Rother Valley Way

Guest Blog: After 70 years there are plans to turn the nine-mile Petersfield to Midhurst stretch of former railway line into The Rother Valley Way. See article

Dont Walk Copy
Don’t Walk!

At Walking Pace we love walking. We create walks and write, read and talk walking – a lot! But, if you don’t want to walk, then that’s fine with us. See article

New Forest. Picture of a wild pony eating grass surrounded by trees and other vegetation.
Walking in the New Forest

The New Forest National Park covers 220 square miles of woodland, heathland and coastline – walking here is brilliant and so much to choose from. See article

Coronation Meadow Bedelands Copy
Country Parks, Commons and Nature Reserves

Are local country parks, commons and nature reserves the unsung heroes of the outdoor world? See article

Round up

Right to roam: paths to 2,500 public areas are being blocked by landowners due to outdated laws – see more and areas of outstanding natural beauty have on average poorer footpath access than rest of England – see more

Cirencester Park – Hundreds of people joined the protest against charges to access Cirencester Park – see more and even more

5000 steps in a day three times a week could increase life expectancy by three years according to Vitality and the London School of Economics – see more

Two Steps Back – Canal and River Trust launched their #TwoStepsBack campaign to help children stay safe near by water – see more

Munro Bagging – Anna Wells has became only the fourth person (and first woman) to complete a Munro round in winter – equalling the record of 83 days – see more

Scotland Outdoors Podcast – A new era at Mountaineering Scotland, Rachel Stewart meets the women making history at Mountaineering Scotland – see more

Children want more time in nature – The National Trust published survey findings as it calls for youngsters to be no more than a 15-minute walk from green spaces – see more

Nordic Walking – Dr Michael Mosely investigates the added benefits of Nordic walking – see more

Walking in the footsteps of the ancients – BBC Countryfile met Mary-Ann Ochota on the Marlborough Downs on the Ridgeway National Trail – see more

A good read – Ramblers’ Head of Paths, Jack Cornish, has written a book, The Lost Paths: A History of How We Walk From Here To There – see more

Enabling active travel can improve the UK’s health – There is an urgent need to improve the nation’s health, active travel is a “best buy” for improving health – see more

Safer pedestrians in New York – ten years after New York became the first US city to adopt the Vision Zero traffic safety model there is progress and frustration – see more 

Freedom in Dartmoor – Rosie Jewell shares her childhood freedoms in Dartmoor and reflects on how these now being trampled on – see more

Stroke rehabilitation – The Kirkby walking group giving stroke survivors a ‘lifeline’ – see more

Stay local – Great inspiration from Alastair Humphreys on scaling the 7 summits – of your local area – see more

Active Travel England to give more than £1 million to KCC and Medway Council for more walking, cycling and wheeling – see more and even more

Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple – A walking and cycling route that follows a former railway line has now been completed – see more

Taunton and Wellington in Somerset could soon be connected by a new walking and cycling route which celebrates the area’s industrial heritage – see more

North East Somerset, Bath and Bristol – Plans to make it easier to walk, cycle and take public transport between rural areas of Somerset could be about to move forward – see more

Durham – A new walking and cycling route is set to be installed on a key road in Durham, after a £2.5m grant was secured – see more

Shropshire – More than £174,000 of government funding is to be invested into walking and cycling schemes in Shropshire –see more

Penrose National Trust – A series of social walks has been rolled out at the Cornish site to improve wellbeing – see more

Women Who Walk – A free female walking group is hoping to expand to other towns and cities to help women “find their tribe” – see more

Welcoming Walkers – Walkers are Welcome is a nationwide network of accredited towns and villages that are ‘welcoming to walkers’ – sign up to their newsletter here

Wharfedale Greenway – overwhelming support for the development of a traffic-free route from Pool-in-Wharfedale to Bolton Bridge via Otley, Burley, Ilkley and Addingham. See more

Steve Brown TV presenter and former captain of Team GB’s Paralympic rugby team talks to the Ramblers – see more

Diversity outdoors – Study examines access and use of greenspaces and the countryside by diverse communities – see more

Free nature walks to help neuro-divergent people – see more

Sight loss obstacles – council officials wearing glasses simulating sight impairments have walked through a busy city centre to experience the danger of pavement obstacles – see more

Fun and funding An author is walking 150 miles for charity, Scotland football fans walking 1,000 miles to the Euros in Munich, an 87 year old Youlgreave woman walked a mile a day for the village church, a Flintshire woman is walking 15 peaks in husband’s memory, NHS workers are walking Hadrian’s Wall to raise money for a mental health football team, a group of blind footballers from West Bromwich walking from Wembley to The Hawthorns, a mother and daughter are walking 100km across Guernsey to raise money for Ovarian Cancer Action, grandparents have walked the coast of the UK for charity, people dressed as food items are walking to raise money for foodbanks and a 3.5 metre giraffe puppet is being walked from Grimsby to Skegness.

Worth a look

Living Streets
Living Streets Walking Month

This year Living Streets are inviting you to discover the #MagicOfWalking and celebrate the many health and happiness benefits of walking and wheeling. See more

Make Ways
Make Ways

Make Ways is a new pilot citizen project to share good paths and draw wishes for new ones. Add good ways, bad ways, wishes and wins in your neighbourhood. See more

Bothies
British bothy guide

Countryfile explore the best bothies in the UK, their history, what you need to bring with you and how to stay within the bothy code. See more

Sparky Walking Guides
Sparky Walking Guides

Two long-distance walkers re-imagine trail guides and focus on ‘nuggets’ of information on the maps to enlighten and entertain and enrich the walk.  See more

Every Mile Matters
Coast Path Challenge

Join this Every Mile Matters fundraising walk in South Cornwall for rockpools, shipwrecks and smugglers on this scenic walk to Polperro. See more

River Coln Trail
River Coln Trail

A new 33-mile route linking Winchcombe and Fairford. From the Coln’s source to the Thames, the walk connects the Cotswold Way and Thames Path national trails. See more and get the guidebook

Guide Dog Trail
Paws on the Wharf

A fun and free art trail by Guide Dogs
and Wild in Art. Follow the trail in Canary Wharf and discover 25 larger-than-life decorated guide dog sculptures. See more

Faskally Forest walk
Faskally Forest walk, Perthshire

This wheelchair-friendly walk through Faskally Forest (or Faskally Woods) near Pitlochry in Scotland follows the shores of beautiful Loch Dunmore. See more

Coming up

Walking Events and Festivals 2
  • GM Walking Festival – Greater Manchester – From Wednesday 1st May to Friday 31st May 2024  –  See more
  • Alton Walking Festival – From Wednesday 1st May to Friday 31st May 2024  –  See more
  • Walk Leicester – From Wednesday 1st May to Friday 31st May 2024  –  See more
  • Bristol Walkfest – From Wednesday 1st May to Friday 31st May 2024  –  See more
  • Ironbridge Gorge Walking Festival – Shropshire – From Saturday 4th May to Sunday 12th May 2024  –  See more
  • English Riviera Walking Festival – From Saturday 4th May to Sunday 19th May 2024  –  See more
  • Stevenage Walking Festival  – From Saturday 4th May to Sunday 12th May 2024  –  See more
  • The Parks Trust Walking Festival – Milton Keynes – From Thursday 9th May to Sunday 12th May 2024  –  See more
  • Whitchurch Walking Festival – Shropshire – From Friday 10th May to Sunday 12th May 2024  –  See more
  • Crieff & Strathearn Drovers Tryst – Perth and Kinross – From Friday 10th May to Monday 13th May 2024  –  See more
  • Newton Stewart Walking Festival – Galloway Hills – From Friday 10th May to Thursday 16th May 2024  –  See more
  • Reading Walks Festival – From Saturday 11th May to Sunday 19th May 2024  –  See more
  • Coleford Area Walking Festival – Gloucestershire – From Saturday 11th May to Sunday 19th May 2024  –  See more
  • Lincolnshire Wolds Outdoor Festival – From Saturday 11th May to Monday 27th May 2024  –  See more
  • Dorchester Walking Festival – From Saturday 11th May to Sunday 19th May 2024  –  See more
  • Isle of Wight Spring Walking Festival – From Saturday 11th May to Sunday 19th May 2024  –  See more
  • Suffolk Walking Festival – From Saturday 11th May to Sunday 26th May 2024  –  See more
  • Chesterfield Area Walking Festival – From Saturday 11th May to Sunday 19th May 2024  –  See more
  • Farnham Walking Festival – Surrey – From Saturday 11th May to Sunday 2nd June 2024  –  See more
  • Bishop’s Castle Walking Festival – Shropshire – From Thursday 16th May to Sunday 19th May 2024  –  See more
  • Keswick Mountain Festival – From Friday 17th May to Sunday 19th May 2024  –  See more
  • Trefriw Walking Festival – Conwy – From Friday 17th May to Sunday 19th May 2024  –  See more
  • Arran Mountain Festival – From Friday 17th May to Monday 20th May 2024  –  See more
  • Winchcombe Cotswolds Walking Festival – From Friday 17th May to Sunday 19th May 2024  –  See more
  • Chilterns Walking Festival – From Saturday 18th May to Sunday 2nd June 2024  –  See more
  • Ballater Walking Festival – Aberdeenshire – From Saturday 18th May to Friday 24th May 2024  –  See more
  • National Forest Walking Festival – From Saturday 18th May to Thursday 30th May 2024  –  See more
  • Moonwalk – London – On Saturday 18th May 2024  –  See more
  • Prestatyn & Clwydian Range Walking Festival – From Friday 24th May to Sunday 26th May 2024  –  See more
  • Kendal Walking Festival – From Saturday 25th May to Monday 27th May 2024  –  See more
  • Malvern Walking Festival – From Saturday 25th May to Sunday 2nd June 2024  –  See more
  • Guernsey Spring Walking Festival – From Saturday 25th May to Sunday 9th June 2024  –  See more
  • North Wessex Downs Walking Festival – From Friday 31st May to Sunday 9th June 2024  –  See more

Other dates

  • Remember that the law states that on open access land dogs should be on short lead from 1st March to 31st July – see more
  • 16th May 2024 National Trails Summit. The inaugural National Trails UK Summit will celebrate and reflect on 75 Years of Access to the Countryside, the vital role that the National Trails play in connecting people to nature, and how we can work together to ensure equity of access to the outdoors now and in the future. (SOLD OUT) See more
  • 26th June 2024 Access for All: A Celebration of What is Possible see more
  • 29th September to 3rd October – Muslim Hikers first international expedition and conquer Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa! – see more
  • 28th to 31st October 2024, Paris – 10th International Society for Physical Activity and Health Congresssee more

Walking vacancies

  • Marketing Intern – Thames Festival Trust – closes 20th May 2024
  • National Trail Volunteer and Project Coordinator – Oxfordshire County Council – closes 26th May 2024
  • Event Champion (Walk for Parkinson’s: Chatelherault Country Park, 2nd June 2024) – closes 29th May 2024
  • Sussex Area Ramblers are recruiting the volunteer roles below, for further details contact the Area Chair at chairman@sussexramblers.org.uk 
    • East Sussex Footpaths Officer (Lead the protection of the vital footpaths and rights of way network across the countryside of East Sussex (and Brighton & Hove) and coordinate a team of 60 Local Footpath Wardens )
    • East Sussex Countryside Officer (Monitor and review planning applications across East Sussex and manage objections to applications assessed to have an adverse impact on the countryside and the places where people walk.)
    • West Sussex Countryside Officer (Monitor and review planning applications across West Sussex and manage objections to applications assessed to have an adverse impact on the countryside and the places where people walk.)
    • Vice Chair (Play a key role in the Area leadership by supporting the Chair in the oversight of all Area activities.)

Get in touch, send us your comments, news, events and vacancies for the next newsletter: matt@walkingpace.uk

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