Outdoors for All from the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Outdoor Recreation and Access to Nature provides ten headline recommendations and 40 other recommendations for increasing access to blue and green spaces. The report recognises the benefits of being…
Preparations for Walking Festivals this year are in full swing – and many of them are listed here. With so much planned we are spoilt for choice. Whether exploring your local area or travelling to places further afield, walking festivals…
Enjoy walking? Like walking holidays? Have you thought about long distance walking? Not everyone’s idea of a great holiday, but for many there is something quite special about a long, multi-day walk. Perhaps the idea of lugging days of kit…
Walking Pace will launch One Mile Walks later in 2024, here’s a sneak preview. One Mile Walks is a new national programme all about going outdoors, getting moving and enjoying walking. The aim is to create and collate walks across…
One Mile Walks is a new national programme which will be launched later in 2024, all about going outdoors, getting moving and enjoying walking. With collaboration we will promote great One Mile Walks throughout the UK in brilliant settings, but,…
One Mile Walks is a new national programme which will be launched later in 2024, all about going outdoors, getting moving and enjoying walking. In order to reach its potential One Mile Walks seeks to collaborate with national and local…
One Mile Walks is a new national programme which will be launched later in 2024, all about going outdoors, getting moving and enjoying walking. As a collaborative programme there is much to be done and lots of ways for organisations…
We all know that walking is magic. It provides extraordinary benefits for health, wellbeing, but is there a risk that it will become over-medicalised?
Small changes can make a big difference to so many as shown in this video from Sustrans. I am currently route setting for a new programme – very exciting and soon to be announced! As part of this I am…
Almost 70 years ago the Petersfield to Midhurst railway line closed. There are now plans to turn this nine-mile stretch of former railway line into The Rother Valley Way.
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. “But walking gives so many benefits.” Of course, the benefits…
The New Forest is the smallest National Park in England but still covers 220 square miles of woodland, heathland and coastline between Southampton and Bournemouth. Like many National Parks this stunning space is close to large populations, in this case…
With World Book Day on Thursday I wonder if any children are going to school dressed head to toe in outdoor gear because their favourite book is a walking guidebook or a tale of mountaineering? In light of World Book…
The Pennine Way should actually be called the ‘Pennine and Cheviot Way’ according to Alfred Wainwright, author of the Pennine Way Companion. The route also excludes some of the Pennines to the south. This was a regular subject of conversation…
So far this year we have posted about walking New Year’s resolutions and walking festivals, with a list of almost 100 festivals running in 2024. But, another key feature of the walking season has to be walking challenge events. Attracting…
Walking Festivals are a key feature of the walking calendar. They are a great way to profile stunning walking country and attract new people to walking. Run by local walking groups, local authorities or a collaboration of individuals and organisations,…
There is much going on in the world of walking with lots of great initiatives, articles and stories. There’s a host of organisations promoting their programmes and successes. And some great individuals with well stocked social media accounts providing stunning…
When I’m in the outdoors, people judge me based on my appearance. They glance at my size 20 body and assume that I’m inexperienced. They look at my fat belly and presume I’m lazy. They observe my non-technical hiking clothing…
The South Downs is a stunning range of chalk hills stretching from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex. It borders the Surrey Hills National Landscape to the north and is close to Chichester Harbour National Landscape in the…
Happy New Year. January 2024! For many changing the calendar provides new momentum and an opportunity to look ahead and imagine what will (or could) be over the next 12 months. Many will make a commitment to themselves to do…
An image tells a thousand words right? Well this one tells a lot. It says ‘yey’ I am in the New Forest National Park Authority. Green space. Skies. Nature. Restorative. Tick. It says I’m fat. I am indeed fat and fifty…
There is so much to do and see in Brighton. Especially following the recent opening of the National Open Water Swimming Centre on Madeira Drive, and more coming soon with plans for Black Rock. But if the pier(s), Pavilion, aquarium,…
Mobile technology has been brilliant for walking. Apps provide walking inspiration and guidance wherever you are, and built in GPS tracking provides easy navigation. Over 20 years ago I first linked a mobile car gps receiver to a PDA (for those…
The devastation caused to public transport by ripping up much of the UKs rail network has since become a bonus for walkers, horse riders and cyclists. Many miles of remaining track bed have been put to great use as nature…
In my late teens and twenties I was a keen walker and climber, but as often happens with hobbies, things got in the way. By the end of 2020 asthma and two bouts of covid had taken their toll and…
Despite being a keen walker I explored very little of the Peak District in my younger days. A few trips climbing at Stanage and Froggatt, but for walking I tended to bypass this area in favour of Snowdonia, the Lakes…
The YHA Festival of Walking 2023 is well under way. Have you chosen your route yet? With 170 routes available there is something for everyone. But how do you choose a route? Where do you want to go? How far…
Walking books and printed route guides do more than tell you where to walk. They are inspirations and may even be works of art. Reading them, even with no intention of undertaking a walk – at least before you started…
Are local country parks, commons and nature reserves the unsung heroes of the outdoor world? Often run by local authorities or town councils these stunning spaces are relatively small. Many nestle happily beside built up areas and provide a brief…
What I learnt from producing 180+ walking routes for the YHA Festival of Walking. Including a new approach to route grading and route cards which provide walkers with essential information to help decide which route is for them.