Walking Routes in England

England is covered with hundreds of well signed walking paths and trails passing through some of the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of the country.
We have organised these routes by county with an overview map also available.

Please use the links below to view the currently mapped routes.

County	No. Routes	County	No. Routes
Bedfordshire	33	Berkshire	41
Buckinghamshire	68	Cambridgeshire	37
Cheshire	67	Cornwall	62
County Durham	39	Cumbria	155
Derbyshire	124	Devon	120
Dorset	87	Essex	63
Gloucestershire	110	Greater London	127
Greater Manchester	65	Hampshire	93
Herefordshire	27	Hertfordshire	46
Isle of Wight	17	Kent	99
Lancashire	87	Leicestershire	41
Lincolnshire	41	Merseyside	25
Norfolk	49	Northamptonshire	40
Northumberland	52	Nottinghamshire	31
Oxfordshire	59	Rutland	8
Shropshire	47	Somerset	97
Staffordshire	63	Suffolk	56
Surrey	81	Sussex	100
Warwickshire	52	West Midlands	36
Wiltshire	76	Worcestershire	48
Yorkshire	279

National Parks, AONB and Other Regions Walking Routes

Park/AONB	No. Routes	Park/AONB	No. Routes
Arnside and Silverdale	9	Blackdown Hills	5
Cheviots	7	Chilterns	31
Dartmoor	40	Exmoor	25
Forest of Bowland	13	Forest of Dean	15
Howardian Hills	9	Keswick	19
Malvern Hills	10	Mendip Hills	21
New Forest	29	Nidderdale	19
North Downs	19	North York Moors	42
Northumberland National Park	15	Peak District	114
Quantocks	13	Shropshire Hills	11
South Downs	45	Surrey Hills	26
Cotswolds	90	Lake District	123
Wye Valley	13	Yorkshire Dales	72

Latest Walking Routes

Hen Cloud	1 miles (2 km)	Enjoy a short climb to Hen Cloud on this walk in the Staffordshire Peak District. The hill is on the southern end of a gritstone escarpment which includes The Roaches and Ramshaw Rocks. You can start your walk from the roadside parking area on the Roach Road, just to the west of Hen Cloud. On the eastern side of the road you can pick up a footpath climbing to the summit. There's footpaths you can follow around the hill top with wonderful rock formations and fabulous views to enjoy as you go.
Middleton in Teesdale	7 miles (11.5 km)	This market town in County Durham is positioned in a scenic area in the�North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). You can explore the area on the Pennine Way long distance trail which runs past the town. The river Tees also runs through the area with the Teesdale Way another great option for walkers. This walk picks up a nice section of the Pennine Way to take you to the nearby Grassholme and Selset Reservoirs. On the way you'll pass Kirkcarrion, an eye-catching clump of trees surmounting a rocky hill overlooking the Brough to Middleton-in-Teesdale road. You'll also skirt the south-eastern flank�of Harter Fell which reaches a height of 481�metres about 1�km north of the hamlet of�Thringarth. There's fine views over the AONB from the high points. The final section takes you through pretty Lunedale, finishing at Grassholme Reservoir. There's a circular footpath here around the water which is surrounded by the lovely Lune Valley countryside and woodland.
Rothbury	8 miles (12.8 km)	Rothbury is located in the Northumberland National Park on the edge of the Simonside Hills. There's lovely walks through Coquetdale into the surrounding hills and the wonderful Cragside to visit. As such the town is a popular base for walkers looking to explore this scenic area. This circular walk starts in the town centre and picks up the riverside path along the River Coquet. The route then leaves the river and climbs to Newtown and Great Tosson where you enter a woodland section at Windy Crag. The path then climbs through the woods to the Simonside Hills, where you reach a height of nearly 1400ft (426m). There's fabulous views here over the town to the surrounding hills and countryside. The route then descends through Newtown Park to Rothbury Forest where you will pass an old fort and some intersting geological rock formations. The area includes Lordenshaw Hill which has the largest concentration of rock carvings in Northumberland.� The carved panels range from single cup-marked boulders to more complex panels. There are many other interesting archaeological sites in this area, including a ditched�Iron Age�enclosure and an�Early Bronze Age�cairn. The final section passes Garleigh Moor before descending to Whitton and crossing the river to return to the town. On this section you'll pass the 14th century Whitton Tower which is exceptionally well-preserved.
Alnwick	2 miles (3.3 km)	This attractive town in Northumberland is surrounded by lovely countryside and a number of large parks which are ideal for walkers. The main highlight is the expansive Hulne Park located right next to the town. It's proximity to the wonderful Northumberland Coast also presents a number of good walking options. You could visit the atmospheric ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle or pick up the long distance St Oswald's Way. This short walk takes you around Alnwick Castle and Alnwick Gardens in the town centre. You start off at the impressive castle which dominates the western side of the town. The Grade I listed building dates from the 11th century, built following the�Norman conquest, and renovated and remodelled a number of times.�As well as admiring the fine architecture you can visit the exhibitions where you can see frescoes�from�Pompeii,�relics�from�Ancient Egypt�and�Romano-British�objects.�The castle is open to the public throughout the summer months. After exploring the castle and grounds you can then stroll round to the wonderful Alnwick Garden. There's well laid out footpaths here to take you to various themed plantings designed around a central�water cascade. Also of note is the huge wooden treehouse and the Poision Garden which features a number of intoxicating and�poisonous plants. After exploring the garden you can stroll through woodland up to the River Aln before returning to the castle.
Hulne Park	8 miles (12.8 km)	This beautiful estate in Alnwick has several waymarked�walking trails to try. The walled park�was landscaped by�Capability Brown. It includes the historic sites of�Hulne Priory,�Alnwick Abbey, and�Brizlee Tower. There's also nice sheltered woodland trails and views of the River Aln which runs through the park. Opening times for the public are between�11am and�sunset�on most days. You can phone the estate office on 01665 510777�to check before you go. Please note cycles and dogs are not permitted. Start the walk from the Hulne Park entrance, on the western side of the town. Follow the trails past Hollin Hill and White Hill to Brizlee Tower. This �Grade 1 listed�folly was erected in 1781 for�Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland. There's wonderful views over North Northumberland, the Borders and the coast from the top of the tower, though this is not normally open to the public. The trails then head towards East Brizlee Bridge where you cross the River Aln. You then follow trails along the river to Palmstrother Haugh and on to Hulne Priory. The priory was founded in the 13th century and substantial ruins still survive today. From the priory more nice riverside woodland trails take you round to Filbert Haugh and then back to the entrance. On the other side of the river you'll pass Alnwick Abbey which was founded in the 12th century. An architecturally impressive 14th century gatehouse still remains.
Ardleigh Reservoir	3 miles (5 km)	This reservoir near Colchester has a nice country lane running along its northern side. You can reach the reservoir from the nearby village of Ardleigh by following Wick Lane and Lodge Lane for about a mile. The path runs right along the lake with nice views across the water to the trees lining its the edge.
Colchester	2 miles (3 km)	A circular riverside walk around the centre of Colchester, visiting Colchester Castle and the River Colne. �The historic market town is the oldest recorded Roman town in�Britain, and claimed to be the�oldest town in Britain. It has a fascinating Roman history with many features of the occupation still visible today. The walk starts at the Grade I listed Colchester Castle. The castle is a�largely complete�Norman�castle, dating from the 11th century. It is surrounded by Castle Park where there's attractive parkland, trees, flowers, a model boating pond and a number of historic sites. You can visit the Roman Town Wall, the Norman Castle Keep, foundations of Roman Town Houses, an 18th century Summerhouse and Hollytrees House built in 1718. �There's also a fascinating museum where you can find out about 2000 years of some of the most important events in British history. After passing the castle the walk heads north through the Victorian Shrub Garden to the pretty boating lake. Here you come to Middle Mill Weir on the River Colne. A riverside footpath heads east and then south around the bend of the river to East Street. Turn right along East Hill and it will take you back to the castle grounds. The walk can be extended by continuing along the river to The Hythe, Rowhedge and Wivenhoe.
Ipswich	8 miles (13 km)	A circular walk around Ipswich with lovely river views and visits to a series of attractive parks. On the way you'll pass the River Orwell, River Gipping, Ipswich Docks, Holywells Park, Landseer Park and Orwell Country Park. The route uses a section of the Suffolk Coast Path so you can follow the waymarkers on the way. Start the walk in the town centre from Stoke Bridge, where the River Gipping becomes the River Orwell. Follow the path east round the attractive docks and marina. It's an interesting area with hundreds of yachts, an old Custom House, wharves, converted warehouses, new apartments and waterside pubs. After passing round the docks you soon come to Holywell Park. There's nice footpaths in the park with gardens, ponds, fields, woodland and lots of wildlife to look out for. There's also a visitor centre and cafe where you can stop for refreshments. The route continues south through Landseer Park where there is more nice scenery in the wide open fields. Shortly after you come to Orwell Country Park. The 200 acre park has some nice woodland trails and great views towards the river. After exploring the park you cross the river on the Orwell Bridge. Follow the riverside path on the western side of the river to Bourne Bridge where there is another pretty marina. You then follow roads back to the docks before returning to Stoke Bridge.
Morpeth	7 miles (11 km)	Enjoy nice trails along the Wansbeck River in the historic market town of Morpeth in Northumberland. The attractive town includes a number of fine Georgian buildings and a lovely riverside park. This circular walk starts in the delightful Carlisle park where there's nice views of the river and the Grade I listed Morpeth Castle. You then head towards Bothal on a mixture of riverside trails and woodland valley paths. There's trails on either side of the river with the route eventually returning to Carlisle Park. From the park you can continue west along the river and then cross the bridge leading to the town. Here you can visit Morpeth Clock Tower, one of the town's most well know landmarks. It was constructed sometime between 1604 and 1634 out of recycled Medieval stone giving it its much older appearance. You should also visit the Morpeth Chantry, a 13th-century chapel that now houses the town's tourist information centre and the�Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum.
Wigan Canal Walk	6 miles (9.7 km)	An easy walk along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal from Wigan to Parbold. It's a lovely section of the canal with lots of locks, views of the River Douglas and interesting old buildings. At the end of the route you can catch the train back from Parbold to Wigan directly. Start the walk from Wigan Pier, near to the two train stations. This area is located�at the bottom of the Wigan flight of locks. The Canal and River Trust have a handy office here in the old Trencherfield Mill. There's also Gibson's Warehouse, originally built in 1777, and then re-built in 1984 as�The Orwell at Wigan Pier (now closed). Follow the towpath west and it will take you past the DW Stadium, home to Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club. You continue through Crooke and Gathurst before coming to Appley Bridge. The canal is particularly lovely in this affluent area with lots of pretty cottages to see along the water. The final section takes you to the village of Parbold where there's some good options for extending your walk.
Leyburn	4 miles (5.8 km)	The market town of Leyburn has some lovely trails to follow through beautiful Wensleydale in North Yorkshire. This circular walk from the town visits the pretty little village of Wensley with a riverside section along the River Ure. There's lovely views of the surrounding Yorkshire Dales countryside and a nice country pub in Wensley to visit. Start the walk from Low Wood Lane just to the south west of the main parking areas in the town. Follow the lane south and it will lead you to the river. You can then pick up the riverside path heading west along the Ure to Wensley. The village gives its name to the dale�Wensleydale and includes a Grade I listed church dating from 1300. There's also an attractive village green and rows of pretty stone cottages. You can stop for refreshments at the Three Horse Shoes pub where there are great views looking over lower Wensleydale from the beer garden. After exploring Wensley you can follow footpaths back through the countryside to Leyburn.
Sudbury	4 miles (6 km)	This circular walk takes you around the delightful Water Meadows in the Suffolk town of Sudbury. There's some delightful scenery with riverside trails and wild flowers, birds and mammals to look out for on the way. The area has strong connections with the painter Thomas Gainsborough who was born in the town. It forms part of the Gainsborough trail which takes you on a tour of the town, visiting sights connected with the artist.
Lavenham	6 miles (9 km)	This pretty Suffolk village has lots of good options for walkers wishing to explore the area. The picturesque village includes a 15th-century church, the 13th-century Lavenham Priory and several half-timbered medieval cottages. This walk uses a section of the St Edmund Way long distance trail to take you through the village and then into the countryside along a disused railway line. You can use the trail to create a shorter circular walk by turning left at Park Road and continuing back into the village if you wish.
Horsham	9 miles (14.5 km)	This fine circular walk around Horsham makes use of three of the walking trails running through the town. You'll follow sections of the Riverside Walk, the High Weald Landscape Trail and the West Sussex Literary Trail to visit some of the highlights of the area. On the way there's waterside paths along the River Arun, a visit to Warnham Nature Reserve and fine views of the surrounding High Weald countryside. The walk starts in Horsham Park, just to the west of the train station. Head south through the town and you will soon come to the river. Follow the path round to the west and it will take you up to Warnham Mill Pond and Nature Reserve. It's a lovely spot with a 17 acre millpond, marshes, grassland, reed beds, hedges and woodlands. Look out for a variety of wildlife including heron, wildfowl, three species of Woodpecker and kingfisher. After exploring the reserve the walk then picks up a section of the West Sussex Literary Trail to take you through the town and back to the park. You then pick up the High Weald Landscape Trail to take you east towards the river. Following the river round will take you past Hornbrook Farm and Chesworth Farm before returning to the finish point at Horsham Park.
Faversham	5 miles (7.3 km)	This lovely Kent based town has nice trails to follow along Faversham Creek and the Swale Estuary. The surrounding marshland also has a number of nature reserves where you can look out for a large variety of wildlife. Two long distance trails pass through the town. The Swale Heritage Trail and Saxon Shore Way are both great options for exploring the surrounding area on foot. This circular walk makes use of both trails to take you through the town and around Ham Marshes. The route passes along the pretty Oare and Faversham Creeks with lovely countryside views on the way. After the walk enjoy a stroll around the town with its attractive market square and Fleur-de-Lis centre, which provides tourist information and houses a museum. There's also the Grade I listed Faversham Parish Church which was established in 1147 by�King Stephen�and dissolved by�Henry VIII.
Farnham	8 miles (13 km)	The Surrey town of Farnham has numerous choices for walkers. There's several woods, commons, hill climbs and waymarked trails to try. The town is also the starting point for the epic North Downs way which runs all the way to Canterbury. This walk makes use of the North Downs Way and the Greensand Way to visit one of the highlights of the area at Frensham Country Park. The National Trust owned site includes the popular Frensham Ponds and lots of nice walking trails. On the way you'll visit the River Wey, the Moor Park Nature Reserve, the village of Tilford and Tilford Common. The route also passes close to the noteworthy Waverley Abbey. Waverley was founded in 1128 as the first Cistercian Abbey in England. You can take a small detour from the route to explore the fascinating ruins which are now owned by English Heritage.
Frome	10 miles (16 km)	The Somerset town of Frome has some lovely trails to follow through the surrounding countryside. There's easy, waterside paths along the River Frome and more challenging climbs up into the Mendip Hills. This circular walk around the town takes in the river and the pretty Orchardleigh Lake before picking up two waymarked trails to take you to some of the nearby villages, before returning to the town.
Grantham	4 miles (6 km)	The Lincolnshire town of Grantham has some delightful waterside walks along the canal and the River Witham. The other major walking highlight is the beautiful Belton House, just to the north of the town. The National Trust owned site includes a series of nice footpaths taking you to an Orangery, an Italian garden with fountains, a maze, a deer park and several delightful lakes and ponds. This is a popular stroll taking you along the Grantham Canal to the nearby village of Denton. Here you can enjoy more waterside paths along Denton Reservoir before visiting the village and enjoying refreshments at one of the pubs or cafes.
Glossop	16 miles (25.5 km)	This popular market town is often referred to as the gateway to the Peak District National Park'. As such it's a walkers paradise with several waymarked trails, beautiful reservoirs and challenging hill climbs to try. This long circular walk visits several of the highlights of the area, heading to the Longdendale Reservoirs before picking up the Pennine Way for a climb to Bleaklow Hill. The route then returns to Glossop along the course of an old Roman Road with wonderful moorland scenery to enjoy. Starting in the town centre, near the train station, head through Manor Park in Old Glossop. You continue north past Swineshaw Reservoir to Padfield where you come to the Longdendale Reservoirs. This beautiful series of reservoirs have nice trails running along the southern side of the water including the splendid Longdendale Trail. Follow the paths past Bottoms, Woodhead, Valehouse and Rhodeswood reservoir. At Torside Reservoir you can pick up the Pennine Way to take you up to Torside Clough and then on to Bleaklow. The elevated largely peat covered,�gritstone�moorland, is popular with walkers with wonderful far reaching views over Greater�Manchester,�Lancashire, Cheshire and the Hope Valley. After taking in the views, descend south to Hope Clough before turning west and following the Doctor's Gate Roman Road back into Glossop. There's wonderful views of Gathering Hill, the waters of the pretty Shelf Brook and the fine moorland scenery of Shelf Moor.
Guildford	20 miles (32 km)	The town of Guildford has a huge selection of walks to choose from with several long distance trails, hill climbs, parks, rivers and canals to explore. This long circular walk makes use of some of the waymarked footpaths running through the area, showcasing the best of the surrounding North Downs countryside. You'll follow sections of the Fox Way, North Downs Way, Wey South Path and Downs Link long distance trails on this 20 mile tour of the area. The route starts in the town centre, near the castle. From here you can pick up the Wey South Path and follow the River Wey to Shalford Park. You then pick up the North Downs Way and head east towards St Martha's Hill, passing Pewley Down on the way. From the St Martha's Hill viewpoint there are tremendous views over Newlands Corner and the surrounding Surrey Hills. The walk then descends past the 17th century Chilworth Manor to Blackheath Common. The 250 acre common consists of lowland heathland, woodland and acid grassland. Look out for pretty heather in the autumn months. At the common the route turns west, following a section of the Downs Link to Chinthurst Hill and Bramley. Here you link up with the Fox Way which takes you to Farley Hill before coming to Godalming. There's a nice waterside section along the River Wey Navigation Canal to enjoy here. After leaving the canal the trail continues through Upper and Lower Eashing before passing through Shackleford Heath. You then skirt the edge of Puttenham Common where there's miles of good walking trails and two large ponds. The route then bends round to the east, passing Puttenham, Compton, Littleton and Loseley Park. The park has a series of splendid gardens and attractive grounds surrounding Loseley House. Shortly after Littleton you return to the River Wey for a final waterside section to take you back into Guildford.