Long Distance Paths in the UK – The 1066 Country Walk

Long Distance Paths in the UK – The 1066 Country Walk

The 1066 Country Walk is a 50 kilometre (31 mile) walk that traverses the floodplains of the River Rother and Cuckmere popular with long distance walkers.

The 1066 Country Walk starts at Pevensey Castle and finishes at Strand Quay, Rye. In September 1066, William, Duke of Normandy brought his army to Pevensey, Sussex and went on to defeat King Harold in the town of Battle in what many people know as the Battle of Hastings. You can follow in the steps of William the Conqueror taking in historical sites on a generally low level walk through ancient towns and villages, over hillsides and through woodland, and passing oast houses and windmills. The route includes the Normans’ landing point at Pevensey and the battle site, and the castles at Pevensey and Herstmonceux. The 1066 Country Walk then continues along to Rye, a hill top town famous for its smuggling associations, Winchelsea is one of the best-preserved planned medieval towns (or bastides) in Britain. There are spectacular views from the Winchelsea area over the beach and the English Channel and inland across the Brede levels to the wooded Weald. The remote settlements of Brownbread Street and Penhurst are particularly quaint and make for an enjoyable visit.

For those wishing to break this East Sussex walk down into more manageable walking routes the 1066 Country Walk passes through Rye, Doleham, Winchelsea and Pevensey all of which can be accessed by train from Ashford and the South Coast. The walk also passes through Battle, accessible by train from London within 90 minutes.

For a step by step walking route for the 1066 Country Walk click here

Top 5 Hertfordshire Walks

Top 5 Hertfordshire Walks

Forty Hall Enfield Walking Route

Forty Hall Enfield was built in 1632 and has undergone extensive refurbishment with the aim of being Enfield’s star attraction offering an excellent Hertfordshire walks. Forty Hall Enfield is a 10 mile circular walking route along the London Loop, Chain Walk and New River Path in Enfield.

St Albans Ver Valley Walking Route

A great walk, mainly along well country road, tarmacked lanes and only a few slightly muddy tracks. St Albans Ver Valley is an 8 mile circular walking route along the Ver Valley including the Roman Theatre, Mosaic and Hypocaust in St Albans.

Hertford Heath Walking Route

Hertford Heath is just slightly up past Broxbourne Woods this walking route mainly covered bridleways, field paths, some roads and a canal tow path. Hertford Heath is a 7 mile leisurely circular walking route from Hertford Heath to Great Amwell.

Broxbourne Woods NNR Trail Walking Route

Broxbourne Woods National Nature Reserve comprises of four woods; Bencroft, Broxbourne, Hoddesdonpark and Wormley and all offer perfect forest walking routes. All of the woods are ancient, although recent research suggests the area was Roman (or pre-Roman) agricultural land that was abandoned then re-colonised by trees. Broxbourne Woods NNR Trail is a 6 mile circular walking route.

Deacon Hill Walking Route

The chalk downs in Hertfordshire offers excellent walking routes. This circular walking route includes a steep climb up to Deacon Hill for a wonderful 360 view of the chalk downs and then tracks around beautiful green lanes and field paths. Deacon Hill is a 7 mile circular walking route.

The National Trust

The National Trust Membership Offers

The National Trust look after historic houses, gardens, mills, coastline, forests, farmland, moorland, islands, castles, nature reserves, villages and pubs. The National Trust is Britains largest conservation organisation for walks and walking, caring for 300 historic houses, 700 miles of spectacular coastline and over 600,000 acres of beautiful countryside with many of the best walking routes in the UK.

The National Trust has conserved the nations treasures for over a hundred years and is a charity that receives no direct support from government. The National Trust does not cover Scotland, although membership does allow free entry to properties owned by the National Trust for Scotland. By joining the National Trust you will be contributing to the ongoing work of maintaining many areas of great historical interest for generations to enjoy.

For the latest membership offers from the National Trust, or to look at their wonderful selection of gifts, please visit the Walks And Walking Shop

Craghoppers Latest Offers

Craghoppers Latest Offers

Craghoppers offers the very best walking clothes and walking accessories for UK walks. Whether it is woodland walks in Epping Forest, coastal walks in Cornwall or Wales walks up Mount Snowdon they have a superb range of technical outdoor clothing at excellent prices.

Please visit the Walks And Walking Shop for the latest Craghoppers offers.

Why buy Craghoppers?

Craghoppers started making outdoor clothing specifically designed in 1965. A group of guys in Yorkshire were planning to climb Everest and needed waterproof jackets, trousers, performance tops and warm layers to withstand the harsh conditions. They researched and designed fabrics that would protect them from the extreme cold. All their preparation paid off as they successfully reached the summit of Everest.

It’s Tried and tested!

Craghoppers Autumn/Winter range is packed with classic technologies as well as fresh discoveries for outdoor clothing at home and abroad. You’ll find Trousers,Tops and Shirts that protect from bites and burn as well as waterproof jackets for an unexpected shower or two! Craghoppers have got outdoor clothing to suit every lover of the outdoors and for every travellers next adventure.
Get equipped now!

The Best Technology!

Craghoppers like to make sure they are the first to find the latest, best and most advanced technology for our outdoor clothing. All the fabrics and features of Craghoppers t-shirts, base layers, waterproofs and walking trousers are designed to make all your journeys and adventures more comfortable whether you’re the other side of the world or in your backyard. You’ll see Craghoppers technology symbols on all their clothing labels so you know exactly what kit to buy when out walking, hiking, trekking or climbing.

Ordnance Survey Top 5 Tips To Prevent Blisters

5 Top Tips To Prevent Blisters

1. Wear two pairs of socks.

The technical theory behind this is that the inner liner sock moves with your foot and the outer hiking socks move with the boot. The friction is then created between the two layers. The other benefit to this method is that the inner liner sock wicks away moisture from your foot keeping it dryer and thus stopping your skin getting soft and wrinkly and prone to blisters.

2. Wear your hiking boots in.

Give them a good walking around so they get used to how your foot works and where it need to bend with your foot. It will also soften up the leather and fabric a little. Don’t go out on a long hike to break them in, but wear them about for short walks, around the house, that sort of thing. This one really can make a difference.

3. Get your hiking boots properly fitted.

Go to a shop that knows about the bio mechanics of the foot and leg and how it all works. Make sure that they measure your foot for both width and length. You’ll be amazed by how often people don’t really know the size of their feet. Your expert walking boot fitter will then be able to best match your foot to a type of boot that is suitable for you. Give the walking boots a good walk in the shop. Have they got a slope for you to try them on to see if your foot slips? They should have. Always make sure you have room to wiggle toes and that they are not up against the end of the boot nor are they too far away fro the end of the boot. There should be no heel slippage.

4. Tape up your heels.

If you have a pair of boots that weren’t fitted for you and you get blisters then use two roles of wide zinc oxide tape and put a layer of this across your heel. This is also a blister prevention method that works very well if you cannot find proper blister prevention plasters.

5. Get some Blister Prevention Patches.

These go on the inside of your hiking boot heels and they them seem to prevent blisters which are like a slipper piece of extremely sticky back plastic and they do work.

Enjoy these tips and enjoy your walking routes, blister free!

Tags: Walking Routes

Ordnance Survey Maps – Create Your Own Unique Walking Routes

Ordnance Survey Maps – Create Your Own Unique Walking Routes

If, like me, you want to create your own unique walking routes without forking out on expensive GPS gadgets then buying new Ordnance Survey Maps for the area you want to cover is still the most popular choice. Personally, I really enjoy spreading a large map out on the floor and plotting each twist and turn to cover as many of the sites of historical importance of viewpoints of our Great British countryside.

I’m sure I will succumb to a Personal Navigation GPS System eventually when my pocket allows but I’ve already got it on my smart phone for free and using other free online tools like Google Maps can still do part of the job and there are plenty of websites like this one that offer inspiring walking routes available to print for free.

When I used to print off walking routes from other websites I always used to get lost so I soon started buying the corresponding Ordnance Survey map for each area. Having an Ordnance Survey with you whilst walking means you can also stray off the walking route to find even more unexplored treasures… and then get back on track without getting even more lost!

Types of Ordnance Survey Maps

The two main Ordnance Survey Maps are the OS Explorer Map series and the OS Landranger Map series, with the OS Landranger Map series also coming with an Active Maps series and with the main differences being scale and detail.

1. OS Explorer Map Series

The OS Explorer Map Series is 4cm to 1km (2½ inches to 1 mile) scale and is the main stay used by many individuals and organisations involved in outdoor activities. It is the preferred choice for walkers, hikers, trekkers, climbers, mountain bikers, cyclists, horse riders and even water sports enthusiasts.

Every part of England, Scotland and Wales is covered by 403 maps that include National Trails, Recreational Paths, picnic areas, viewpoints and selected places of interest. In addition, there’s Rights of Way information for England and Wales.

2. OS Landranger Map Series

The OS Landranger Map Series is perfect for day trips and short breaks covering the whole of Great Britain with 204 detailed maps. Each map provides all the information you need to get to know the local area and main tracks and pathways etc.

More suitable for tourism there is still a good level of detail including places of interest, tourist information, picnic areas and camping sites, plus Rights of Way information for England and Wales.

3. OS Landranger Map Series

The OS Landranger Active Maps are tough, durable and weatherproof. They have exactly the same features as the more widely recognised OS Landranger series but with the addition of a lightweight protective plastic coating making them perfect for the UK’s interchangeable and often rainy or drizzly weather conditions.

These encapsulated maps will resist inclement weather and can be written on with washable ink, making it easy to highlight your favourite routes and then wipe them off when you return home.

And for those of you that are keen to experience a whole new world of online maps there is the Ordnance Survey Leisure’s getamap that offers an annual subscription service.

Tags: Ordnance, Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Maps, Walking, Walking Routes, Walks

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