Front cover photograph: Walking down Thorncombe Beacon, The best in © James Cook and Back cover photograph: © Natural England/Rob Dingle

We are here to secure a healthy natural environment for people to enjoy, where wildlife is protected and England’s traditional landscapes are safeguarded for future generations. For more information go to: www.naturalengland.org.uk

For more information about the work of The , near High Force visit: Am ragor o wybidaeth am waith Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ewch i’n gwefan: www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

This publication is published by Natural England under the Open Government Licence for public sector information. You are encouraged to use, and reuse, information subject to certain conditions. The nation’s For details of the licence visit www.naturalengland.org.uk/copyright Natural England photographs are only available for non commercial purposes. If any other information favourite walks such as maps or data cannot be used commercially this will be made clear within the publication. and rides © Natural England 2013 ISBN 978-1-84754-125-9 www.nationaltrail.co.uk Catalogue Code: NE157 (v.2 2013) offer some of the best All of the National Trails are within easy walking, riding and cycling experiences in reach of buses, trains and the services of the country, officially supported by Natural nearby towns and villages. In fact nowhere England and Natural Resources Wales. in England or Wales is more than 80kms (50 miles) from a National . The 15 Trails are based on the nation’s favourite rambles and rides and provide more than 4,000kms (2,500 miles) of well-managed routes across some of our finest countryside.

Broadway Tower

To find out more and plan your trip, please visit our website www.nationaltrail.co.uk

There are also excellent guide books © Natural England/Mike Kipling England/Mike Natural © available, packed with useful background information and practical tips for visitors, with full colour maps presented in

© Dave McGlade © Dave sections, so the Trails can be enjoyed in a series of day trips, weekends away or longer breaks.

Thixendale, Wolds Way Near Limestone Corner, Hadrian’s Wall Path Ditchling Beacon,

National Trails are the best way of getting Each National Trail has dedicated staff, to know the countryside – prepare to be often working with local volunteers, to © Natural England/McCoy Wynne England/McCoy © Natural welcomed by local people, inspired by the look after the physical condition of the stunning, varied scenery and enchanted by Trail, keeping paths, gates, stiles and the legacy of the nation’s heritage. signs in the best condition.

A picture of an acorn is used by National Trail managers to guide travellers along all the Trails. The National Trail acorn is a symbol of the commitment, made by local authority partners, to look after the Trails to the highest standards, for the enjoyment of visitors. © Natural England/Paul Glendell England/Paul © Natural © Natural England/John Miller England/John © Natural

Near Oxted Sennen Cove, Cornwall Wortley Hill, Contact us National Trail Tel: +44 (0) 300 060 1840 & Way Email: [email protected] National Trails Tel: +44 (0) 1439 772700 South Downs Way National Trail Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 1273 625242 Email: [email protected] Cotswold Way National Trail Tel: +44 (0) 1451 862000 South West Coast Path National Trail Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 1392 383560 Email: [email protected] Glyndwr’s Way National Trail Tel: +44 (0) 1597 827562 & National Trails Email: gwnt@.gov.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1865 810224 Email: nationaltrails@.gov.uk Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail Tel: +44 (0) 1434 609700 Email: [email protected] www.facebook.com/ National Trail thenationaltrails Tel: +44 (0) 1372 220647 Email: [email protected] @nationaltrails Winchcombe, Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail Tel: +44 (0) 1597 827580 Email: [email protected]

Each Trail has collated a range of & National Trail supporting information to complement Tel: +44 (0) 1362 869402 the official guides. This provides up Email: [email protected] to date details on services provided by local communities, such as nearby Coast Path National Trail Wynne England/McCoy © Natural accommodation, public transport, Tel: +44 (0) 845 345 7275 baggage transfer, guided tours and the Email: [email protected] welcoming array of tea rooms, friendly village pubs and convenient shops. Pennine Way National Trail Tel: +44 (0) 300 060 1863 Email: [email protected] Malham Cove, Pennine Way Pennine Way Hadrian’s Wall Path Cleveland Way Britain’s oldest, and arguably most It’s easy to imagine how things were Walk in the footsteps of Count famous, Trail takes walkers 16 days in Roman times. There are four Roman Dracula, explorer Captain Cook to complete but is the journey Forts presented as visitor attractions and legendary vet James Herriot. everyone should make at least once plus sections of well-preserved Visit the castles and abbeys along in a lifetime. The 429km (268 mile) Trail masonry Wall and miles of earthworks Yorkshire’s designated Heritage crosses the moors and peaks through along this 130km (84 mile) coast-to- Coast and cross England’s largest designated National Parks along the coast route. It takes walkers seven open moor – nearly all of which backbone of . days to cross the World Heritage is within the North York Moors Site from historic Tyneside west to National Park. This 177km (110

© Natural England/McCoy Wynne England/McCoy © Natural “The variety of habitats makes it

Cumbria and the salt marsh of the Kipling England/Mike Natural © mile) Trail takes walkers nine days one of the best places in Europe to Solway Estuary. to complete. observe birds like breeding waders in spring and early summer. The “Come in the summer to see it at its “Don’t miss the coastal views

scenery in Middleton in Teesdale England © Natural best; and don’t miss Birdoswald Roman between Whitby and Robin Hood’s and Dufton is fantastic and flowers Fort – it has some of the best-preserved Bay and visit the Cleveland Hills beautifully in spring.” sections of Wall – nothing feels like it’s around Osmotherley for some changed for thousands of years.” really stunning scenery.” View from Pen-y-ghent Milecastle 39 on Hadrian’s Wall Staithes © Natural England/Tessa Bunney © Natural England/McCoy Wyn England/McCoy © Natural

Northumberland Coast National Trail (various colours) Pennine National Park Way Area of Outstanding Newcastle Natural Beauty Hadrian's upon Tyne Near Wall Path Solway Coast Sunderland 0 50km Pennine Bridleway Carlisle Wolds Way Pennines Designed for horse riders and cyclists as well as walkers, this 330km c Crown copyright and database right 2013. For those wanting to get away from it all – the rolling chalk (205 mile) Trail follows a mix of old packhorse and drove routes, as well as ClevelandNatural Way England OS licence no. 100022021 wolds, with large airy fields and dramatic dry valleys newly built trails. LAKE provide a perfect landscape for walkers to enjoy this Middlesbrough NORTH YORK DISTRICT 127km (79 mile) Trail over five days. “Experience the industrial heritage of the South Pennines on the 75km (47 mile) YORKSHIRE MOORS or get away from it all and enjoy the stunning scenery as DALES “For a sense of freedom and awesome big skies visit the Trail the Trail winds for 84kms (52 miles) through the National Park.” Nidderdale between Fridaythorpe to and Wharram Percy.” Arnside & Silverdale Howardian Hills Yorkshire Forest of Wolds Way Bowland Leeds Kingston upon Hull Pennine Bradford © Natural England/Andy Tryner Bridleway Pennine Way ^ MANCHESTER Mon Liverpool Sheffield © Rob Dingle © Rob

Bangor PEAK DISTRICT Clwydian Lincolnshire Wolds Near Knighton Lleyn Range Offa's Norfolk Coast Holkham ^ Dyke Path Stoke-on- Nottingham Llyn Bryniau Trent Clwyd Llwybr Offa’s Dyke Path Clawdd Cannock ENGLAND Peddars Way & Norfolk Coast Path Offa Chase Norwich Landscape and history changes daily as you walk along this 285km ERYRI Leicester Peddars Way Walk along the now grassy Roman road through the (177 mile) Trail on the England/Wales border following Offa’s Dyke - & Norfolk THE Brecks and open arable farmland to the coast. Enjoy BIRMINGHAM Coast Path BROADS the giant earthwork is Britain’s longest ancient monument. Hills the Trail on beaches and through dunes with extensive The Trail takes walkers 12 days to complete. PEMBROKESHIRE Northampton views across the Wash to the Lincolnshire Wolds COAST Glyndwr's^ Way Cambridge “Don’t miss the spectacular scenery as you walk around ^ Malvern Suffolk on this 150 km (93 mile) Trail. This route is perfect ARFORDIR Llwybr Glyndwr Ipswich Eglwyseg Rocks towards World’s End. The best preserved sections PENFRO Hills Milton Coast for day walks. Keynes Dedham and Heaths of the Dyke itself can be found in the South Shropshire Hills.” WALES BRECON Vale “Don’t miss the stretch between Wells and Morston BEACONS Wye Cotswold for the sheer remoteness and beauty of the coast.” BANNAU Valley Way Ridgeway BRYCHEINIOG Cotswolds Chilterns Pembrokeshire Abertawe CAERDYDD Thames

Bristol Miller England/John © Natural Coast Path Gower Swindon Path ^ North Llwybr Arfordir Gwyr Wessex Reading LONDON Kent Mendip Downs © Helen Tatchell © Helen Sir Benfro Quantock Downs Surrey Hills Hills Hills North Cranborne EXMOOR North Devon Chase & High Downs West Wiltshire Weald Southampton SOUTH DOWNSNational Trail Way Blackdown Downs Clywedog Reservoir NEW (various colours) South West Hills Eastbourne St Marthas DARTMOOR Dorset FOREST BrightonNational Park Coast Path Tamar Chichester South Downs Way Glyndwr’s Way Valley Bournemouth Area of Outstanding East Harbour Named after the last Welsh Prince of Wales, Owain Glyndwr, Devon Isle of Natural Beauty North Downs Way Cornwall Plymouth this 217km (135 mile) Trail takes walkers nine days to complete, South West Wight Our history is etched across the North Downs Way, from crossing open moorland, farmland, woodland and forests. Coast Path 0 50km Stone age burial sites to Cathedrals, pilgrim churches, “No one should miss the long stretch between vineyards and WW2 gun emplacements - it’s a 245 km (153 South Devon Llanidloes and Machynlleth. You feel like c Crown copyright and database right 2013. mile) history of our country. Isles of Natural England OS licence no. 100022021 the last person on earth up there – it is Scilly “Don’t miss the climb to St Martha’s Church in Surrey, all utterly peaceful.” or the walk along the White Cliffs of Dover.”

South West Coast Path Pembrokeshire Coast The Ridgeway The rugged cliff tops, sheltered There are over 50 beaches along Enjoy extensive views of rolling estuaries, beaches, harbours, this spectacular 300km (186 mile) downs, wooded hills and the intimate coves, sleepy villages and Trail which takes walkers between Thames Valley on this 139km (87 resorts of the southwest coast have 10-15 days to complete. The Trail mile) Trail that’s surrounded by seduced people for centuries. It undulates along the rugged cliffs of prehistoric sites and takes walkers is Britain’s longest, and probably Britain’s only coastal National Park. around six days to complete. The most popular, National Trail and The is broad track which is Britain’s oldest the 1,014km (630 mile) Trail takes part of the , which road that makes up the western walkers 56 days to complete. opened in May 2012. half of the Trail is also open to cyclists and horse riders. “If you haven’t got the luxury of 2 “Don’t miss the beaches of the south months to walk the whole Trail in and west coasts and the cliffs of the “The stretch between Ashbury one go, why not do a weekend or a north. Spring is best for wildflowers Thomas © PCNPA/Tiv and Letcombe Bassett has week at a time. Our website has all wonderful history and views over © Sheila Talbot © Sheila and sea birds and there is always a

you need to start planning a trip.” chance you will spot a seal.” the Thames Valley.” Joslin Jos ©

Near Porlock Near Folly Clump, Hackpen Hill

Cotswold Way South Downs Way Thames Path This popular 163km (102 mile) Stretching the entire length of From the source almost to the route is open to walkers and the new South Downs National sea this 294km (184 mile) Trail takes follows the Cotswold Hills Park, this 161km (100 mile) Trail for walkers 14 days to complete through beech woods and open walkers, horse riders and cyclists through peaceful water meadows, fields, taking typically seven follows wide grassy tracks on rolling rural villages, historic towns days to complete. chalk down land. The Trail takes on and cities. average seven days to complete on “Stunning views, wildflower-rich “The stretch between Lechlade and © Natural England/Anne-Katrin Purkiss foot and 2-3 days by mountain bike. © Natural England/Anne-Katrin Purkiss grassland, bluebell-filled beech Newbridge is lovely and quiet with woods and picturesque villages “Don’t miss the view from Old good country pubs nearby. As a – this National Trail takes you Winchester Hill across to the Isle contrast, between Lambeth Bridge © Natural England/Jo Ward England/Jo © Natural through all that the wonderful of White or the tranquil downland and Canary Wharf there are so Cotswolds have to offer.” of Harting Down. Also take time many temptations to stop, it’s hard to explore the historic city of to cover much distance in a day.” Winchester, or enjoy the dramatic white cliffs of Eastbourne.”

Walkers at Coombe Descending Pen Hill Near Bray Lock