Tara Walker-Rose
General Manager
Latest articles
Five Reasons Why Hiking Benefits Health
There are many reasons why people enjoy hiking outdoors, and once you are bitten by the trail-bug it can be hard to resist your next outdoor adventure. Hiking is great exercise, but did you know there are more to the health benefits of exercise than meets the eye? Here are five ways that hiking benefits health, and more reasons for a ramble in the countryside! 1. Great Exercise One of the most obvious health benefits of hiking is that it is good all-round exercise that anyone can do. Have you ever felt the effect of reaching the top of a steep hill? That heart-pumping, out of breath feeling shows what a great cardio workout hiking can be. Not only is this good for heart health, but it can help lower blood pressure and increase the efficiency of the lungs. Physical exercise like hiking helps build stronger bones and muscles, improves your core balance and increases stamina. As hiking is a weight-bearing exercise, the more you do it, the stronger the muscles become. Being outdoors in a natural light tops up the body’s reserves of vitamin D too, which is important for strong, healthy bones. Any exercise is good for the…
Walking the North Wessex Downs on The Ridgeway
I was delighted to be able to walk this trail for my fam trip this year for two reasons. Firstly The Ridgeway is new to Mickledore and I wanted to visit some accommodation hosts and familiarise myself with the route. The second reason was that all the Mickledore trips I’ve been on so far have been in the north of the country and I wanted to travel in the other direction and see some different scenery! I chose to walk the western half of the route over the North Wessex Downs from Avebury to Goring as I wanted to take my dogs and currently only this section has suitable dog-friendly accommodation. I am fascinated by the history of the trail and the white chalk horses carved into the hills of this area and was excited to be able to visit some. Arriving in Avebury We arrived early to the World Heritage site of Avebury for our first night’s accommodation so that we could explore as there is so much to see here. I would definitely recommend doing this. It is a popular spot at the weekends and the weather was great so Avebury was busy with tourists. Many are there…
Walking the Westmorland Way
A relatively low-level 95 mile walk through the historic county of Westmorland and the Lake District National Park, the Westmorland Way takes you through some of the finest Lake District Scenery, the market town of Kendal, and canal paths and meadows to Arnside in Morecambe Bay. The guidebook for the route was written in 1984 and went out of print some years ago. Having used up all the copies we could buy, our clients now navigate this route themselves using OS maps that we have marked with the route. As many people do not feel confident route-finding this way, I decided I would walk this route myself and write some new instructions that we can provide to our clients to add confidence when walking. So far, on weekends and days off I have completed Appleby to Ambleside so this week I have set out to walk the remaining 40 miles from Ambleside to Arnside, in 4 stages. Day 1: Ambleside to Windermere Ambleside and Windermere are really familiar to me having completed all of the 214 Wainwright summits of the Lake District, some of them many times. However, the route between these towns that this walk takes was almost completely…
What to Pack for a Walking Holiday
People naturally pack for any kind of holiday in one of two ways: under or over. They either throw in the first things that come to mind forgetting many of the obvious and less obvious essentials; or they throw in everything they can think of, quickly swelling the size of their baggage to impractical dimensions and weight. For a walking holiday especially, hitting that right balance between comfort and practicality is of huge importance and shouldn’t be undertaken without some guidance. Even if you hit the right mark yourself, it can’t hurt to have the extra confidence of a second opinion. The Two Sets If you’re using a tour provider that includes the shuttling of your night gear from one point to the next you have a great advantage. You’ll be able to pack more things, and heavier things, and not have to worry about lugging them over the trails. If you choose to carry your own gear you’ll need to pare it down to the bare safe minimum in order to have the room and carrying capacity to haul it all with you. Let’s assume for now that you’re using a shuttle service for your gear. You’ll have two…
Tara’s Coast to Coast – Dales and Moors
Part one of my Coast to Coast story covered the Lakes and Mountains stage from St Bees to Kirby Stephen. Here in part two I’ll be sharing my story of the Dales and Moors as I walk on to Robin Hood’s Bay. Day 7: Kirkby Stephen to Keld We started today by ditching a load of our stuff back at our car which we parked in Kirkby Stephen at the start. As the weather has been so good we have hardly worn anything, so all excess gear is now offloaded. I still have full waterproofs and colder weather clothes though, so far it’s worked like a charm for guaranteeing sunshine! Today was Nine Standards Rigg day. I’ve wanted to get up here for ages. The Nine Standards are huge cairns situated at a height of 662 metres that have dominated the skyline for over 500 years. No one really knows their true origins but one theory is that they were constructed by the Romans to look like troops on the horizon. After a period of neglect they have been restored in recent years and they didn’t disappoint. It was so windy up here though it was hard to keep upright…
Tara’s Coast to Coast – Lakes and Mountains
I’m really excited to be walking the Coast to Coast and sharing this with you! A lot has happened since this trip was booked last year and I’m really happy to be back out on the trail and supporting our hard working accommodation hosts and other service providers. Part one of my story features what’s known as the Lakes and Mountains stage of the Coast to Coast. In part two I’ll be sharing my story from the Dales and Moors. Day 1: St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge It is traditional at the start of the Coast to Coast to either dip your boots in the sea or pick up a pebble to carry to Robin Hood’s Bay. Or both. With pebbles selected and boots dipped we made our way up on to the red sandstone cliffs to begin our 190 miles across England. We are walking 14 days, most of them being around 15 miles, the same as today. Although the route heads east, the first few miles head north up the coast and around St Bees Head. After a few miles the trail turns inland using tracks, lanes and many fields, and passing through some small Cumbrian villages with…
Uncovering UK History on Walking Holidays
There is Nothing Like Being There There are some beautiful history books out there, some stunning documentaries and artwork that can evoke a sense of wonder, terror or nostalgia, but there is nothing that exhilarates the history buff quite as vividly as actually setting foot on the places where historical events actually happened. Walking is perhaps the best way to take in historical landscapes and sites because, for most of history, that is the way most people would have experienced them, up close and personal. If you want to ponder the world of Stone Age migrants; imagine what it would have been like to be a Roman soldier from the far south, posted on a cold wall at the Scottish borders; or plod the regular route of a towpath worker along the Thames, the best way to experience it is on foot. Area, or Era? There are a lot of walks based on particular areas of natural beauty, and beautiful scenery is often the main consideration for people choosing where to walk. Many routes have a variety of historical points of interest which span wide-ranging periods of time. The walks that are right for you are best chosen with a…
In the Footsteps of a 7th Century Saint
A fabulous part of my job at Mickledore is walking the routes to get to know them, visit our accommodations, and share my experience with you. Last summer I chose St Cuthberts Way, a 62 mile walk from Melrose in the Scottish Borders to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, which celebrates St Cuthberts life. Day 1: Melrose to Harestanes Today’s walk started at Melrose Abbey and quickly climbed out of town and on to the Eildon Hills. The official route is between two of the hills but we decided to take a short side excursion to the top of Eildon Mid Hill to see the view from the top before rejoining the path. After the open hills, much of the walking in the first half of the day is on woodland path. The route meets the River Tweed at Dryburgh, coming away from the river bank just to pass through St Boswells, then rejoins the river again. We had lovely views of fishermen, herons, swifts and swallows hunting insects over the water, a red kite, goldfinches, bullfinches, yellowhammers and lots of ducks with fluffy ducklings in tow. The river banks were covered in wildflowers, it was really pretty. After leaving…
Top 10 things to do in the Lake District
The Lake District – England’s Largest National Park The Lake District is located in Cumbria and derives its name from the 16 glacial lakes that are nestled among its fells, moors and green valleys. The area boasts some of the UK’s best and most dramatic scenery, with 180 fells over 600 metres in altitude. One of these is England’s highest mountain – Scafell Pike – which towers over the valley below at 978 metres tall. Most of the area is encompassed within the Lake District National Park, designated a UNESCO heritage site in 2017 and covering 2,362 square kilometres. This vast area draws visitors in with a variety of attractions and activities year round. In the north, the rolling landscape and designated trails offer opportunities for walking and climbing, whereas the area’s bustling south is where you can find various historic and literary attractions. The Lakes were the inspiration for writers such as William Wordsworth, John Ruskin, and Beatrix Potter, whose homes you can visit to get a glimpse into their lives and work. Needless to say, tourism is the area’s primary industry, with around 15 million visitors each year. Visitors are spoiled for choice and can take a historic boat…
Self-Guided Versus Guided Walking Holidays
If you are lucky enough to have a few days off for a holiday, and wise enough to plan a walking trip to fill those days, then you’re halfway to a successful and satisfying get-away from the pressures and cares of work and home life. You’re facing something different, in tune with nature, and profoundly engaging. But there is more to decide. You’ll need to choose a route, a distance and, as part of this, a difficulty level. Another option that many people overlook is whether or not you want a guided tour or a self-guided tour. With either option, going through a tour provider has certain benefits. One is that you can start off with the knowledge gained by others who know the walk well. This knowledge can sometimes be found by searching the Internet, but if you want information and advice that is tailored specifically to you and your group’s needs, then a tour provider – self-guided or fully-guided – is a great place to get it. Another benefit is that many companies provide you with an emergency number to call if there are any problems along the way. This number allows you to get advice when you…
Happy Days on the Dales Way
Having previously enjoyed walks on Hadrian’s Wall, West Highland Way and Herriot Way, I’ve decided this time to walk the 81 mile Dales Way from Ilkley in Yorkshire to Bowness on Windermere in Cumbria. Once again, I’ll be accompanied by my husband Scott. Day 1: Ilkley to Grassington It was a lovely day today for the first leg of our Dales Way walk from Ilkley to Grassington which measured in on the GPS at 17 miles. Ilkley is a nice place to start as it’s an attractive town with lots of retail outlets, including an outdoor shop if you have forgotten anything. It also has a great choice of places to eat. We stayed in a great B&B close to the start of the trail so after a lovely breakfast we were quickly on our way. The first part of the walk is outside the National Park and runs alongside or very close to the river Wharfe on easy paths. It passes through Addingham then continues along the river and enters the National Park just before the ruins of Bolton Abbey and the hamlet that shares its name. There are two great tea shops here and we visited one of…
My Week Walking Hadrian’s Wall
Rucksacks were ready, dogs were settled in kennels, parrot dispatched to whatever a parrot-sitter is called, and my husband Scott and I were off to start our walk along Hadrian’s wall. It’s Mickledore’s most popular walk so it was important that I had first hand experience of the route and accommodation. How could I refuse? For almost 300 years, Hadrian’s Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire, stretching from coast to coast. It was built by the Roman army on the orders of the emperor Hadrian. The Wall was manned by troops from across the Roman empire. It has been granted World Heritage Site status due to its outstanding significance and extensive Roman remains and artefacts. I’ll be starting the walk in the Roman town of Corbridge and walking all the way to Bowness on Solway on the west coast. I’ll be updating you on the journey throughout the week! Day 1: Corbridge to Humshaugh I started in Corbridge missing out the more urban section at the start (although I’m assured by many customers and people I spoke to in the B&B that this section is just as worthwhile). Instead of getting a taxi to Port Gate to…