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…
Bruce’s Big Adventure on Hadrian’s Wall
This article was written by Charlotte Briggs during her time with Mickledore and reflects her first-hand experience of the route. This was my first walk with Mickledore! Living in the Lakes, my husband (Jack), 3-year-old black lab (Bruce), and myself were really excited to walk the trail along Hadrian’s Wall. Bruce (and Jack and myself) are used to the mileage undertaken having lived in the Lakes most our lives. However, we didn’t know what to expect with consecutive days walking … Day 1: Wallsend to Wylam And we’re off As we were in ‘dog friendly’ accommodation, we stayed in Wylam and travelled to Wallsend to start the walk – this differs slightly from the itinerary laid out on the website. What a glorious day for it! (This was surprising considering what was forecast for the week). Arriving at Wallsend we had a brief explore around Segedunum but we didn’t stay long as we were too excited to start our adventure. I know Newcastle fairly well but I found it really interesting to find how the landmarks I already know linked through the trail. As it was a Sunday, there was a market on the quayside which was lovely to explore….
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…
Putting in the Miles on the Dorset Coast
This article was written by Steve Jones during his time with Mickledore and reflects his first-hand experience of the route. Last summer, in order to further familiarise myself with both the route and some of our accommodation providers, I walked, well actually I ran, the 81 mile Dorset section of the South West Coast Path. Well actually, I ran more than that. All will be explained! Before the Off After leaving an overcast Cumbria earlier in the day I was pleased to be greeted by wall-to-wall sunshine when I arrived in Lyme Regis. After checking into my accommodation it was still relatively early so I decided it was far too nice just to mooch around the town. With a village called Beer just down the coast it was too good an opportunity to lace up my trail shoes and see if I could find a beer in Beer. One of the bonuses of running on my familiarisation trips is that it enables me to check out more of the trail than if I just walked. On this occasion the trip to Beer took me in the opposite direction to the prevailing direction of travel for the Dorset Coast, but it…
Cream Teas and Sunny Days
Coastal views, dramatic cliffs, pretty fishing villages and a bit of sunshine were just some of the things I was hoping for when I walked the South West Coast Path from St Just to Mawnan Smith, taking in the well known landmarks of Land’s End and Lizard Point. Having arrived safely in Cornwall ahead of our walk the following day, I thought it would be rude not to sample a Cornish tradition, the cream tea. It was delicious! St Just to Porthcurno I’m incredibly fortunate to live in the Lake District and love walking on the fells as often as I can, but when I get away, the coastline is often what draws me in. There’s just something about the sea and the sound of the waves that keeps me coming back, and it’s been an absolute delight walking on the Cornish coast today. We’ve been bathed in sunshine for most of the day, the views have been stunning and the icing on the cake has to be the large pod of dolphins swimming just off the shore. The guidebook said we might see them but we didn’t really expect to. All in all an awesome day! Porthcurno to Penzance…
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…
Perfect Days on the Pembrokeshire Coast
In August I spent five days walking between Broad Haven and Newport on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path with my partner Gnash. Come and join us on our journey. Day 1: Broad Haven to Solva It was a cloudy start to our Pembrokeshire Coast Path adventure. The tide was in at Broad Haven beach and the sea was still. The day started with a small climb out of the village, followed by an easy walk to Newgale with a few gentle climbs. Within an hour the sun was shining and the temperature rising . Our walk took us past Newgale beach, known as the most impressive sandy beach in Pembrokeshire, stretching for over 2 miles. You have a choice here of either walking along the road or on the beach. We decided to take the walk down the beach and stopped for a few minutes there admiring the view. The coastal path then climbs up a steep hillside out of the village and goes up and down for about 4 miles, before easing off a bit heading towards the pretty village of Solva. Having arrived quite early, we decided to have a cold drink in the sunshine, before checking into our…
Sue’s Great Scottish Adventure on the West Highland Way
This article was written by Sue Williams during her time with Mickledore and reflects her first-hand experience of the route. Having previously enjoyed familiarisation trips along Hadrian’s Wall and on the South Downs Way, I chose this summer, to walk the West Highland Way. It’s really popular with our customers and their feedback inspired me to want to experience the spectacular scenery for myself. Accompanied once again by my husband Mike, I’d learn about the route and meet some of our accommodation hosts as we worked our way northward. Day 1: Milngavie to Drymen The route starts at Milngavie not far from Glasgow and we finish next weekend at Fort William. In between we have 96 miles of varied terrain to cross with some spectacular views to look forward to. Our walk today was a gentle introduction to the trail. Starting near the river we walked through some lovely woodland and field side tracks with a mile or so of quiet lane to reach Drymen. It was from the lane we had our first sighting of Loch Lomond. We saw golden-ringed dragonflies. They were very striking. We also saw a big toad hopping along the path, and lots of birdlife….
History and Heritage on Hadrian’s Wall
This article was written by James Taylor during his time with Mickledore and reflects his first-hand experience of the route. This would be my first long distance trail and I couldn’t think of a better ‘first’ than our most popular route Hadrian’s Wall. I’d heard so many fantastic comments about the trail and the hosts along the way I had to experience it for myself! Day 1: Bowness on Solway to Carlisle My first day was a fairly long and flat walk from Bowness on Solway to Carlisle, a far cry from the Lakeland fells I’m used to at home but walking along the Solway Firth was no less charming. One thing I’ve really enjoyed is the history on this part of the trail which has very little to do with Romans. The death of a king, the journeys of a Bonnie Prince, the raiding Reivers, the pilgrimage of a US president and even the glimpses of a faded industrial heritage – a far more interesting day than I was expecting! Day 2: Carlisle to Lanercost I wonder how suited I am to flatter terrain as we march steadily out of Carlisle with achier legs than I think I’ve ever…
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…
Barley Fields, Beacons and Butterflies
This article was written by Sue Williams during her time with Mickledore and reflects her first-hand experience of the route. I recently walked the South Downs Way with the aim of enhancing my knowledge of the route as well as getting to know a handful of our fabulous accommodation providers. I was joined on the walk by my husband Mike. Day 1, Winchester to Exton We arrived in Winchester last night to find the city buzzing with life. It was the HAT fair weekend when there are many artists providing different kinds of free outdoor and street entertainment. There was a great atmosphere. This morning, after a fabulous breakfast at our accommodation, we headed to City Mill for the official marker at the start of the trail. Following the river and a lane we left the city, crossing the M3 motorway and entering the countryside. Today’s walking was often on tracks and quiet lanes. We passed through several short sections of woodland. Very welcome shade as it was a warm day. The fields of Barley we passed through are golden and looking down into the Meon Valley from Beacon Hill the grassy fields there were still green despite all the…