Welcome to my walking pages, which I intend to develop into a pictorial scrapbook of short and long distance walks and walking holidays that I undertake.

Walking has always been one of my main interests. There is nothing quite like that weary but happy feeling after a long day's walk through glorious countryside and achieving a goal that you set out to do in the morning such as climbing a mountain or completing a particular route.

Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand 1994

At 85kms ish, this was the first long distance walk that I ever did. It took Andrew and I six weary days to complete, carrying all the clothes, food, cooking equipment, utensils and anything else we would need on our backs. Click on the link to read the diaries from those days and see the photographs.

Centenary Way, Warwickshire 2001/2002/2003

This was the first long distance walk that Rob and I started together. At 100 miles it is '...a recreational footpath established by Warwickshire County Council to celebrate its 100th aniversary in 1989. It reflects the great variety of the county; its history, culture, landscape and nature. Following public footpaths, bridleways, canal towpaths and disused railways, it passes through some beautiful countryside and peaceful villages, by ancient woodland and winding streams; it reveals the immense changes that have taken place in the last century.'

Wharfedale, Yorkshire Dales 2001/2002

Rob and I had been on many daytrips into the Yorkshire Dales from Leeds. Wharfedale was one of our favourites, so we decided it would be nice to devise a long distance walk running from the river's source to where it flows into the River Ouse about 70 miles later. For much of its length our walk followed the route of the longer Dales Way, which runs from Ilkley to Windermere in the Lake District. The scenery along the way is beautiful and varied, a good cross section of Yorkshire landscapes. Click on the link to follow our route.

Heart of England Way Autumn 2002/Spring 2003

This is another 100 mile long footpath and despite it skirting the two major Midlands conurbations of Birmingham and Coventry it is surprisingly rural. I chose to do the route from north to south starting near the village of Milford nestling on the northern edge of Cannock Chase. From here the Way cuts south via Lichfield to the Tame Valley and then south into the Forest of Arden. It then brushes the fringes of the Vale of Evesham and via the Avon Valley into the Cotswolds, to end at the tourist mecca of Bourton on the Water.

South West Coast Way

At 640 milesish, the South West Coast Path is Britain's longest National Trail, running from Minehead in Somerset to South Haven Point near Poole in Dorset. The path includes all 95 miles of the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site. The path is run by a number of organisations working in partnership. Being so long this walk is going to be a walk in progress for several years! I intend to go down south to complete a week or so walking once or twice a year, so check back from time to time to see if new sections have been added.

White Peak Way

"A 90 mile circular walk amongst the spectacular scenery of the Derbyshire Peak District. It explores the hills and dales of the limestone country and the gritstone moors and edges to the east. It also visits many notable land marks, places of interest and sites of antiquity. Since its inception in 1982, the White Peak Way has escaped official adoption, with no waymarks, but nevertheless it is one of the most popular unofficial recreational walking routes in Britain."

Round Jersey Coastal Walk (2004)

This is not an official long distance path at all, but when I went on a camping holiday for 10 days to Jersey in June 2004, I set myself the challenge of walking the entire way around the coast of this, the largest channel island. At about 50 miles it was never going to be a problem, but with the intense sun, heat and frequent stops for swims it took me 6 days to complete the whole distance!

Staffordshire Way (2004)

A long distance footpath established by Staffordshire County Council, the whole route being fully opened in 1977. It spans the length of the county for 92 miles from Mow Cop to Kinver Edge. 'Staffordshire is a beautiful rural County of scenic contrast, and the Way explores it to best advantage. Starting among rugged gritstone hills on the edge of The Peak District, the way turns south through wooded valleys', crosses Cannock Chase (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and then explores the superb landscaped parklands of the south of the county to finish on a lofty sandstone ridge.

Cotswold Way (May 2005)

A 100 mile walk from Chipping Campden in the north to Bath in the south, following the extreme western edge of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This is an area of gentle hills and valleys that lies a little to the north and east of the Severn Estuary. With its picturesque villages in their yellow local stone, it is commonly thought to be the essentially English region. The Cotswold Way was designated a local distance footpath in 1970 and a National Trail in 1998.

Ivanhoe Way (March/April 2006)

A 35 mile walk around the north western area of Leicestershire. The name Ivanhoe has been linked to this area since Sir Walter Scott wrote 'Ivanhoe', the novel, in 1820. Scott chose the castle at Ashby de la Zouch and the surrounding countryside as the setting for his novel, having got to know the area whilst staying at nearby Coleorton Hall.

'Ivanhoe country' is an area of contrasts, from the bustling market town of Ashby, through to the wooded and rocky outcrops of Charnwood Forest, to the idyllic stretches of the Ashby Canal. The area was, and still is used for quarrying. Former mining areas are now being restored and reclaimed as part of the National Forest.

Coventry Way (Spring 2008)

A 40 mile circular route around Coventry through the Warwickshire countryside, the Way was first devised by local orienteers in the early 1970s as a route for challenge walkers and now hosts an annual one day challenge event. However it is also promoted as a leisure route which, since it is never more than 5 miles from the city centre, can easily be walked in sections using public transport.

More of my walks coming soon