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Cheshire’s Sandstone Trail is probably the most popular middle-distance walk in Northwest England. The Trail runs for 55 kilometres/34 miles along Cheshire’s beautiful and varied central sandstone ridge between Frodsham and Whitchurch, just over the border in Shropshire. This cleverly structured and well designed guidebook gives walkers the ten best short circular walks along the length of the Sandstone Trail in a handy, pocketable format. -
This lovely pocket size book describes the ten best short circular walks in the Yorkshire Dales' dales and valleys. The focus in the Yorkshire Dales tends to be on a trio of much-loved valleys: Swaledale, Wensleydale and Wharfedale. Yet, broadening the gaze, one finds other equally spellbinding valleys, such as Airedale, Ribblesdale, the Rawthey and Dentdale. To the north, the bounding valleys of the Eden and Lune stretch the beauty of the National Park into wider horizons of pastoral serenity. Here are walks for quiet enjoyment and seasonal beauty, where nature still reigns amid traditional patterns of farming practice. Solid stone barns and field walls characterise the dale bottoms; and the flora of the dales is wonderfully diverse: many a meadow retains its native herbal mix — yielding a delightful aroma at haytime. -
This attractive pocket size book features the ten finest short circular walks on the fells and moors of the Yorkshire Dales. The term ‘fell’ derives from the Norse settlers and was applied here to areas of upland pasture. While the Lake District is defined by its soaring ridges, the Dales, as their name implies, are an intricate pattern of valleys set in a muted moorland landscape. Yet great hills exist — to enthral and enthuse even the most ardent hillgoer. There is no better way of grasping the scale, beauty and extent of the Yorkshire Dales than from this fabulous compact of high fell tops. Each rooted in a dale, each dignified with unique prospects, all meriting walking as a richly rewarding company of hills. -
This pocket size book explores the ten best short circular waterside walks in the Peak District. Some follow lovely stretches of rivers; others explore the northern reservoirs. Several major rivers originate in the Peak, fed by countless springs, brooks and streams that have cut deep cloughs and gorges through the grit and limestone. Many powered the early industrialisation of the area while the valleys often served as conduits for trans-Pennine trade. Other dales, too steep or narrow for settlement or farming, or whose streams found subterranean courses, were ignored and today provide valuable wildlife habitats. And although the region has no significant natural lakes, reservoirs abound and are now largely naturalised within the landscape. -
This handy pocket size book will take you on short circular walks to the ten best pubs in the Peak District. Ever since rambling became a recognised pastime, country pubs have been magnets for walkers. Whether a lunch-time stop along the way or a final destination for the day, the promise of a thirst-quenching pint or a hearty meal are, for many, an integral part of the day. Many of Peakland’s inns have their origins in serving the jaggers and stockmen who travelled the lonely upland routes. Today, they serve not only the locals but also the growing influx of recreational visitors. Long live the Peak District pub. -
This handy, pocket size book will take you on the ten best short circular walks along the Carmarthen Bay and Gower stretch of the Wales Coast Path. Carmarthen Bay embraces an area of Welsh coast stretching from south Pembrokeshire to the Gower Peninsula. Long, sandy beaches and wide, silty estuaries dominate much of the bay, though there are also high cliffs and rocky coves in places. The Gower Peninsula, at the eastern end of the bay, is a small but priceless gem. Britain’s first official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the peninsula contains an astonishing variety of landscapes: dunes, marshland, high cliffs, windswept downs, wooded valleys, picturesque villages and glorious sandy beaches — all linked by a superb footpath network. -
This superb pocket size book will take you on ten short circular walks to the ten best-known low fells in the Lake District The fells get their name from the Old Norse word, fjalls, which originally meant areas of rough upland grazing. Today, the Lakeland fells promise some of the best high level walking in England, and a real sense of freedom. But though the high fells often feature rocky summits, narrow edges and sheer cliffs, the lower fells, below the 2,000 foot contour, are greener, rounder and kinder. Walking on them can still be steep and strenuous, of course, but the routes are more suitable for the general walker. And the views are just as incredible. -
This photogenic book will take you on ten short circular walks along the northern part of the Pembrokeshire section of the Wales Coast Path. Pembrokeshire’s north coast has a rugged and remote quality, reflecting the wildness of the hills that rise behind. It was largely ignored during the Norman colonisation and even today beyond St Dogmael’s there are only a handful of coastal communities. Yet burial cairns, promontory forts and a pre-historic trackway across the Preseli Hills indicate widespread prehistoric settlement, and it was an important focus during the spread of Celtic Christianity. Fishing, farming and stock grazing were traditional ways of life, but the Industrial Revolution briefly opened coastal quarrying and the railway made Fishguard an important Irish port. Today, it is a relative backwater but the coast has an untamed beauty, its flowers, birds, seals and porpoises making it a truly special place. -
This lovely little book explores the ten best short circular walks along the southern part of the Pembrokeshire coast — itself part of the Wales Coast Path. The Pembrokeshire coast alters subtly from north to south. The southern rocks are far younger and the coast tends to be south-facing, too, creating a gentler hinterland. This influenced historical development and culture, for although the Norman advance extended throughout Pembrokeshire, settlement focused on the more fertile southern corner. It became known as ‘Little England’, with English rather than Welsh spoken, a tradition reflected in place names. Before reliable roads, trade and prosperity favoured the coast, and because the railways came late here, Pembrokeshire was largely ignored by the Industrial Revolution. Unspoiled and breathtakingly scenic, the coast is captivating every step of the way. -
This handy, pocket size book explores ten short circular routes on the best high fells in the Lake District. The Lakeland fells have inspired writers, artists and walkers for centuries. Like the deep valleys that separate them, they were formed by the flow and grind of ancient ice sheets. Above the 2,000-foot contour, they form a high mountain environment whose sheer cliffs, narrow edges, and exposed rocky summits demand respect. Today, this rugged upland landscape is one of the most visited hill walking areas in Britain. The high fells feature enough classic routes, challenges and captivating views to delight even the most demanding fell walker. -
This attractive pocket size book will take you on short circular walks to the ten finest rocks and edges in the Peak District. Surprisingly for newcomers, the Peak District is almost devoid of anything resembling a traditional mountain peak (the name instead derives from the Old English paec, merely meaning ‘hill’). In reality, The Peak is a high, sloping plateau, cleft by deep valleys and winding ravines. In compensation, however, there are long runs of startlingly dramatic cliffs — here known as edges — and spectacularly weathered outcrops of rock, often referred to as tors. For rock climbers, they offer some of England’s finest challenges, while for walkers the views from the escarpments’ rims can be unforgettable. -
This lovely pocket size book explores ten of the Peak District's most fascinating historic landscapes — from prehistoric monuments to Industrial Revolution ruins. Stone tools from Thor’s Cave indicate that man arrived in the Peak as the glaciers receded. More obvious are Bronze and Iron Age circles, burials and earthworks, as well as the scars of mineral extraction — begun by the Romans and continuing today. Some Peakland churches claim Saxon foundation, and by the Middle Ages there was an extensive network of tracks and settlements. Water powered the first industrial revolution, bringing roads, canals and railways, and in the fine country mansions, farmsteads, cottages and town houses there is a rich variety of vernacular and classic architecture.
