Historical Walking

Within the British Isles we are lucky to have such a varied landscape that we can explore and learn about past generations. There are plenty of historical walks that you can take around the UK and we wanted to have a look at walks are available to do. We wanted to have a mixture of walks suitable for different levels of experience and fitness.

Hadrian’s Wall

One of the most well known historical walks that people can do. The path follows the wall that was created by Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD122 to keep the Celts out. It is 73 miles long and is the largest ancient monument in northern Europe. The path runs between Wallsend in the East all the way across to Bowness-on-Solway on the West coast. When built it would have been bustling with activity and would have had forts, mile castles and turrets and would have been occupied by soldiers and civilians from the Roman empire.

The path runs through varied terrain including rugged moorland, salt marsh, market towns and busy cities. To walk the whole path would take about seven days but it can also be walked in sections with each of the 15 smaller walks having areas of interest to see. It will become apparent that this is a lot more than just a wall left by the Romans.

Jurassic Coast

English: Sidmouth, “The Jurassic Coast”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a truly historical walk as it gives you the opportunity to find fossils from a time long forgotten. The South Coastal Path is a fairly colossal 630 miles of paths that some people do decide to do in entirety but for those of us who are not able to spend that much time walking there are lots of villages dotted along the path that make it perfect for walking small sections. Many of the coastal villages are renowned for having large numbers of fossils on their beaches and there are also centres where you can take any of your finds to have a good look at them under a microscope. There is also a bus known as the Jurasic bus that can drive you between villages to should you legs be getting tired.

Keat’s Walk, Winchester

This is a timely walk that is perfect for doing soon. This walk that goes from Winchester’s centre and proceeds to head out to the water meadows, beside the River Itchen. It is a rich heritage site that is peaceful, relaxing and is the inspiration behind John Keat’s famous poem “To Autumn”. A truly inspirational walk that sums up this period in the year perfectly.

Lanhydrock Gardens, Cornwall

English: Lanhydrock, The Church and the Gardens. The well maintained gardens ensure that this spot is a favourite viewing place all the year round. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This estate is one of Cornwall’s finest and with 900 acres of property to roam about it is great for a more relaxed stroll while taking in the beautiful Autumn colours. There are nature trails that take you through the surrounding forests and there is the stately home located there which serves cream teas and offers you some historical insight into the house and the surrounding area.

If you have any great historical walks that people can get involved with please let us know in the comments section below. There are hundreds of walks that people can get involved in this Autumn, we have put together a map looking at some of the different walks that people can take around the country.

Rain, Rain, Go Away.

The British summer time is something of a mystery, I am sure that most people will be able to remember sunny days during the summer but of late it has been a little wet. That in its self is a bit of understatement as the period between April – June has been the wettest since records began. Not only is this weather dampening our summer aspirations but it is also proving to be causing extremely damaging conditions for the UK’s wildlife.

Papageitaucher mit ausgebreiteten Fluegeln (aufgenommen bei den Farne Inseln, England) – Puffin with spread wings (photo taken n. Farne Islands, England) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The unusually wet weather has affected a large cross section of Britain’s wildlife. Some of the worst affected are puffins, terns, bats, butterflies, bees, bumblebees, hoverflies and moths. Puffins have had a catastrophic breeding season with colonies on the Farne Islands being almost wiped out. The National Trust manages the islands and has reported that 90% of the burrows that puffins use to nest have been lost on Brownsman Island and puffins have been found drowned in around half the burrows in other islands.

Old Lighthouse, Brownsman, Farne Islands (Photo credit: robatwilliams)

After a relatively dry start to the year even the amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts are beginning to struggle with the water, not so much the amount but the warmth of it. The rain water has filled ponds and become too cold for them to survive in.

Even for some plant life the weather has been too wet with many of the more delicate summer plants being watered down by the regular down pours.

It isn’t all bad news, animals such as slugs and snails have been reveling in the wet weather. And for many gardeners it has been a busy summer with lawns needing to be cut back quicker and wild plant life such as brambles and bracken requiring to be cut back to ensure that country paths remain clear.

However, looking to the future, next year many insects could be facing a tough time unless the sun returns soon. With some populations already dwindling the wet weather may lead to some species struggling to survive. The better weather would help these insects to repopulate and help to stabilise their population.

Hopefully the sun is just around the corner, I keep trying to convince myself, and the damage that has been done to our wildlife can be repaired to ensure that future generations can enjoy fun family days out in the countryside. So please, rain, rain, go away and come again another day.