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By HELEN NICHOLSON and CHRIS LEADBEATER


Tis the season: Work off a little of that festive excess with one of our ten country walks


The last of the mince pies has been polished off, the belt has been undone another notch, and you’re starting to feel the first symptoms of cabin fever after being cooped up indoors for days.

We all know that a bit of exercise is in order after a week of festive excess. But if you aren’t ready to hit the gym (and surely it’s far too soon to be thinking of that), how about a gentle stroll instead?

In a bid to inspire you to clear away the leftovers, strap on your walking boots and head outdoors for a bracing ramble, TravelMail asked the National Trust to pick its ten favourite New Year walks.

'There is something really special and uplifting about going for a walk on new year's day with family and friends,' says the National Trust’s Mike Collins.

'It's a great way to blow away the cobwebs whether climbing hills or wandering through rolling countryside.

'A wintry landscape can be as spectacular as any other time of the year when nature can be at its starkest, with the low winter sun, and you can find a nice pub to warm up in after a bracing walk.'
Best feet forward…


Georgian splendour: Bath is a fine spot to begin an English country walk

Bath, Somerset

Distance: 6 miles
What: Savour the spectacular views over the Georgian city and across the Mendips.

This leisurely walk offers the chance to journey through history from an Iron Age hill fort to 18th century follies, and stroll through hidden valleys, tranquil woods and patchworks of small meadows, all rich in wildlife.

Highlight: Little Solsbury Hill, the site of an Iron Age fort, offers the perfect vantage point for stunning views over Bath. Its grassy limestone slopes support a variety of plants and wildlife, including skylarks, which are regularly spotted in the area.

Look out for: The National Trust’s Prior Park landscape garden is a hidden jewel near the centre of Bath. It was created in the 18th century by Bath philanthropist Ralph Allen, who also owned most of the buildings on the Bath skyline. See www.nationaltrust.org.uk/priorpark for details.

Full details: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-bath_skyline-walk.pdf


Painter's paradise: Flatford Mill still resembles the pastoral outpost captured by Constable's brush

Flatford & Constable Country, Suffolk

Distance: 4 miles
What: Explore the countryside that painter John Constable knew and loved with a walk around the picturesque Stour Valley and Dedham Vale. The area was made famous by the 18th-century landscape artist, and many of the idyllic views captured on canvas are still easily recognisable today.

Highlight: The riverside hamlet of Flatford is the setting for some of Constable’s most famous paintings, such as The Hay Wain, The Mill Stream, Boat-Building Near Flatford and The White Horse. The Bridge Cottage is home to a small exhibition on Constable and a National Trust tearoom.

Look out for: Cattawade marshes is where the freshwater of the River Stour meets the tidal estuary - and is a great place to spot waterfowl and waders.

Full details: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-flatford-constable_walk-2.pdf


Food for thought: The fishing village of Brancaster Staithe in Norfolk is famous for its mussels

Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk

Distance: 3.75 miles
What: This walk offers the chance to enjoy the north Norfolk coast and its wildlife, along with fine views from Barrow Common and the site of Branodunum Roman Fort.

Explore the fishing village of Brancaster Staithe, which is famous for its mussels, discover all about the colourful history of the fishing industry at Brancaster Quay and enjoy impressive views across the nearby saltmarsh.

Highlight: Barrow Common is a great vantage point, looking across to Brancaster and out to sea. In winter, geese fill the skies as they fly to roost in the evenings and feed on sugar beet tops in fields.

Look out for: The abundant wildlife – along with pink-footed and Brent geese, several species of wading birds can be seen in the tidal areas. Also, look and listen out for Redshanks, Oystercatchers and Sandwich terns, which can be seen flying with sand eels or whitebait in their beaks, to feed their young on nearby Scolt Head Island National Nature Reserve.

Full details: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-brancaster_staithe-walk.pdf


Peak condition: Rearing to 1695ft, Mam Tor offers splendid views across the Peak District

Hope Valley, Peak District

Distance: 3 miles
What: Unearth hidden history and savour the views from the Mother Hill on a scenic walk through the Hope Valley. This area is also famous for the Blue John Cavern, where the rare gem has been mined in the local caves for the last two centuries. Stop at one of the show caves to see the gem close up.

Highlight: Standing at 1,695ft (517m) high, Mam Tor is one of the most dramatic viewpoints in the Peak District. It stretches north over the Edale Valley to Kinder Scout and the Derwent Moors. To the south and east are Winnats Pass, Castleton and the Hope Valley.

Look out for: A large grassy bank and ditch is all that remains of Mam Tor hill fort, which was once home to a Celtic tribe. The ditch and bank were part of fortifications that would have been topped by a large wooden palisade or fence. You can step back in time with a National Trust audio trail.

Full details: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/mam-tor-walk.pdf


Feeling sheepish: A walk to Buckden Pike takes you through classic Yorkshire countryside scenery

Upper Wharfedale, Yorkshire Dales

Distance: 3.75 miles
What: Find remnants of the lead mining industry within the beautiful, diverse landscape of Upper Wharfedale. From upland hill farms and hay meadows along the River Wharfe to wild moorland and far-reaching views at Buckden Pike, this walk takes in classic Yorkshire Dales farming landscape of rolling hills, dry-stone walls and hay meadows.

Highlight: An energetic walk to the top of Buckden Pike will reward walkers with fabulous 360-degree panoramic views of the Yorkshire Dales. Visit the Polish aircrew war memorial at the south end of the ridge, where a Wellington bomber crashed in bad weather in 1942.

Look out for: The nearby village of Kettlewell provided many of the locations for the hit film Calendar Girls, starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters.

Full details: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-upper_wharfedale-buckden_pike-walk.pdf


Northern soul: A walk to Alderley Edge means a stroll through pristine Cheshire countryside

Alderley Edge, Cheshire

Distance: 4.5 miles
What: A stroll that begins at Alderley Edge railway station, and cuts through woodland scenery 12 miles south of Manchester – all the while offering hardly a hint that the route runs close to the North-West’s great industrial city. Alderley Edge itself is a rocky escarpment with views across Cheshire.

Highlight: Armada Beacon, the highest point of Alderley Edge. Long ago, this was a Bronze Age burial mound. In Elizabethan times, it was the site of a beacon, that would be lit to warn of invading forces as tensions between England and Spain erupted into naval battle in 1588. Hence the name.

Look out for: Engine Vein, a fault in the rock, heavy with copper, that has been mined at various times by everyone from Bronze Age scavengers and Romans to 19th century industrialists.

Full details: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/alderley_edge_station_walk-4.pdf


Open mouthed: Boscastle is a great start point for a walk along jagged Cornish coastline

Boscastle, Cornwall

Distance: 4 miles
What: A slice of Cornwall at its finest, shadowing the gap-toothed coastline on the northern edge of this distant county. This route starts in the seaside village of Boscastle, tiptoes along jagged cliffs, then veers inland, following the line of the Valency River as it meanders in a vague easterly direction.

Highlight: The Valency Valley, an expanse of meadows laden with wild flowers (albeit not in winter, when it’s more likely to be the equally picturesque frost and leafless trees) – the sort of West Country scene that might have inspired Thomas Hardy to grab his pen. Which, in the case of this walk, it did.

Look out for: Minster Church, perched between the village of Minster and the close-knit trees of Peter’s Wood. Dating to the 12th century, this is as delightful an English sight as you could hope for.

Full details: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-boscastle_walk.pdf


Infernal pursuits: Make a date with Lucifer (or just have a gentle stroll) at Devil's Dyke in Sussex


Ditchling Beacon, South Downs, Sussex

Distance: 5 miles
What: A romp through the South Downs (that takes in some of the South Downs Way) – an up-hill-and-down-dale experience that runs east-to-west from Ditchling Beacon (all 250 metres of it, one of the highest points of the South Downs) to Devil’s Dyke. Fabulous views of Sussex come as standard.

Highlight: Devil’s Dyke, the end of the walk. There is nothing diabolical about this V-shaped valley (even if medieval lore had Lucifer himself carving it by hand). It was a tourist attraction in Victorian times, even boasting a funicular railway – but is rather more peaceful in these 21st century days.

Look out for: The lumps in the ground just south of the village of Clayton. These are not natural features but tumuli, ancient burial mounds. And the pair of windmills here are known as Jack and Jill.

Full details: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-devil_s_dyke-walk.pdf


Onwards and (mainly) upwards: Stretch your legs in the Brecon Beacons National Park

Horseshoe Ridge, Brecon Beacons, Powys

Distance: 9 miles

What: A true cobweb-remover for those with sufficient energy (and the right equipment. Strong boots and clothing are advised for this walk, as the weather can change quickly). This is a lengthy jaunt through the Brecon Beacons that begins with the steep ridge of Craig Fan Ddu, and barely lets up.

Highlight: Pen y Fan, a peak that puts the ‘high’ into ‘highlight’. This is the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons – indeed the highest peak in Britain south of Snowdonia. How high? 2907ft (886 metres). Which, while shorter than Everest, is the sort of challenge that requires a hearty breakfast.

Look out for: Red Kites swirling in the sky. One of Britain’s native birds of prey, this spectacular species has been spotted coasting on the thermals, looking out for its lunch, above Craig Fan Ddu.

Full details: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-brecon-walk.pdf



Best foot forward: Pembrokeshire has some marvellous sights to reward walkers - including Pembroke Castle

Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire

Distance: 3 miles

What: A waltz through a watery wonderland, just upstream from the picturesque South Wales port of Milford Haven. Here is a marshy haven where birds probe for fish and winter trees are reflected in the surface of the Daugleddau – the river that this walk shadows on its curl through the countryside.

Highlight: Garron Pill, a tidal estuary where estuary birds – wigeon, greenshank, curlew, little egret – gather. A stretch of peace and quiet, Garron Pill is lined by ancient oaks – arboreal beasts whose roots, over the passage of time, have punched through the bank and into the water. Bring a camera.

Look out for: Lawrenny Quay, although you can’t miss it, as the walk begins here.

This outpost has a marina and, in the shape of the Quayside Tearoom, a place to stop for post-stroll refreshments.

Full details: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/lawrenny-3.pdf


source: dailymail