guidebook writer, accumulating experience, information and hard facts as he walks, he records the details of his routes on a day-by-day basis, on the route itself, via a tiny hand-held computer. I make this point not to applaud the functionality of electronic devices but to illustrate Paddy’s commitment to the task in hand. One of the joys of hiking long-distance trails, for me and many like me, is to escape from such contrivances, to connect with the land without the aid of man-made inventions, to return to a simpler, more nomadic way of life that releases us from the pressures and tensions of 21st-century living. I’ve experimented with Paddy’s technique of writing on the hoof and I’ve found that it takes more commitment and energy than I’m prepared to give. The point I make is that Paddy Dillon works very hard indeed to collate the up-to-date information that is necessary to compile a guide for others to follow, and that is why his guidebooks can be followed, and enjoyed, with confidence.
I recall meeting Paddy on the GR20 in Corsica, that wonderful mountain-clinging route that has been described as the toughest waymarked trail in the world. We were slavishly following the route along the tight and narrow crests of mountain ridges, in and out of deep rocky cauldrons and over steep, vertiginous crags. Paddy, on the other hand, had been nipping off-route here and there collecting information for a forthcoming guidebook – checking out village accommodation and restaurants, asking what bergeries sold cheese or milk, seeking out alternative routes for those less keen to tackle the steep sections, talking to local folk, prodding them for information and all the time collating the facts in his little mobile computer. It quickly became very clear that while we were on holiday, Paddy was working very hard indeed, and it’s such hard graft that makes Paddy Dillon’s guidebooks amongst the best.
Paddy is familiar with all the national trails of England and Wales and the official long distance footpaths of Scotland. He’s spent a lifetime wandering the routes, and he would be among the first to suggest that they constitute a magnificent, if underused, resource. My hope is that the publication of this fine book, overlaid with Paddy’s enthusiasm, might spawn a new generation of long-distance backpacker, a newer breed of hiker who will enjoy and care for this wonderfully varied collection of routes so that our children and grandchildren may enjoy them as we have done.
Cameron McNeish, 2007 Editor, TGO Magazine
The abrupt rocky western edge of the Cleveland Hills overlooks the lowland plains (Day 3, Cleveland Way)
INTRODUCTION
The broad waters of Langdon Beck are followed past isolated whitewashed farms (Day 10, Pennine Way)
I never consciously set out to walk all the national trails in Britain. Events just turned out that way, and not just once, either, but twice! I’m not complaining, though, as I enjoy long-distance walking immensely and I can’t think of a better way to explore the country. Travelling by train or car, the scenery flashes past and there is no real sense of connection with it. Travelling on foot is a completely different matter. The landscape is real and readily to hand, and can be viewed at leisure, and touched, smelled, heard and appreciated both in all its vastness, and in its most secret recesses. There is a sense of change as you pass through the landscape, but there is also the opportunity to stop and appreciate anything along the way simply for its own merit. On the world stage Britain is a tiny country, but those who explore it on foot, day after day, discover a land so vast in its variety that in my opinion it can put whole continents in the shade.
The national trails (known in Scotland as long distance routes, but mainly referred to in this guide as ‘national trails’ for simplicity) wriggle their way through some of Britain’s finest landscapes, making them readily accessible and allowing walkers to explore these areas with relative ease. Of course walkers must put in all the actual footwork, but they travel in the knowledge that the way ahead is open and well blazed, leading them from one splendid vista to another, while taking in heritage features that bring Britain’s long and complex history to life. Charming lowlands give way to bleak uplands, but with careful planning you will end the day in the lap of comfort, with food, drink and a bed for the night.
The trail network is rooted in the British people’s long-standing respect for public access to the countryside, and the national trails stretch the length and breadth of Britain, from the ‘garden of England’ to the ‘larder of Scotland’. They are inextricably intertwined with British history and legend, and you can follow in the footsteps of ancestors who walked some of these trails over 5000 years ago. A few routes start or finish in cities, or pass through them, but most of the time they wander from one small town and village to another, making the most of open spaces. Some trails pass through quite wild and remote countryside, but none of them are beyond the capabilities of reasonably fit and organised walkers. If you can enjoy a full day’s walk and finish in good shape, then you could probably manage another walk the following day without any problem. Even the longest trails are really nothing more than a series of one-day walks.
Walkers approach the national trails in different ways. Some walk at a leisurely pace and return time and time again to complete a long trail over a series of weekends or holidays. Others feel the need to challenge themselves, racing at record speeds from start to finish. Some plan well in advance, while others seize the day and take pot luck over the availability of accommodation. Some carry immense loads and camp in the wilds, while others have their bags carried ahead and stay in luxurious lodgings. The only ‘rule’, it seems, is to cover the distance – the rest is entirely up to you – and with over 5000km (3100 miles) of national trails available, including loops and variants, there is certainly no shortage of distance.
Wanted: A Long Green Trail
You could say it all started on 22 June 1935. An article by the ramblers’ champion Tom Stephenson appeared in the Daily Herald, entitled ‘WANTED: A LONG GREEN TRAIL’. ‘Why should we not press for something akin to the Appalachian Trail?’ he asked. ‘A Pennine Way from the Peak to the Cheviots.’ He imagined that the route would be ‘a faint line on the Ordnance Maps which the feet of grateful pilgrims would, with the passing years, engrave on the face of the land.’ Well, the engraving has gone rather deep in places (you could even claim the route was carved in stone), but that is a testimony to the popularity of long-distance walking in Britain.
Making Trails
It took thirty years of lobbying and hard work to steer the Pennine Way to its official opening in 1965, but the ground was already being prepared for more long-distance trails. The Cleveland Way was declared open in 1969, while in Wales the Pembrokeshire Coast Path was opened in 1970. Running between England and Wales, Offa’s Dyke Path was opened in 1971. Throughout the 1970s, more trails were blazed across the south of England. In 1980 the West Highland Way was the first long distance route to be designated in Scotland. Work continues to this day, with improvements to all the trails, and a long extension north for the Pennine Bridleway. Some trails link end to end, or cross over each other, or are within easy reach of each other, so there are plenty of opportunities for dedicated long-distance walkers to keep trekking through the countryside.
Trail Themes
A walker approaches the Wain Stones on Hasty Bank (Day 3, Cleveland Way)
Britain’s national trails have strong themes, usually based on landscape features or historical events. The South West Coast Path and Pembrokeshire Coast Path are splendid, rich and varied coastal trails, but other trails also include good stretches of coast, such as the Cleveland Way and Norfolk Coast Path. The longest riverside trail is the Thames Path, while other routes within easy reach of London traverse the North Downs and South Downs,
