FOUNTAINS ABBEY
Boudicca Fox-Leonard
The beautiful ruins of the 900-year-old Fountains Abbey, a Unesco World Heritage Site, are surrounded by 800 acres of estate, including the Georgian Studley Royal Water Garden. Balancing manicured grandeur and fascinating history with a real feel of wildness and escape, this walk crosses the medieval deer park, grazed by red, fallow and sika deer, wanders through the peaceful, steep-sided Seven Bridges Valley and explores ancient deciduous woodland. Visit in late winter for glorious displays of snowdrops. meander back to the Marais. An hour and a half walking maybe, but weren’t we fit and in love?
Yet as I cooed through the Place Vendôme, Harry grew more taciturn. He had the demeanour of a man on a walk to the gallows.
Shooing him into a café, he sat slumped in a wicker bistro chair with a glass of cheap red. I realised I’d fallen for someone who doesn’t like walking for the sake of it. You will all know one. You may have married them; well done on getting them down the aisle! Because for this breed, walking without purpose is a pointless trudge.
And yet we’re outdoorsy people. Harry, however, would rather be climbing up a cliff by his fingertips than walking along it. And so, I haven’t suggested we go for a “nice stroll” since.
Not until this commission. If Paris couldn’t sow the seeds of a love for walking, perhaps North Yorkshire could? So we headed to Fountains Abbey, a dreamy crumbling mess of a tiered wedding cake. This ruined Cistercian monastery, founded in 1132, operated until its dissolution in 1539 by the noted romantic Henry VIII.
But before our walk could begin, we needed to be photographed looking at each other adoringly.
“I’ve been there too, mate,” a man called out to Harry, sympathetically. “Got married last year.” Only he really hadn’t. And still the worst was yet to come for poor Harry. As we waved goodbye to the photographer, I felt a wash of love for Harry’s goodhumoured patience. Perhaps making me happy was all the purpose he needed? Or perhaps Fountains Abbey is just much nicer than Paris. Walking away hand in hand from the abbey along the gushing river, the precise geometry of the water gardens curved into sight; Venus exploding out of one pool, the Dying Gaul languishing on another. We stopped to worry about an injured nuthatch, I pointed out the snowdrops.
I admit we didn’t make it to Studley Roger, the northernmost point on our route; I know when not to push my luck. Because love really isn’t as simple as a walk in the park.
DUNSTANBURGH CASTLE,
The walk across the coastal grasslands from the fishing village of Craster to the atmospheric ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle has been voted one of Britain’s favourites, and with good reason. But visit over the colder months and, while it’s just as spectacular, you’ll find hardly anyone else there. Carry on past the castle to explore the vast, sandy beach at Embleton Bay. Cosy up in the Stable Yard café on the outskirts of Craster afterwards.
Start/finish: Craster Quarry car park, Craster, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66
3TW, grid ref: NU256197.
Distance: 4.3 miles/7km to Embleton Bay and back. Map: OS Explorer 332; os.uk/craster
RHOSSILI HEAD,
The high, wild headland at Rhossili reaches westwards from Wales’s Gower peninsula for uninterrupted views of the sunset over the sea. Spend the day exploring the three-mile sandy bay below, then take in the gentle circular walk around the headland in the evening, passing an Iron Age hill fort and medieval field systems on the way. If the tides are right, you can cross the causeway on to Worm’s Head, only accessible for around two and a half hours either side of low tide.
Start/finish: Rhossili National Trust car park, Rhossili, Swansea, SA3 1PR, grid ref: SS414881. Distance: 3.5 miles/5.6km. Map: OS Explorer 186; os.uk/rhossili
THE BIRKS OF ABERFELDY
Just outside the Perthshire village of Aberfeldy, a series of spectacular waterfalls tumbles down the wooded gorge of the Moness Burn. Robert Burns was so enchanted by the beauty and drama of the place that he wrote a poem about it. This walk climbs to the top of the falls, from where there are glorious views to the mountains. Start/finish: The Square, Aberfeldy, Perthshire, PH15 2DD, grid ref: NN856490. Distance: 2.7 miles/ 4.4km. Map: OS Explorer 379; os.uk/aberfeldy
FIONNPHORT,
The Isle of Mull is the second largest of the Inner Hebrides, after Skye. It’s a place of breathtaking contrasts, from its mountainous centre to the vast sea lochs and scenic beaches. One such beach is at Fionnphort, at the far western end of the Ross of Mull, where a perfect white sandy beach looks out to the tiny island of Iona. This circuit is spectacular at sunset, heading out across the beach and returning inland.
Start/finish: Fionnphort free car park at Columba Centre, Fionnphort, Isle of Mull, PA66 6BL, grid ref: NM302231. Distance: 1.5 miles/ 2.5km. Map: OS Explorer 373; os.uk/fionnphort
STRANGFORD LOUGH,
The eccentric 18th-century mansion at Castle Ward stands in expansive parkland overlooking the vast sea inlet of Strangford Lough. With its diversity of landscapes, there’s a wealth of outstanding walking around the estate, parts of which featured in Game of Thrones. This route traces the shores of the lough, passing the 15th-century tower of Audley’s Castle and the 16th-century Old Castle Ward, and is a perfect way to share the wild beauty of the place. Start/finish: Castle Ward National Trust shore car park, Strangford, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 7BA, OSNI grid ref: J571497. Distance: 1.2 miles /1.9km. Map: OSNI Discoverer 21; os.uk/strangford
Jen and Sim Benson are Ordnance Survey GetOutside champions and have written several guidebooks. Their new book, Short Runs in Beautiful Places (National Trust Books) is out in March.