WALKS OF DISCOVERY

Every landscape has a story to tell. Here are three more walks to help you Discover Britain.

TORS AND TIN Dartmoor

A place of wild and windswept moors, dramatic rocky outcrops and sweeping valleys, Dartmoor’s sparsely inhabited landscapes – almost entirely cleared of their natural forests – are linked with tales of ghosts and witches. Its legends inspired Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, to write The Hound of the Baskervilles. It’s also full of intriguing clues to the past. From the distinctive craggy tors silhouetted on the skyline to the romantic ruins of tin mining, this 4 ½ -mile walk reveals how Dartmoor’s landscape was created by the hand of nature, and shaped by the industry and imagination of man.

 WALK HERE: Find your free OS map and directions online at: bit.ly/dartmoorwalk

THE MOST LOVED HILL IN BRITAIN? Aberdeenshire

‘To Hell with your Alps, Rockies and Himalaya, Bennachie is the hill for me…’ said Lord Aberdeen. Between the Cairngorms to the west and the sea to the east, a gently undulating landscape of fields and woods is breached by the distinctive ridge of Bennachie. Rising to 528m, this plateau is crowned by the rounded summit of Oxen Craig and conical peak of Mither Tap. This 6-mile walk explores a little-known mountain, from its forested lower slopes to its granite tors. Loved by locals, and imbued with folklore and poetry, let Bennachie weave its magical spell on you.

 WALK HERE: Find your free OS map and directions online at: bit.ly/bennachiewalk

NEITHER LAND NOR SEA Essex

Thirty miles from central London, the River Thames widens into a great estuary where it melds with the North Sea. Mud, marsh and water blend into one. On either side, the flat horizon is punctuated by the chimneys of oil refineries and industrial sites. This gentle, 5-mile walk from Benfleet to Leigh-on-Sea explores a fascinating section of Essex’s 350 mile coastline. It’s a chance to discover the history and geography of this unsung part of Essex; from sea walls dug by Dutch engineers to a romantic, ruined castle painted by JMW Turner. The walk concludes at Leigh’s delightful working harbour.

 WALK HERE: Find your free OS map and directions online at: bit.ly/essexestuarywalk