Introduction
There are lots of websites about walking in the north of England, so I make no apology for the fact that this one is all about the south. I grew up there; and though I appreciate mountains and moorland the chalk downs are my favourite landscape. Force of habit, I suppose...
The descriptions of the various paths are not really intended as guides - they are the story of where I went and what I found there. If you need practical information about accomodation, transport and so on, there are a number of links in the "More Information" section. Check under the relevant walk.
I did some of these trails over ten years ago, and things change (revisiting the South Downs Way in May 2009 I noticed that a depressing number of pubs had closed). If you've walked any of them more recently, and can recommend places to stay or eat, please fill in the form on the Add a comment page, and I'll add your suggestion. I'd also like to hear from you if you have any comments about walking gear or routes - south of England only! - or know of any good walking websites (perhaps your own?) you think I should link to. If you are the owner of a walker-friendly B & B, campsite or pub on any of the routes, or offer other services such as luggage transport, you can include your email address and / or website details.
A schematic map of the walks can be viewed by clicking the image above, or visiting the maps page. If you require more detail, extracts of the 1:25000 and 1:50000 editions are available free from the Ordnance Survey, subject to their terms and conditions (right-clicking and saving the maps on this site doesn't always work: you may need to take a screen shot, paste the resulting image into something like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro and then crop the unneccessary bits). The aerial overviews of the South Downs Way and Two Moors Way were made using Google Earth, so their copyright rules will apply. You are welcome to use any of my own images for non-commercial purposes, but please either acknowledge or link to the source page.
I use JavaScript on these pages to tweak the layout and display images. For what it's worth, none of the scripts here display pop-up windows or annoying adds. Nor do they install malicious software that will take over your life! If you are worried about allowing active content to run, and feel the need to disable JavaScript, the site may not look quite as good, though you can still view all the content. Alternatively, get the excellent Firefox browser (which is free, and much more secure than Internet Explorer). Then you can safely enable JavaScript and see the site in all its glory.
Other Walking Sites
A selection from the many walking sites out there, though by no means covering everything.
I found very few personal accounts of what it's actually like to follow a particular trail, which is a pity. If you've written one and I haven't included it, please let me know.
Organizations
- Ramblers Association. The first port of call for walkers in the UK. Info on the Cotswold Way, the Thames Path, the Test Way, the South Downs Way and the Two Moors Way, as well as accommodation options, including b & bs, hostels and camping barns.
- National Trails: including the Cotswold Way, the Ridgeway, the Thames Path and the South Downs Way.
- Walking Pages: introduction to the Cotswold Way, the Kennet And Avon, the Ridgeway, the Thames Path, the South Downs Way and the Two Moors Way.
- Rural Ways is a site covering the south-eastern counties. There's some basic information on the Ridgeway, the Thames Path and the South Downs Way.
- Youth Hostel Association. Sadly the YHA is not what it once was - seems to cater for tourists rather than walkers these days - but still, it's somewhere to start when looking for accomodation. Ghastly website too... who designed THAT?
- Independent Hostels: an alternative source of accomodation.
General sites
- David Cotton's comprehensive site, britishwalks.org, has sections on the Ridgeway, the South Downs Way, the Thames Path and part of the K and A.
- Walking And Hiking: a general site with articles about walks and walking.
- The Walking Englishman. Mike Brockhurst's excellent site. Well worth a visit.
- Long Distance Footpaths in Britain. This site, by Thomas Keijzer, has been around for a few years now. Covers a number of trails, with some nice photos.