Newsletter > Newsletter archive > May 2020
May 2020
Peering into the past
As 'lockdown' measures begin to ease, first in England and then elsewhere in the UK, we hope you'll be able to find plenty of good walks not too far from home. Fortunately every locality has its own special pleasures, character and history.
It's nearly ten years since we released our exploration of British paths and tracks, the book we called 'Pathways'. The first two editions, published by Guardian Books, were in hardback and glorious technicolour - you can still get copies from time to time for a few pounds on Amazon. Since the hardback edition went out of print we have continued with a Kindle edition and a simple paperback version, both also available on Amazon.
With limitations on travel, this might be a good time to dig out some local maps and delve into the history of your local paths. We did so ourselves a couple of years ago for the area around our home and unearthed some fascinating stories, as well as some intriguing mysteries. It was surprisingly easy to do, thanks to the many research resources available on the internet. If you missed it, it's all in our 'Walking Roots' blog (click 'Older posts' at the bottom and you can read it in order).
The 'Pathways' book continues to provide a useful checklist of the kinds of historical routes you may find in your area. To give you a head start we have created a free PDF download of the book, suitable for reading on computer, tablet or e-reader. If you have a Kindle and would prefer variable text sizing, we have reduced the Kindle price to just 99p - we'll give the 30p or so we get as royalty to charity. Happy researching!
If you are tempted to go a little higher...
It is now theoretically possible to climb hills in England, for instance in the Lake District or Peak District, and may be soon in Wales and Scotland. Search and mountain rescue teams are keen to point out that, if you get into difficulty, you will still be attended by their volunteers but that the response time will be longer.
Teams now have quite complicated and time-consuming procedures to protect themselves, and you, from possible infection. There may also be restrictions on the type of treatment you can get on the hill, particularly for pain relief, and on how quickly you can be evacuated.
If you are planning an outing in a remoter area, a good starting point is the advice on the AdventureSmartUK website. Overall the request from rescue teams is that people stick to reasonably modest adventures, well within their capabilities and, as always, the daylight time available. Not doing so could be painful!
Six ways to prepare for your next holiday
Dreaming of your next walking break? HF Holidays have created a handy guide to help get your future travel plans into shape. There are hints and tips on everything from how to research your destination and find the trip that's right for you to choosing the right travel gear and practicing your photography skills.