A gentle breeze riffles through the buttercups and cow parsley. It’s hard to believe, standing on top of Farthing Downs, that you’re a simple stone’s throw away from the capital’s city grime.
And if it hadn’t been for Great Magazines’ Country Walking, I’d never even have thought of heading to the outskirts of Croydon in Surrey for a breath of fresh air.
Great Magazines have over 30 publications ranging from fish-keeping to film reviews, rock to racing, so there’s something for everyone.
We decided to give Country Walking a test run, or to be precise, a test walk.
Best-selling walking magazine
Billed as Britain’s best-selling walking magazine, it encourages us all, from fighting-fit rambling machines (Pork Belly) to couch lounging dawdlers (me), to get out and enjoy the great British countryside.
Packed with stunning photos, bite-sized articles on great walking destinations, informative tips on everything from the best boots to all the gen on wildflowers you might see on your way.
It’ll give your get-up-and-go a real boost.
Well, that’s the idea. But it’s such a glossy read, there’s a huge temptation to just loll about with a mug of coffee and a slice of cake and enjoy the walk vicariously through its pages!
But that’s not the point of the exercise and at the back of the mag there’s a whole host of walk ideas from across the country, with details on how to get there, how long it’ll take, how steep and rough the terrain is and how challenging overall.
Subscription also gives you links to OS maps with online directions. We found this most useful on our stroll around the City Commons where we had 4G reception, but might not be so good in areas with less coverage. In that case, the old-fashioned cut-out-and-keep option would be better.
A leisurely hike
I know this confession makes me a bit of a techno-luddite, but I genuinely prefer to have a map in my hand and to have the reassurance that I can still read the instructions even if my battery runs out.
Actually, on our walk the phone’s battery pack did just fine, it was me who was a little run down!
Armed with a copy of Country Walking in my backpack, we took the 14k hike at a leisurely pace, stopping off at two out of the three pubs on our route and having a picnic at Kenley aerodrome.
The walk is fascinating for nature lovers and local historians alike, the commons and downs having been protected by law during the rapid expansion of city life in the late 1800s.
Now they are free for walkers, free to park near and accessible for anyone with a will to tackle the rolling hills, a pair of stout shoes and perhaps a Nordic Pole or two.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but the opinions expressed are our own.
Where next?
• A Derbyshire Tale
• Haddon Hall, Derbyshire
• Blue Waters Resort, Antigua