In a densely populated country like Britain, finding somewhere to walk alone is never straightforward, but there are places that rarely see humans, and footpaths that have no footprints, often surprisingly close to towns and villages. There is nothing quite like passing an entire day of walking without seeing a single soul, never being called upon to utter greetings. When mental health is in the spotlight and the dangers of isolation are constantly reiterated, it’s good to mention that time alone can also be beneficial, even essential.
Many years ago on top of Scafell Pike, after a day spent in thick mist without encountering anyone, I bumped into another solo hiker. As we passed I said, “Hello,” but he did not reply, just glared. I was young then, and only now do I realise how inappropriate my talkativeness was; an eyebrow twitch would have been adequate.
It’s important to study the map and choose a route carefully. Avoid any suggestion of cafes and pubs. There is a good reason why Snowdon is Britain’s busiest mountain walk: you can get a coffee at the top (it also has a railway, which takes a lot of the strain out of the actual walking element, too). Also to be avoided are routes passing near campsites and caravan parks, plus anywhere with that blood-sucking shadow, an Instagram presence. Bad weather, of course, is a great deterrent.
Britain has hundreds of named long-distance footpaths, of which only a handful are well known (the Long Distance Walkers Association lists more than 900 on its website). Many have been largely forgotten since the day they were opened. Others attract few hikers. Here is a selection of great footpaths, some short and some very long indeed – you might well extract a day’s ramble from these, or a weekend. On some you will be unfortunate to see another person all day; others are busier, but still offer decent alternatives to much more crowded routes nearby.
Pererindod Melangell Way and Ann Griffiths Walk, Powys
One can only admire the sheer cunning of some footpath makers: naming your route after an 18th-century hymn writer is particularly astute, almost guaranteeing peace and tranquillity, as in the seven-mile Ann Griffiths Walk that connects to the beautiful, 15-mile Pererindod Melangell, both branches of the 135-mile Glyndŵr’s Way, itself a neglected route.
The Pererindod (pilgrimage in Welsh) has many of the features that will ensure solitary splendour: it joins an isolated church and an underused bridge, neither accessible by public transport; it passes no large centres of population; and it has few reliable places of refreshment once embarked upon. For these reasons you are almost guaranteed a day of solitude, along with some fine mountain, forest and lake scenery.
The end of the pilgrimage comes at the Pennant Melangell chapel dedicated to the eponymous saint who reputedly spent 15 blissful years here before seeing another human face. She is, appropriately, the patron saint of those reclusive loners, hares. From here it’s a short walk down to the village of Lllangynog, where there is a car park and a bus stop. Start at either Pont Llogel (park by the bridge) or Melangell church.
The standard Coast to Coast trail, pioneered by Alfred Wainwright, starts at St Bees in Cumbria and finishes in North Yorkshire at Robin Hood’s Bay. The latter name should ring alarm bells: too well known and attractive. It’s one of several routes where there are companies offering baggage transfers, and it is reputed to be England’s most popular long-distance walk, something Wainwright himself would have disliked, since he was all in favour of people finding their own routes.
Much better is a road less travelled, like the 199-mile Alternative Coast to Coast. Most descriptions of this challenge begin with the helpful, “First, walk across the Irish Sea”, which should deter non-swimmers and the ungodly. In fact, this is because the start, Walney Island in Cumbria, is accessible across the sands at low tide (there is a bridge too).
From there you wend your way over Lakeland (Coniston, Langdale, Ullswater, all a bit well trodden) then up into the North Pennines to Alston, Hexham and the Cheviots. The route ends with a second tidal sands section, across to Holy Island (check tide times).
Guidebook An encouraging sign for this route is that the only guidebook is out of print. Cicerone Press’s The Alternative Coast to Coast can be picked up secondhand.
Another well-chosen name to deter lightweights and dilettantes, this 37-mile North Pennines route is named after an early 19th-century itinerant tea merchant and philanthropist, Isaac Holden. It starts at a well in Allendale that Isaac helped install, and in case you think I have miscalculated and refreshment might be available, rest easy: a plaque on the wall helpfully warns of the danger of contracting cholera and typhoid here. (Actually, I confess, there are refreshment stops available in Allendale.)
The circular path – with helpful signing – winds along magnificently uninhabited moorlands, peaceful riverbanks and quiet dales, dropping occasionally into settlements for essential food and accommodation. A long weekend would do nicely.
Tip’s Trail, Peak District
Expert long-distance walkers and devotees of OS sheet The Dark Peak OL1 will be scratching their heads at this one: a path so obscure that no one has heard of it. That is because I just renamed the 15-mile trail better known as the Dambusters Challenge Walk, a name I thoroughly dislike as it might attract interest; besides, Tip is a worthier name in my opinion.
To discover her identity, start at the car park by the Ladybower reservoir north of Bamford on the A6013. Walk back to the dam then on below it to cross the River Derwent. Climb through woods then open ground to Win Hill (462m), from where you head west then north to pass Wooler Knoll and finally reach Haggwater Bridge over the River Ashop. Continue uphill to Lockerbrook Farm, then down to the Derwent dam and picnic area. Tip’s identity will be revealed on a memorial at the dam.
Like the Dambusters, she showed great fortitude and won medals, but never wore a uniform – being a sheepdog. The short way back (12 miles in total) is lakeside, with a final small section on the road; but to really have the place to yourself, head north on the lakeside for half a mile before turning west uphill to Back Tor (538m), then south-west via Derwent Edge and Whinstone Lee Tor back to the A6013 at the Ladybower Inn (15 miles).
Bishop William Bennet was an 18th-century expert on Roman roads. He was born and died in London and, in between, became a cleric in Ireland. Hence the Bishop Bennet Way, a 34-mile bridle path through Cheshire on a route conspicuously short on Roman ruins. So far so good: all the quixotic hallmarks of an underused path. In fact, Bennet probably did pass along some of the green lanes that the way utilises, in his search for ancient byways on his way to Ireland.
What is important now is that the route takes in lots of beautiful rolling countryside, stunning views and delightfully quiet villages. Starting near Beeston Castle and ending close to Whitchurch on the Shropshire border, the path is also a bridleway, so it can be done by cycle or horse (there are some facilities: a saddlery in Gatesheath, for example, and B&Bs that offer stabling and grazing).
I was born close to the River Eden and saw my first kingfisher from its banks, hence my gigantic soft spot for this splendid river. This 88-mile path has a lot to commend it: fantastic scenery that steers clear of neighbouring Lakeland honeypots, great wildlife including salmon, sand martins and otters, notable ruins and a handy railway (the Settle-Carlisle line).
The route starts on the Solway Firth, soon leaving Carlisle behind and heading up into the Pennines, where it ends on Mallerstang Edge near Kirkby Stephen, also the birthplace of the river Ure. In fact, there is a vast selection of onward trails should you decide to continue: both the Swale Way and Yoredale Way will carry you further east, linking to other paths, or you could scoot back towards the Lakes on the Dales Way (the Howgill sections are wonderfully quiet, though not the finish in Windermere).
Guidebook The Eden Way by Stuart W Greig
Has any footpath been better named to avoid hard usage? Imagine proudly announcing: “I’m going to do the Mid-Wilts Way.” It sounds more like a course of therapy. And yet this is a fine, 68-mile sturdy yomp through some of England’s best landscapes, crossing other paths with blowhard names like the Celtic Way and White Horse Trail.
The route starts in the lovely little town of Mere in the south-west corner of Wiltshire, close to the edge of Salisbury Plain, and heads in a great curve north-east, taking in a variety of walking: canalside, uplands, valleys and ancient ridgeways. It finishes near the Berkshire border in another delightful village, Ham.
Guidebook The Mid-Wilts Way by James Alsop
Great Glen Way, Highlands
Having cycled this 77-mile route, I can honestly say that it is not very lonesome. I met other cyclists and passed hikers.
However, since it is almost always done from south-west (start near Fort William) to north-east (end at Inverness), most people travel in the same direction, thus reducing contact to acceptable levels. There is also the possibility of travelling by canoe or kayak, a real solo challenge and involving almost zero levels of interaction. It has even been done by swimmers, which I imagine cuts down on conversation. Expect long, lovely forested sections with sparkling waters beyond the trees.
Guidebook The Great Glen Way by Jacquetta Megarry and Sandra Bardwell
I asked Andy Clark, a volunteer with the Long Distance Walkers Association, for his wishlist of long, lonely walks. Among them was this gem, a 95-mile trail around the Isle of Man, taking in towering cliffs, mountains, beaches and impressive castles. Given that the island is 40% uncultivated and unpopulated (and not part of the UK), the opportunities for solitary walking should be excellent.
Guidebook The Isle of Man Coastal Path by Alan Cooper
Fancy a nice stroll from one sea coast to another? The European Ramblers website promotes this walk as suitable for “the elderly and those with physical disabilities”, which rather underplays the challenge of a 2,920-mile hike from the Beara peninsula in County Kerry/County Cork (Atlantic Coast) to Istanbul (Black Sea).
The English section – between Southport and Hornsea, near Hull, which comes in at a modest 215 miles – is certainly one of the easier sections of this epic. It covers a lot of post-industrial ground with lovely canalside sections, plus some fine moorland, and is suitable for horses and bikes.
Once you reach Hull, circumstances permitting, why not continue? Take a ferry to the Netherlands and walk on through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. If you have made it that far, the sketchy details of the onward route through European Turkey won’t be a problem. If you need a bit of inspiration, read Patrick Leigh Fermor’s A Time of Gifts.
Guidebook Trans Pennine Trail Guide
