Back in 2015 I wrote an article about my favourite walking blogs in the UK, the post received more than 40 comments and still proves to be very popular today. However, many of the original bloggers have now put up their boots and since stopped working their magic online. We can’t all walk forever I suppose. So I thought it would be good to do a renewed version for 2017 to help give people some further ideas for decent walks around the country for everyone from the beginner to the more experienced trekker. My methodology for calculating this list this was to grab all of the walking blogs that are active and run them through a variety of web analysis tools, and then decide from this combined data, and my own insights, which are my top ten.
To calculate my new top ten I enlisted the assistance of Charlotte Wooldridge who helped me crunch the numbers – a special thanks to her for her help.
- The Walking Englishman (Mike Brockhurst)One of the most thorough and conducive UK walking blogs, The Walking Englishman is well-researched and incredibly user-friendly. Mike Brockhurst has dedicated his time into making one of the best free content websites on the subject, featuring walks categorised into regions, difficulty (which is great for me) and length, as well as interactive maps for each regions set of walks. This is an essential tool for individuals wanting to discover the UK’s beautiful countryside, and is suitable for people from all skill levels.
- Northern Pies (Mike Knipe)Mike Knipe has accumulated a selection of walks around the UK from 2008, when he first started his hillwalking blog and he made it to number five in my list 8 years ago. He deservedly moves up the list as his blog content consists of his experiences of the walks that he’s been on in both his local area and other locations around the UK, including images of the walks that he’s been on. His running commentary of these trips are often quite amusing, making Mike’s blog a much more personal read.
- Walking the Blog (Charles Hawes)Walking the Blog is an incredibly detailed and useful resource for people wanting practical advice about walking in the UK. Charles’ blog has extremely useful information, from his opinion on the best hillwalking boots, to specific walking trails that he has categorised based on location. Having won the Golden Boots Blogger Award in 2015, as well as being shortlisted for a variety of other blogging awards, Charles Hawes is definitely one of the best UK walking blogs for people who have been exploring the UK for a while, and those just getting interested. Great work.
- Hill Craft Guided Walking (Paul Shorrock)Beautiful images of the UK countryside followed by detailed maps and descriptions of how to find these stunning locations is what sets Paul Shorrock’s Hillwalking blog apart from the rest. Having regularly posted since November 2010, this hillwalking blog is an excellent website to visit for fresh inspiration of where to go, as well as a detailed commentary of each of his walking experiences.
- Andy Howell While Andy Howell’s Trekking and Backpacking blog doesn’t focus so much on specific walks that he has been on, his website is definitely an extremely useful body of information on everything that goes along with walking and trekking. From guidance about food dehydration and re-hydration, to his reviews on specific walking equipment, Andy Howell has a wealth of advice that is essential to anyone passionate about the subject. His pictures are stunning as well.
- Cumbrian Ramble (Beth & Steve Pipe)While Beth and Steve Pipe’s blog specifically focuses on the Cumbrian region, this blog is beautifully curated with a balanced mix of handy tips and tricks, to their experiences of individual walking trails. The couple’s charming tone of voice throughout their writing is what makes the Cumbrian Ramble such a pleasure to read, as well as their useful information on specific Cumbrian locations, as well as some more unique blog posts such as “Top 10 Pressie Ideas for Cumbria/Outdoors Lovers”.
- To Hatch a Crow (Footless Crow)The anonymous blog To Hatch a Crow is the ideal website for people who are already passionate about hillwalking and climbing in the UK. The Footless Crow (as he identifies himself) delves into a variety of subjects, from buying the best camera gear for hillwalking, to more politically focused issues such as the National Trust targeting photographers and film makers over image rights. This fascinating blog is unique in its content, and is an interesting read for those truly passionate about UK walking.
- Two Blonde’s WalkingA walking blog specifically designed for women who are wanting to get started in hill walking, Two Blonde’s Walking is another semi-anonymous blog that combines useful tips and tricks with UK walking routes that they recommend. Coming in the Top 10 of The Activity People’s 2017 Blogger Awards, Two Blonde’s Walking is an excellent resource for women who are wanting an introduction to the subject, as they cover things that most general waling blogs do not touch on that specifically concern women.
- Baby Routes (Kate Limburn)Kate Limburn is a gift to the UK walking community, as she provides her unique insight to an active lifestyle that involves kids. I have tried taking mine walking and it doesn’t usually end well. Her beautiful blog encompasses her passion of combining parenthood with her love of travel and the great outdoors, posting not only about practical tips for active parents, but also kid-friendly walking routes that are fun for the whole family.
- Coastal Walker (Ruth Livingstone)Coastal Walker is a truly unique and fascinating blog, as it was started to document Ruth Livingstone’s journey around the coastline of the British mainland that she began in 2010. Having covered over 2,500 miles, Ruth has really experienced the British coastline, documenting each of her stretches of walking around the coast. In doing so, Ruth has compiled several guides about how to do a similar expedition to hers, available through her blog.
So there you have it, if you feel I have missed anyone from my list, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know about your blog and we will consider reviewing yours in my next write up.
