We did a walking tour of the Cotswolds a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. This year we want to do another walk and asked the company, Contours, which of their many, many UK walking tours was as easy (we're Chicagoans and are not used to much in the way of climbing.) They recommended either the north or south coast of Cornwall, a walk across England via the Hadrian's Wall path, or the coast of Northumberland (lots of castles). All look wonderful. Any thoughts? We'll be going in September/October because the weather in England tends to be pretty good then, and by that time (hopefully) the college students will be back in class.

PatrickLondon did a 3-day Contours walk along Hadrian's wall. Here's his trip report, Newcastle and Hadrian's Wall. Hope that helps.

Sharon - I think faced with your enviable quandry I would go to my local library or a large bookstore, and check all the oversized photo/picture books on England, to get a better sense of which areas resonate with you. The Cornish coast is dramatic and wonderful; my memory of a day trip to Hadrian's wall is of a much more subtle beauty; I have not been to Northumberland, but castles are certainly a draw. Have you thought about just putting names in a hat and pulling one? (kidding!)

Judy

Personally, I would go for Northumberland - it's England's great undiscovered county. Hadrian's Wall is good but you will get little variety walking its length.

The weather in Cornwall will probably be milder though.

All in all, I would still go for Northumberland.

All three are much better than the Cotswolds.

OK, stupid question: are there really pretty little towns in Northumberland such as the ones in the Cotswolds?

Me again - I googled cumberland villages photos and found the Trek Earth site with a library of photos of Cumberland towns and countryside. I didn't spend a long time, but if you have an idea of itinerary for the walk, this should give you some idea of what to expect.

Judy

quote:

Originally posted by Sharonov:
OK, stupid question: are there really pretty little towns in Northumberland such as the ones in the Cotswolds?

Northumberland is not chocolate boxy but it has some of the most dramatic sights in England. Check out Lindisfarne, Alnwick, Bamburgh for starters. It has a wonderful coastline.

It's not like the Cotswolds at all - it's much "wilder" and more scenic, in my opinion.

PS I've nothing against the Cotswolds, I'm going there for a week in May, but one can get the impression on this board that they're the only place worth going to in England outside London.

quote:

pretty little towns in Northumberland

Short answer: no Well, certainly not the chocolate-box prettiness of places like Broadway or Chipping Campden. Pauline's Cotswolder site is an excellent source of info for all this.

Northumberland's beauty is far wilder, and its towns & villages more widely scattered. Hexham is probably Northumberland's prettiest town, but it's inland (on the Hadrian's Wall route): the coastal towns of Alnwick and Berwick are certainly more rugged. But it's the castles, the coast, and the wide open spaces which would attract me the most.

(Typo alert!) Judy meant Northumberland rather than Cumberland in her last post. Cumberland was the old English county which in 1974 (while I was living in neighbouring County Durham) was abolished, along with Westmorland, to make the new county of Cumbria. So the left-hand half of Hadrian's Wall is in Cumbria, and the right-hand half is in Northumberland.

[edited to add: I was writing that for ages, so didn't see Robert's post until now - glad to see that we're largely in agreement!]

Jonathan

quote:

All three are much better than the Cotswolds.

I was going to say, "Wash your mouth out with soap, young Mr D"!! but then I read your later qualification.

I agree with everyone. These are vastly different areas so each one offers its own type of beauty. It depends whether you are seeking 'wild' or more 'groomed' (although there are parts of the Cotswolds that are pretty wild and empty too but not for endless miles like in the North) Each one has its own special appeal and it really depends what you are looking for.

If you are looking for chocolate box prettiness, why not go for Derbyshire? The Peak District around Buxton is just beautiful.

Alternatively, there are lovely little areas in Kent and Sussex. Have a look at Rye for example.

quote:

Alternatively, there are lovely little areas in Kent and Sussex. Have a look at Rye for example.

I definitely agree - Kent and Sussex are strangely underrated but they have some of the most beautiful towns and villages in England. A good Kent oast house is much more picturesque than Cotswold limestone.

(Still redressing the balance here)

That Oast house is stunning! If we have a few extra days that will be a great tack-on, or perhaps one day to rent a cottage for a week or two just to walk around.

Sadly, Contours doesn't have walking tours in Kent and I'm really up for the physical exercise. I very much enjoy the whole concept of walking from place to place while somebody shleps the luggage. In a few years I'll probably be too feeble and will start doing cruises like my already-feeble and lazy friends.

Meanwhile--nobody is weighing in on Cornwall. The southern coastal path looks good. Is that area too touristy? I dont want an English version of the Costa Del Sol!

We have just got home from a week in Cornwall and just loved it. We based ourselves in Marazion (St Michaels Mount) and took trips to Lands End, Minack Theatre, St Ives and did bits of walking on the SW Coast path. We loved the ruggedness of the coast and can't wait to go back to Cornwall. Can't help you with organised walking tours sorry.

Here's a company that's offering some self-guided walks in Kent (though I have no idea what they're like):

http://www.xplorebritain.com/england.asp?viewPage=7

Sharonov, I'm glad to hear you're wanting to do another walking vacation in England. Our family has really enjoyed long distance walking trips in Europe. Our first walk was in the Cotswolds, and we did the Coast-to-Coast walk a few years ago. That's a much more substantial commitment and fairly challenging in some places.

I've heard good things about Contours and looked at their walks when we were contemplating plans for 2009. (I liked their options for the Southwest Coastal path.) If you feel good about your experience with Contours, I would definitely pay attention to their recommendations for you. Do they offer a discount for returning clients?

We've done several of our walking trips through Sherpa Expeditions, and I'd suggest you look at their options as well.

We did some day hiking on the southwest coastal path a few years ago (near Penzance) and the coast is spectacular. We really enjoyed Cornwall. This walk definitely appeals to me, and would be totally different than the terrain you would experience in the north and on an inland walk. I'd suspect the climate would be quite different too.

We've spent a little time in Kent which several have suggested to you, though we have never walked there. There are some wonderful towns and villages, castles, and gardens in that area. We stayed a few days in Rye several years ago and visited Sissinghurst and Leeds Castle, and I'd love to go back to Kent. I looked around to see what possibilities there might be for long distance walking, and it seems like the big walks there are on the North Downs Way, potentially involving the Cliffs of Dover and Canterbury. There's a South Downs Way walk also, which seems interesting.

Keep us posted on what you decide to do. I'm excited that we have a couple of people on this forum talking about walking trips!

Kathy

Kaydee, your trip report detailing your coast-to-coast walk was what got us hooked on the walking tours! We checked into Sherpa and Contours, and for some reason my sieve-brain can't remember we settled on Contours. I think their approach appeared more flexible, and they have umpteen choices for walks in the British Isles.

Anyhow, my London Cockney friends just sent me an e-mail saying that Northumberland was bleak, windy and cold, and they recommended Cornwall. So now we just have to make a choice between the north and south coast. From what I read, the north coast is more rugged. But after reading David's trip report from 2004, it sounds as though the south coast has been catering to tourist families and I have this terrible vision of visiting village after village that all resemble Fishermans' Wharf/Navy Pier (Chicago)/Pikes Market (Seattle.) Don't want that! Tell me it's not so!

Sharonov, I love hearing that our coast-to-coast walk inspired you. That means so much to me.

During our long trip to England we spent a week in the fishing village of Mousehole (pronounced "Moz-zul," as I recall), a few miles from Penzance. This is on the south coast, but near the very end of the western tip of Cornwall. We walked a stretch of the path from Mousehole to Lamorna. On Contours map of the path they call this the "Far West." In this area we also visited Lands End and Porthcurno (the Minack theatre). We didn't ever get up to St. Ives. We also saw a little of the path near Lizard's Point (southernmost point of mainland Great Britain) and later visited Fowey, both further east beyond Penzance on the southern coast.

The areas we visited were quite remote, very authentic and not touristy like I think you're worried about (sort of faded resort towns). Maybe that is more true the closer you get to the motorway or major population centers.

You might be interested to read a bit of my Grand Tour blog here and I've got a few photos from our week in this area here. If you do a part of this walk, I'd love to hear about it, as this is one I'd enjoy doing in the future.

Kathy

The north Cornish coast has the sandy beaches and the surf and the south has the pretty inlets and harbours - both can be very, very crowded in the high season (terrible traffic jams ), but you are going to avoid so much of that by going in September/October when the weather can still be very nice.

There is none of the high rise hotel Costa del Sol-type developments, or much in the way of purpose built resort-type areas - though both coasts have large camping, caravan and chalet parks - again, emptying out after the school holiday season (end of August).

Land's End is, in my opinion, a nasty bit of tourist exploitation to be avoided and there are a few cheesey 'Ooh Arr, Cap'n!' pirate type 'attractions' or the King Arthur/Cornish Pixie fest that is poor old Tintagel and endless souvenir shops, but many of these will be closing once the family group holiday makers are heading back home.

We visit family just over the border in Devon frequently and in the summer we have strategies for avoiding the crowds - going to the coast to surf in the late afternoon, just as the best surf is rolling in and all the little ones are being taken back to their holiday accomodation for showers and supper. You can see the lovely beaches in peace, without stepping over a hundred basking bodies !

quote:

Originally posted by Sharonov:
Anyhow, my London Cockney friends just sent me an e-mail saying that Northumberland was bleak, windy and cold, and they recommended Cornwall.

That's why Northumberland remains undiscovered! Most Londoners think anywhere north of Watford is bleak. Many northerners encourage that point-of-view to keep them away.

Robert D., you're a stitch!

Several members here have mentioned Kent. And yes, I like chocolate box villages and towns, so beat me with a stick. Anyhow, I googled "walking tours Kent" and came up with only one: Walk Awhile. They really hold your hand, maybe a little more than I like: every morning someone from their company meets you after breakfast to transport your luggage AND go over the days walk with you. They give you an MP3 version of each days walk. They provide you with a lunch made of local produce (how very green of them) which would be nice except I look forward to pub lunches complete with pint and maybe something greasy like fish n chips. They're more expensive than Contours. Anybody ever hear of them?

I can speak a little about the coastal path that runs around, I think, most of Cornwall.

My family spent a few weeks in a town along the south coast along the path near Penzance. We walked the path frequently and encountered many people clearly out to walk the length, often stopped at the nearby pub.

People do the path in sections, sometimes taking years. It is very wild, very steep, rocky and windy in places. There are maps online that list all the towns and routes and can sites of interest.

There are some touristy towns, like St. Ives, that I wouldn't recommend driving in if you can avoid it. And on a holiday weekend, the one long road going in and out can get backed up.

But it's touristy in a Martha's Vineyard way, not a Costa Del Sol way. Seafood restaurants, craft shops, that kind of thing; not high rises and megabars.

And there are a lot of tiny towns out along the path marked by little more than a church and a pub, like Zennor -- where the REAL mermaid chair is, before that silly woman stole the idea.

It's pirate and Daphne du Maurier country.

I don't think you've got a bad choice in there. I'd love to go Northumberland! I just can't tell you about it.

Many people have been to Cornwall. Now, that may be for a reason -- it's easy to like. If you wanted something a bit rarer, then go north. If you're pushing the date, and weather and daylight hours are a consideration (days are shorter there) then go south.

Can't lose.

Enjoy!

Both Cornwall and Northumberland are great places to walk. BUT they are very, very different. Cornwall tends to be more 'intimate'. Northumberland has huge sweeping vistas and SPACE to breathe. You either love it or else hate it. Personally I think it's God's Own Country. Best advice is what Tour Mama suggests - get a big picture book and look at all the pictures and then take a decision. Most people rush through it on the way to Scotland without realising what a gem they are missing.

You talked about walking Hadrian's Wall. You don't need to do all of it. The bit from Wallsend through Newcastle is only for the real Roman fanatics. Scenically the best bit is from Sewing Shields to Housesteads, Steel Rigg over Winshields (highest point), Cawfields to Walltown. The scenery is fantastic and there is also quiet a bit of the wall left. Beyond Walltown the wall was turf and to be honest there isn't a lot to see. My suggestion would be to park at Steel Rigg (about the middle bit of this section) and do an out and back walk in both directions. These would make 2 nice days.

The rest of the time could be spent seeing some of the rest of Northumberland. There is the coast with fabulous beaches without a soul on them with Banburgh Castle, Farne Islands and Holy Island. This can only be reached at low tide along a causeway over the sand. Other castles are Alnwick (still lived in and used for filming part of Harry Potter), Warkworth and Dunstanburgh - both ruined.

Then there are places like Cragside (first place to be lit by electricity) - fantastic Victorian House and good walking in the extensive estate.

Kielder Water and Kielder Forest are worth another day. . . There are plenty of walks you can do round here if you get a copy of the Landranger 1:50000 map.

Then there is the top of Coquet Dale or the Ingham valley. . .

Don't forget the Pennine Way either. This would make a marvellous route up through the middle of Northumberland.

The Northumbrians are delightful and very friendly. You will leave feeling you have made many friends. The small towns aren't chocolate boxey but there are some delightful small towns. Alnwick and Hexham have already been mentioned - but there are also smaller places like Corbridge, Rothbury, Wooller. . . and even smaller places like Bellingham, Haltwhistle. . .

However only you know what sort of scenery you feel 'comfortable' in and your tastes may be very different to mine. . .

Whatever you decide in the end, I am sure you will enjoy it.

Eleanor

Hi Sharon I too am going through the decision making process right now. I have a thread going on self-guided walks in this forum (Great Britian). We leave in May so we are a little closer than you. We also have been looking at self-guided walking companies and which trip to do. So much confusion. I want to do it all and not miss anything. We all know that is impossible so...

I am not sure how much time you have but we are only going to England for 12 days. So what we are thinking of doing as of this morning is 2 shorter walking trips.Not in stone yet but looking at 4 days walking in Cornwall and 4 days walking in the Cotswolds this gives us travel days in between. This way we get alittle taste of BOTH the coast and those chocolate box villages without having to travel too far north.

Just a suggestion.

I was in the Cotswolds years ago but hubbie has never been to England. I figure this is a good "starter package" and then hopefully before we become too old to walk long distances anymore we will return to England and do some of the more remote parts. But I guess I feel that the Touristy type Cotswold and Cornwall areas are OK because you know what - I am a tourist who likes to walk and I am sure the paths won't have as many people as the towns. And sometimes it is nice to be in a "town like atmosphere" after being on the trail all day. Just one travlers opinion (which tends to change quite often)

Hope this helps a little.

Oh I forgot to tell you we have the Contour and HFHoliday catalogs. Contours seems to have the shorter hikes we are considering.

Well, 6ABC, you've made a decision somewhat like ours, at least in that we're also breaking up our 2 weeks. After reviewing everything, I kept going back to our wonderful experience walking in the northern area of the Cotswolds. We loved absolutely everything about it. We were there off season and saw almost nobody on our walks--just sheep, cows, an occasional (very friendly) farmer. I made a suggestion to my husband that we do a vacation rental in Chipping Campden or Moreton-in-marsh for a week and use the Contours walking guides (which I cleverly kept)to walk when we felt like it. This brought a HUGE smile to his face and I realized I had been rather dragging him along. So, that's what we're going to do. And it's MUCH cheaper! We can rent a lovely two bedroom place smack in the middle of town for $500 - $700 for the week. The buses run frequently from town to town so we could do any walk we want by taking the bus to one town and walking to our desired destination. I suspect that there will be days when I'll be walking alone, which is fine with me. If it looks like rain we'll stay in and read! True slow travel.

We'll have 15 days, so that allows a couple of days in London and a final 4 day, 5 night walking tour of Kent with Walk Awhile. They're a little more expensive, but they have real a live person that comes every morning to go over the days walking with you and they bring you a lunch. So we'll go from one extreme to the other: totally independent to being babied a little.

Be sure to post a trip report when you come back!

Sharon - sounds like a lovely trip you have planned... I hope YOU will post a trip report on your return, too.

Judy