Almost 85 per cent of us live in urban areas. With the health benefits of spending time in the great outdoors now well-proven, we’ve rounded up some beautiful, perhaps lesser-known, locations with easy public transport links from some of England and Wales’ most populous cities.
On Sunday 24th April 1932, hundreds of walkers, many from Sheffield and Manchester, walked up to Kinder Scout in the Peak District. It was an organised mass trespass on land which was at that time fenced off by landowners. The countryside, the walkers argued, should be for all. Scuffles broke out between the trespassers and gamekeepers, and later, six of the ramblers were arrested and imprisoned for between two and six months. The incarceration of the protesters caused public outrage and drew attention to the lack of access to the countryside in Britain. The walkers might have lost their battle on that Sunday long ago, but the trespass and its aftermath helped lead to the passing of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act in 1949, opening up vast swathes of land for the general public’s enjoyment.
Today, our National Parks and National Landscapes — the new name for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) — are our playgrounds, places that allow us to relax, to breathe, to spend time with family and friends, to inspire children, and to care for our environment. Incredibly, 66 per cent of us live within half an hour’s journey of a National Landscape. In them, we walk, run, cycle, climb, kayak, and swim. Protected within them are lakes and rivers, moorland and mountains, waterways and farmland, and all have the legal purpose ‘to conserve and enhance the beauty of the area’. And remember: we all need some green space.
From Manchester & Sheffield
The Hope Valley Line is the delightful name for the trans-Pennine train that connects Sheffield and Manchester through the Peak District. It passes through some of the loveliest landscapes in the High Peak and stops at a series of stations perfect as hopping-off points for walks. Step off the train at Edale and straight onto the Pennine Way National Trail, which starts its journey with a steep climb up to Kinder Scout. For a hint of adventure, clamber up Grindsbrook Clough to the top of the plateau and skirt the edge to Kinder Downfall waterfall.
Nearest hostels: YHA Castleton Losehill Hall, YHA Edale Activity Centre
From Newcastle & Sunderland
You’ll find an abundance of outdoor options from the northern cities and towns of Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough. The Northumberland National Park is one of the least visited in the country, a place where you’re almost guaranteed some peace and quiet. More than 900km of footpaths and bridleways crisscross its interior and it’s also a designated Dark Sky Park, shielded by the hills from the light pollution of the nearby cities. A further option is to head north to Alnwick, Lindisfarne and Northumberland Coastal National Landscape for some of the most dramatic and historical coastlands in England.
Nearest hostels: YHA Alnwick, YHA The Sill at Hadrian’s Wall
From London
Hop on the Central Line to Loughton Station and you’ll find yourself on the edge of Epping Forest, home to more ancient trees than anywhere else in England. It is one of the earliest protected landscapes in the country, enacted in 1878 by Queen Victoria who said it should be ‘for the enjoyment of my people forever’. Alternatively, head south to the Surrey Hills National Landscape, first designated an AONB in 1958. Today, it encompasses 422km2 (163mi2) of forest and heathland despite being so close to London. Cyclists in particular enjoy the infamous climb up Box Hill. Check out the excellent ‘Rail-to-Ramble’ resources.
Nearest hostels: YHA Tanners Hatch Surrey Hills, YHA Holmbury St Mary Surrey Hills
From Liverpool
There are many reasons to escape the city. Taking a break from the noise and the hustle will do anyone some good, but getting away from the glare of 24-hour artificial light can be just as restorative. The Forest of Bowland National Landscape, easily accessible from Liverpool, Manchester, Bolton and Blackburn, is one of the best places in the country to avoid light pollution and gaze into the wonders of the night sky. Winter is the best time to visit this official Dark Sky Discovery Site, and the kids won’t even have to stay up too late.
Nearest hostels: YHA Slaidburn
From Leeds & Bradford
Leeds and Bradford are merging into one giant urban conurbation, but all around them is some of Yorkshire’s best countryside. Directly to the north is the Nidderdale National Landscape with its classic Yorkshire Dales scenery, all deep valleys and open moorland. You’ll find some excellent mountain biking in Upper Nidderdale, as well as caving, should the urge to go underground take you. There are also 820km of footpaths and bridleways, including The Nidderdale Way, which takes in highlights including Brimham Rocks and How Stean Gorge. It is easily accessed from Pately Bridge, via Harrogate.
Nearest hostels: YHA Kettlewell, YHA Malham
From Birmingham
Britain’s second-most populous city is home to more than a million people, which makes a countryside break all the more important. One of the closest National Landscapes to the city is the Shropshire Hills in the Welsh Marches, best accessed from Church Stretton or Craven Arms via Shrewsbury. It’s a little-visited region and one that feels pleasingly empty, a place of solitude. Whisper it, however, but there are some brilliant mountain biking routes around Long Mynd as well as a Forestry Commission mountain biking site at Hopton Wood.
Nearest hostels: YHA Wilderhope Manor, YHA Bridges
From Cardiff
Cardiff is the industrial heartland of Wales, with its houses stretching up into the valleys, but head a little farther out and you’ll soon find solace in the mountains of the Brecon Beacons, the Black Mountains and Wye Valley. The latter is best suited to quiet days walking around Tintern Abbey or meandering the Wye River itself by canoe or paddleboard. If you’d rather stay on terra firma, the Wye Valley Walk is a long-distance trail that takes in the best of the local scenery. In the Brecon Beacons, meanwhile, there are two YHA hostels and a bunkhouse, allowing for a hostel-to-hostel walk across these distinctive mountains.
Nearest hostels: YHA Brecon Beacons, YHA Brecon Beacons Danywenallt, YHA St Briavels Castle, YHA Wye Valley
From Portsmouth & Southampton
Seafaring is the reason that both these southern cities exist, although this doesn’t always make them great places for coastal relaxation. Instead, head further west to the New Forest, a distinctive landscape that feels like an island of calm by comparison. The park protects some of the largest swathes of heathland in Europe, as well as playing home to abundant birdlife. Along the coast of the region, meanwhile, you’ll find sandy beaches at Milford on Sea and Barton on Sea, as well as salt marshes. Cyclists, for their part, can enjoy plenty of quiet roads.
Nearest hostels: YHA New Forest
Photo credit: Lucas Puch / Anton Pedko / Michael Conrad / dianamower / Andrew Ward / allouphoto / goizanehm / traveltofreedom / Alan-DPhotos / Adobe Stock
