Winning tip: Gloucestershire by Laurie Lee
Two of literature’s great prologues begin on the same seeping bank in the village of Slad. Begin the circular Laurie Lee walk from where the child was dropped from a cart in Cider with Rosie and from where the adolescent walked to Spain in As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning. With a well-managed schedule, you can enjoy the unique hospitality of the Woolpack Inn before and after your five-mile trek. Head clockwise or backwards and find paths lined with primroses, meadows full of skylarks and beech trees clinging to the slopes. The walk is interrupted by posts with poems by the valley’s most celebrated son.
Mathew Page
South Devon’s hidden coastal treasures
In South Devon I recommend a coastal walk starting from the car park in Ringmore village. Start by going to Ayrmer Cove. On the beach, which overlooks the canal, you can spot mermaid bags and other treasures. Then walk to Westcombe beach along the cliffs and then back through the woods, passing the house with the dog bowl, recalling a heroic dog deed to help a hermit. Or walk the other way from Ayrmer Cove towards Bigbury-on-Sea, with stunning views of Burgh Island and the Art Deco hotel. Toilets and ice are available in Bigbury – always a must on a family walk.
Victoria
Tips from Guardian Travel readers
Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of the tips are displayed online and may also appear in print. To enter the latest competition, visit the Reader Tips homepage
–
Dancing with daffodils in Derwentwater
A sure sign that spring has arrived in the Lake District are the dancing daffodils of Derwentwater – it really is a walker’s paradise. Last year a local birdwatcher made my day by giving me a tip about a secret walk away from the crowds. He sent me to the woods above the pretty village of Brigsteer, tucked away from tourists amid the Lyth Valley and Morecambe Bay. It was a sensual walk, wandering among beautiful Lenten lilies, wild garlic and beautiful bluebells, chasing an abundance of natural perfumes, which worked their magic in the spring breeze. I wandered to my pleasure but never felt alone because I was surrounded by nature at its best.
Ann
Tower hamlets in full bloom
A spring walk in the inner city’s Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, one of London’s ‘magnificent seven’, may not be an obvious choice, but if you download a map and follow the well-marked heritage trail you’ll find an abundance of spring blooms. There are clumps of blue and white bluebells, cowslips, primroses, cow parsley, wild garlic and many more varieties. Towards the end of one visit we came across a path of bright red tulips, which stood out among the blue and yellow hues. Admission is free and an audio trail introduces you to the plants and their connection with people.
Helen Jackson
Porpoises and yellowhammers in Northumberland
There’s no better place to end a walk than at the Jolly Fisherman in Craster, Northumberland. Local beer and seafood on tap, the tantalizing taste of the region’s last smokehouse, and nowhere can beat the view. Start three miles south at Longhoughton beach. Walk this stretch of coastal path in spring and watch the world wake up. Flocks of eiders gather, males draped in their finery, parading and ‘courting’. Gorse and blackthorn bloom in sheltered spots, while yellowhammers lean from the upper branches like sailors from the crow’s nest and shout for sighted treasures. Pause at Cullernose Point to spot the passing porpoise before the floating sail of salty smoke pulls you into the village.
And Witcutt
Under a big sky in Suffolk
Our favorite spring walk is from Southwold along the clean sandy beach and then across the Suffolk marshes. This area of outstanding natural beauty is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Britain. We enjoyed bird life in a watery world, such as the white egrets patiently fishing. We loved the old flint churches and sometimes diverted to “the Cathedral of the Marshes” in Blythburgh to see the huge, carved flying angels. The circle is about 13 kilometers long and local beer and fresh fish await in one of the many old pubs. As we walked under the enormous sky, it felt like we were in a Constable painting.
David Innes-Wilkin
Kissing gates and rose petals in the Yorkshire Wolds
Queen Anne’s lace and bridal white hawthorn blossoms welcome me to the East Yorkshire village of Welton, where pink petals decorate the pavements and wild ducks lead visitors across the mill pond to the picturesque Church of Saint Helen. I drive up Cowgate and along Dale Road, where the access road to the Yorkshire Wolds continues along a concrete path into a woodland valley. There are three kissing gates; A hug would be nice, but it is not required. The scents of spring, the melodies of birdsong and a soft play of colors soothe my senses. I pause to look at the steel-watered Humber and then horseshoe back to the village. Primavera has arrived.
Carol Teece
Take the bus to a West Country paradise
A £4 return ticket on the Mendip Xplorer bus 376 from Bristol – also ideal for a scenic drive to Wells and Glastonbury – is just the ticket to a great spring walk. Get off at Pensford and pass under the impressive viaduct, through lamb fields. You will end up at the Stanton Drew stone circle (free, with a donation box). On Saturdays, the Cafe Box offers cake on the go. You can continue your journey to Chew Magna or other villages, or travel back to Pensford for a dip in the weir or a meal in the Rising Sun’s riverside beer garden, with even more views of the viaduct.
Doug
Swamps and migrations in the Cairngorms
The Insh Marshes are located at the back of Kingussie in the Cairngorms National Park, between Glen Tromie and Ruthven Barracks. This RSPB Nature Reserve is a unique floodplain formed by glaciers, floods and people, which is home to an abundance of rare species and habitats. The Invertromie trail, a five kilometer walk, takes you through aspen trees, heath and birch forests, blueberry glades and orchid-rich meadows. If you like birdwatching, bring your binoculars. In spring there is a fantastic opportunity to see migratory birds such as curlew and redshank from one of the three hides on the route.
Peter Dieder
An exciting family walk in Snowdonia
The Precipice Walk on the edge of Dolgellau in Snowdonia is beautiful for many reasons: it is circular, has a car park with toilet and offers fantastic views over the Mawddach Estuary, Cader Idris, the Coed y Brenin Forest and the picturesque Llyn Cynwch Lake with minimal ascent. The walk is suitable for most of the family and those who are not afraid of heights. The walk takes about an hour and 40 minutes. Afterwards you can warm up with a piece of excellent cake and hot chocolate at café TH Roberts in Dolgellau.
Anna Kennett
Use the comments to recommend your own spring walk favorites