About me

Hello and a very warm welcome to Mike Brockhurst's Walking Englishman web site. I live in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and I am married to my lovely wife Lil who stoically endures my obsession for all things walking. I retired from work in 2014 to concentrate on this website in the endeavour to promote walking in Great Britain with the specific aim to find great walks and to encourage all of you out there to share my wonderful experiences by walking them too. I love walking in the British countryside; in my humble opinion, it is the best in the world.

As well as walking my other passions include history, geography and geology and evidence of these interests will surface from time to time in my walk reports. So do not be surprised to find walks which inlcudes visits to historic sites such as ancient landmarks, castles and sites relevant to our industrial heritage. Relating to my interest in geography and geology you will find walks where I visit natural wonders such as magnificent mountains and stunning waterfalls. I will endeavour to seek these out for you on the walks I feature on the website.

About the Website:

To share my passion for walking I have created the website which is dedicated to my passion for walking in the rich and varied landscape we enjoy. I simply love walking in Britain. Getting out into the hills and dales of England and exploring is always a big thrill for me. In my walks I try to seek out interesting features and if that means leaving the beaten track then I will do so. Why not join me on my walks on these pages. After all, it's all free because my intention is to inspire you all to get out and enjoy the country as much as I do.

On the site you will find lots of walks, some of them long distance journeys where I have ditched all transport, put on the back pack and set off. These can be found in the 'Long Distance Walks' categories in the left hand column. The rest of the walks are found in the 'Walks by Area' section. These are walks that can be completed in a single day. They cover distances which could take an entire day or just a few hours. They range from gentle rambles to serious hill walks. In essence there are walks for everyone to be found here.

In all my reports I tell the story as it is. Most of the time walks provide brilliant moments and I will tell you all about them. However that is not always the case and if I find a section boring I will say so. If a walk does not live up to my expectations I will also tell you why. If I ache or suffer on a walk I will tell you because I feel it is important to tell the real facts about walking. Telling it as I see it is what my site is dedicated to. You can be assured all my walking reports are told from the heart and all I ask you to consider is that you accept the walk reports as my personal reflections. They may not be the same as yours but that they are sincerely made.

About the Walks:

Most of the walks covered on this site have been walked by me. This is because I wish the site to be different, not one of the run of the mill walking sites where all the walks covered include a walk description of instructions on what to do like turn left, walk to here, walk to there, etc. The walks on this site are intended to be personalised.

My walk reports may give general descriptions but they are not intended to be bona-fide route guides. My reports are true reflections of how I experienced the walks. I try to describe all the highs and lows of the walks in my own way, telling you if I feel you are in the midst of a superb view or in the middle of a quagmire! I also describe all my personal ups and downs like swollen feet or aching limbs because if I get them it is possible others walkers may too. It's better to tell the truth than gloss over the bad moments.

The overriding factor of my website is the determination to keep all the content free. Walks, photographs, movies, statistics and general information on the site will remain free to access, free to print and free to download. Maintainance costs of the site and funding for my walking is provided by my sponsors and by the advertising featured on the website which, I hope, is not encumbant to the user.

Walks Gradings:

I have graded most of my walks in terms of difficulty to assist you to choose a particular grade of walk according to your ability, personal preference or indeed suitability for the occasion. The grades are as follows

Easy = A straightforward walk with no difficulty. Less than 5 miles in length with less than 300 metres of climbing.
Moderate = A walk of 5 miles and over and less than 10 miles and/or 300 - 599 metres of climbing.
Hard = A walk of 10 - 17.9 miles and/or 600 - 999 metres of climbing.
Strenuous = A walk of 18 miles or more and/or at least 1,000 metres of climbing.
Technical = Any walk which requires exposed ridge walking, scrambling, water crossing, etc. These walks carry explanations in the report.

Note: I have used my discretion to regrade some walks into another category if I feel the walk is more suitable to be classed under the revised grading. In most of these instances the revised graded walks are allocated a higher category.

Feedback and Suggestions:

I am always pleased to received feedback on the structure and content of the website. I also welcome suggestions on how I can improve the website which may include new areas to cover, new walks or route alterations to existing walks. To contact me with feedback and/ or suggestions please complete the Walking Englishman Feedback Form. Thank you.

(Note: Walking without proper preparation can be dangerous. Information and downloads on this website are provided free of charge; it is each walker's responsibility to check the material and use accordingly. Postscript: My walk reports are not route guides and should not be treated as such. They are written with personal reflections of my walks)