Walks in the Midlands
While the Midlands are not instantly recognisable as a walking destination there are many places where walking can be a real pleasure. For a start there are many places of outstanding beauty such as Cannock Chase, Arden, The Mease, Charnwood Forest, The Fens, The Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire Wolds, The Lincolnshire Wolds, The Trent Valley, The Potteries, The Cheshire and Shropshire Plains, Staffordshire and Sherwood Forest. In between there are many lovely countryside walks with quaint English towns and villages serving as havens for rest and refreshment before, during and after a walk. Through the efforts of guest contributors like Ken Brockway, Adam Gallimore and others and with a few of my much too infrequent efforts added I offer a selection of walks for Midlanders to enjoy on these pages.
Walks by Area:
All the Midlands Walking Routes Index
| Walk Route | Miles | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 3.7 | A walk in the park, Calke Park to be exact, site of a manorial home and shown by National Trust in decline. | |
| 4.7 | A short walk of five miles which visits two quaint Lincolnshire villages during a stroll of rural adventure. | |
| 5.6 | Not to be confused with Scotland's Great Glen, this is a much more sedate offering of a pleasant five-mile walk in the beauty of rural Leicestershire. | |
| 5.6 | It is worth the effort climbing out of the Trent Valley to Dunstall and into the National Forest for the return to the small town of Barton under Needwood. | |
| 5.8 | A thoughtful walk from the village of Jacksdale in the district of Ashfield, a walk of canals, coal and castles. | |
| 5.9 | A six-mile walk south of Stoke in the heart of Potteries country with an optional visit to an iconic pottery factory. | |
| 5.9 | A walk of six miles in Staffordshire with lots to explore, particularly if you're interested in the industrial heritage of this historic county. | |
| 6.0 | A rural Lincolnshire villages walk negotiating the maze of fields and parkland between five small and pretty villages. | |
| 6.0 | A six-mile walk which includes Shugborough Hall, some nice hills, lovely woodland and with a finale along the River Trent. | |
| 6.2 | A pleasant walk from Weston Upon Trent just north-east of Stafford across countryside to Sandon with a canalside return. | |
| 6.2 | At just over six miles, a gem of a walk between Ilkeston and Nottingham, to rural haven from urban sprawl. | |
| 6.3 | A lovely and very easy six-mile walk of river, lakes and streams in rural Nottinghamshire. | |
| 6.3 | Featuring the Cromford Canal, this Derbyshire walk explores sites of both industrial revolution and social revolution. | |
|
Lowdham, Epperstone and Thurgarton
Moderate
|
6.5 | A ten-mile walk in Nottinghamshire with lovely villages, grand houses, fields and waterside to enjoy on the way. |
| 6.8 | Gently rolling countryside once ridden by Royalty and the upper classes to eradicate the fox. They failed, but they left behind a pleasant area for walking. | |
| 6.9 | A splendid countryside walk of just under seven miles with much interest throughout as we visit some lovely villages in rural Staffordshire. | |
| 6.9 | A nice easy day walk of seven miles for any time of the year from Ticknall, south of Derby. | |
| 7.0 | Ken Brockway visits the rural heart of the county of Cheshire for this lovely seven-mile walk amidst Tudor splendour. | |
| 7.6 | A circular walk on the Nottinghamshire & Leicestershire boundary. Nether Broughton is near Melton Mowbray, famous for pork pies & Stilton cheese. | |
| 7.7 | Possibly the finest heather moorland walk in Shropshire. It certainly beguiled me with beauty. | |
| 7.7 | A walk in Northamptonshire with a dismantled railway walk and a memorial to Glenn Miller. | |
| 7.9 | An eight-mile south Derbyshire walk over ancient ground to a place of modern learning. | |
| 8.0 | Two rivers, on the Staffordshire Way for the Millennium, two pretty villages and Trent & Mersey canal. | |
| 8.1 | A walk to the highest point in Shropshire in which I and old friends meet new ones who teach us some bushcraft skills. | |
| 8.3 | The Stiperstones is a ridge with a unique rugged outline. There are also superb views on the walk. | |
|
The Wrekin and the Ercall
Moderate
|
8.6 | A spectacular Shropshire walk with fantastic woodland and views to rival those of many higher mountains. |
| 8.7 | A lovely Leicestershire walk from Thorpe Satchville to the site of an Iron Age hill fort and then in rolling landscapes which are typical of this part of the rural Midlands. | |
| 8.8 | Walk on the site of the defining battle of the Wars of the Roses and then take a quiet stroll along a canal during this interesting Leicestershire walk. | |
| 9.1 | A nine-mile linear rural walk between county boundaries from Leicestershire into Lincolnshire. The walk ends in the home town of Margaret Thatcher. | |
| 10.5 | A walk near the northern outskirts of Leicester through a series of country parks with two hilltops providing excellent views. | |
| 11.4 | An eleven-and-a-half-mile country walk in evocative Rutlandshire from Rutland Water to the neighbouring villages of Greetham and Exton. | |
|
Ripley, Pentrich and South Wingfield
Moderate
|
11.4 | Featuring Wingfield Park, this Derbyshire walk explores the countryside north and west of Ripley. |
| 11.6 | At over 10 miles a good circular walk from Brierly Forest Park near Huthwaite to Hardwick Hall and Tibshelf. | |
| 12.3 | A longer walk of over 12 miles in rural North Nottinghamshire to well-kept villages with lovely countryside between them. | |
| 12.5 | A superb walk taking in a host of classic Peak District landmarks including Hanging Stone, Lud's Church, the outstanding Roaches ridge and Hen Cloud. | |
| 13.6 | A north Leicestershire villages exploration of 13 and a half miles in which Allexton, Hallaton, Medbourne and Blaston are all on the route. | |
| 18.0 | A wonderful 18-mile linear walk through the delights of the Shropshire countryside. | |
| 21.0 | A circular tour of 21 miles around the Duke of Rutland's ancestral home, Belvoir Castle. The walk can start in any of the delightful villages along the way. | |
|
The Longmynd Hike
Strenuous
|
50.0 | Adam Gallimore treks 50 Shropshire miles in the Long Mynd and Welsh Marches on this epic challenge walk. |
Feedback and Suggestions:
I am always pleased to receive 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 get in touch with feedback and/or suggestions please contact me on one of my social media links. 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.)