Welcome to the World On Your Doorstep

Welcome all to our very first post. However you have found us it’s likely you are here because of a mutual love of the outdoors and this is certainly the place for you if that is so. But this site is for all outdoor lovers. It is not just for die-hards in £400 gore-tex jackets trekking between the poles. This is for the likes of you and me, who are just happy to be outside, preferably in the sun. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good tech jacket, but as long as I’m outdoors with my other half and my dog I’m a happy bloke.

Bea and Dave

There is a good reason being outside makes you feel good, because it is good for you, especially if you are walking. Take a look here to hear it from the doctor’s mouth. The problem is the same old walk every week in the same country park can get a little tedious. That’s why we’re here to help. This blog is going to feature all our walks, the successful and less so, how we go about planning them, the equipment we take and how we navigate the route. A lot of people are held back from really exploring because they don’t understand how to read a map and are scared of getting lost. If you are after back bearings and triangulation there are many good technical sites out there for you to geek out on. We however will provide you with the basics to get you out into the Great British countryside.

Chuck.

A lot of it comes down to good planning and basic knowledge e.g. the blue on a map is water. Don’t plan your route across blue lines or you’ll get wet, unless there’s a bridge. See, invaluable advice already. But then you’ll need to know the map symbol for a bridge. And the grid lines are blue too, so you’ll need to know the difference. The confidence to know where you are (ish) all (ish) of the time will give you that more adventurous spirit and allow you to see places not many people have seen surprisingly close to your home.

Have you ever been driving down a road in the country and seen a sign with ‘Public Footpath’ written on it? Don’t you want to know where it goes? Where it comes out? What you’ll see down there? Wouldn’t you love to stand on a hill commanding views of your whole county? A weekend spent walking, instead of lazing in front of the TV (that’s for week nights) will provide you with all this for almost zero outlay. Your initial costs will be boots and a small bag. Something you may already own. As you get more adventurous you can look at getting waterproofs (essential in the UK) and some more comfortable walking attire (it’s far more comfy than sexy). Also once you’ve exhausted your local area you’ll need to drive further afield.

Where does it lead?

So what can you expect to see on this blog? Well as mentioned there will be easy to follow planning and map reading advice. But also there will be stories of our own walks to hopefully inspire you to get out there. A walk is not a walk without a pint (cider, not beer) or a G&T so there will be pub reviews and also reviews of other attractions along the way. There will also be some kit reviews and not the nicey nicey I’m reviewing your product for a cut type reviews either. It’ll be kit I’ve been using for some time and with no brand loyalty, although I do own an inordinate amount of Berghaus kit.

"These are a few of my favourite things" Julie Andrews - The Sound of Music

Expect to see a post about once a week. I’m a busy bloke but I’ll do my best, because let’s be honest, I’d rather be outside than sat typing this. What sort of articles are you interested in seeing here? What walks do you like? Please share them so others can enjoy them or maybe we could even try them out. Please suggest your routes and if we're in your neck of the woods we'll give it a go. Until next time.