The Chesterfield Area Walking Festival boasts two weeks of guided walking activities taking in the beautiful Chesterfield landscape.

From the 12th – 20th May 2012, you can choose from over 55 walks, many of them free of charge.

A clear and concise website details daily walking events

Enjoy the Chesterfield area on foot, discovering pretty villages, exploring beautiful bluebell woods or treading the Cuckoo Way alongside the ‘Haunted Canal’.

Take in some history as you follow in Elizabeth Shrewsbury’s footsteps around Hardwick, get up with the birds to hear the dawn chorus or follow the Chesterfield Murder Walk – if you dare!

Looking for a challenge?  Try the Chesterfield Round Walk, a 34 mile trek through countryside surrounding the town.  Or brave the 20 mile Beast of Bolsover.

If that’s all too much, try the Five Circular Walks – five walks of around 10 miles each through a variety of countryside.

Most walks are free so there’s no excuse not to join in, and every excuse to have a pint at the end of several of them.  All are led by a fully trained guide who knows the history, wildlife and the best countryside to walk through (as well as the best pubs to visit) in the beautiful Chesterfield landscape.

The Chesterfield Area Walking Festival website lists the events daily with clear information about facilities, suitability and booking details.

More information

Chesterfield Area Walking Festival website 

Walking from Coniston sponsored by Polartec offers four different walks of varying difficulty;

Download Walking fron Coniston leaflet

Yewdale and Tarn Hows
Woodland, dashing becks and tranquil lakes set against a back drop of craggy knolls and distant mountains are the signature of this part of the fells and this walk brings them all together.

Western shore of Coniston water
Backed by low fells and woodland, the western shore of Coniston Water is a delightful place for a walk. A mixture ofpaths and tracks weave in and out of the trees and across parkland never straying out of sight of the lake.

Coniston round
Fronted by the rugged Coniston Old Man and the towering cliffs of Dow Crag, the stunning peaks of the Coniston Fells are a Lake District classic. All day long you are high on ridges with superb views out to the coast and back into the surrounding mountains.

Coppermines valley and the bell
The Coppermines Valley, as its name suggests, has been of interest to miners as far back as Elizabethan times. Deep shaft entrances mark its length and high-walled quarries ring its enclosing slopes. The contrasting high summits and crags are particularly impressive making

Before setting off on any of these walks please plot the route on an appropriate map: OS Landranger 90, OS Landranger 96,  OS Landranger 98,  OS Explorer OL 6,

Polartec Routes - With routes to suit all abilities sponsored by Polartec, you will be sure to take in some great scenery in and around;
Ambelside, Coniston, Keswick

Family walks near Coniston sponsored by Sprayway contains two walking routes around Coniston perfect for families.

Coniston Water – Torver Back Common

Download Family walks near Coniston leaflet

The western shore at the southern end of Coniston Water is overlooked by a little group of hills called Torver Back Common.

The slopes of the hills sweep right down to the lake where a mixture of fast running becks, old gnarled trees and secretive gravel beaches make the perfect backdrop for fun and adventure.

Blue Route (Long)

A 5km, 2-3 hour route starting at Sunny Bank jetty take sin narrow road, fell track, small rocky summits, lake side path, woodland and gravel beaches.

Green Route (Short)

a 2km, 1 -2 hour walk catches the launch from the Coniston Boating Centre to Sunny Bank jetty.  Follow paths along the shore to an ideal picnic spot.

Before setting off on any of these walks please plot the route on an appropriate map: OS Landranger 96, OS Landranger 97,  OS Explorer OL 6,

Sprayway Family Walks – A series of golakes walking routes perfect for families is sponsored by Sprayway.
Starting from classic destinations throughout the county there is a shorter route for little ones and a longer one for the more adventurous, so the whole family can get out and enjoy the best of the Adventure Capital.
Coniston, Buttermere, Patterdale, Borrowdale and Rydal areas are fetaured in this set.

A host of walks are within easy reach of the handsome Georgian town of Cockermouth in Cumbria.

Explore more from Cockermouth sponsored by Jennings offers four different walks of varying difficulty;

Download Explore more from Cockermouth walks leaflet

• Watch Hill via the Allerdale ramble
• Lorton Vale and Whin Fell
• Lord’s Seat, Broom Fell and Greystones
• Sale Fell and views of Bassenthwaite lake

Follow an easy climb to gain a lofty view point, a low level inter valley walk or a summit bagging tour of Lorton Vale.

Visit the dramatic waterfall at Spout Force or enjoy a full day’s walk on a circular tour of Sale Fell.

Look out for Jennings pubs along the walks and enjoy a pint of Cumberland Ale – you’re never far away from a well-deserved glass of Jennings beer!

Before setting off on any of these walks please plot the route on an appropriate map: OS Landranger 90, OS Explorer OL 4, OS Explorer OL5

Jennings Ale Trails - Long Distance walks sponsored by Jennings Brewery, explore some great days out in the Lake District and Cumbria. With routes to suit all abilities, you will be sure to take in some great scenery, good food and real ale.
Explore more series focuses on; Cockermouth, Wasdale and Eskdale, Keswick and Elterwater

The Cleveland Way crosses the North York Moors national Park, a diverse landscape of heather moorland, scenic dales and villages.

Cleveland Way courtesy of National Trail

A warm Yorkshire welcome awaits walkers in this region as the route enjoys the dramatic cliffs of the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast as well as enchanting settlements such as Staithes and Robin Hood’s Bay.

You can stop along the way at the towns of Whitby and Scarborough.

Apart from the scenery, there is an incredible wealth of history not far from the Cleveland Way at the famous Castles and Abbeys, including 7th century Whitby Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey which was England’s first Cistercian church and Scarborough Castle.

Accessible

While some parts of the Cleveland Way are quite strenuous, there are sections without barriers which are accessible to everyone.

A series of four Easy Access walks along the Cleveland Way vary in their level of difficulty.

The Sutton Bank, Ravenscar and Robin Hood’s Bay walks are short ones that may be suitable for people with impaired mobility, with a pushchair, wheelchair or mobility scooter, where there are no kissing gates.

The Baysdale walk is far more challenging. None of the detailed walks have steps or stiles and comprehensive information is provided on the gradients and surfaces to expect.

Download the Cleveland Way easy access walks from the National Trail website.

More information

National Trail Guides – Natural England has worked in partnership with Aurum Press to produce a series of official National Trail Guides which cover all the established National Trails in England and Wales.

National Trail website – National Trails are long distance routes for walking, cycling and horse riding through the finest landscapes in England and Wales.

North Sea Trail – The coastal length of the Cleveland way form part of the North Sea Trail.