I don’t know if the splendid Active Travel people are aware, but there’s a social enterprise called Slow Ways, which was set up during lockdown. It aims to describe walkable links between all the towns and cities in the country, with reviews and surveys done by volunteers as to how good they are - some are not good! - and whether they are wheelable. Many can be cycled too, but that’s not the aim.
We tested one recently with my daughter and 4 month old granddaughter, so we were using a pushchair. Not all the paths are super-beautiful, but almost all are doable. My sister (approaching 70) has walked about 2,000 miles, and is really hooked!
There is an app, and the website is https://beta.slowways.org/. New reviewers are always welcome, or you can just do the walks 😊
I love the idea of making routes and places suitable for children, with the good things that will then follow. As a child, I cycled to my primary school alone - a distance of about 2 miles. There’s no way I’d let an 8 year old do that nowadays! My children are all adults now, and I get quite anxious when they cycle 😬
Former Sheffielder here. That "forlorn arch" is at the end of our road, and your comment that it's "near Durham" made me laugh. Google maps says that it is 2hr 59 minute bike ride between the two - which is, admittedly, about as "near" as we are to anywhere urban, but I'd be way of telling a cyclist that the two are close!
(Not making a serious criticism here, it just tickled me. I love your newsletter, keep up the good work!)
Sorry Dan, I should have said in County Durham, which of course is a big place! It looks spectacularly eerie and haunted though, do you get film crews turning up all the time? And ta for your comment, much appreciated.
I've never seen any film crews there, but it is over the other side of the hill from us, and most of my journeys take me in the other direction. It's certainly very well photographed (I've seen some stunning night shots of it), but I think that in general this area is not particularly popular with film crews, just because it's so hard to get to from any centre of civilisation - the nearest motorway is about an hour's drive away (albeit a very beautiful hour's drive!)
Also, I adopted something similar to the "scat singing to sheep" approach a few years ago when walking around Redmires, although my version is "singing like a bear who's just had a lovely dinner". I always do it around livestock these days, it lets then know where I am, and that I'm neither scared of them nor do I want to eat them. Plus it makes me happy! I would recommend it to anyone.
The secret seat is a fine spot, in Fulwood, on Harrison Lane just past the junction with David Lane.
I don’t know if the splendid Active Travel people are aware, but there’s a social enterprise called Slow Ways, which was set up during lockdown. It aims to describe walkable links between all the towns and cities in the country, with reviews and surveys done by volunteers as to how good they are - some are not good! - and whether they are wheelable. Many can be cycled too, but that’s not the aim.
We tested one recently with my daughter and 4 month old granddaughter, so we were using a pushchair. Not all the paths are super-beautiful, but almost all are doable. My sister (approaching 70) has walked about 2,000 miles, and is really hooked!
There is an app, and the website is https://beta.slowways.org/. New reviewers are always welcome, or you can just do the walks 😊
I love the idea of making routes and places suitable for children, with the good things that will then follow. As a child, I cycled to my primary school alone - a distance of about 2 miles. There’s no way I’d let an 8 year old do that nowadays! My children are all adults now, and I get quite anxious when they cycle 😬
Jct Harrison Ln/ David Ln - it was a surprise find for me.
Former Sheffielder here. That "forlorn arch" is at the end of our road, and your comment that it's "near Durham" made me laugh. Google maps says that it is 2hr 59 minute bike ride between the two - which is, admittedly, about as "near" as we are to anywhere urban, but I'd be way of telling a cyclist that the two are close!
(Not making a serious criticism here, it just tickled me. I love your newsletter, keep up the good work!)
Sorry Dan, I should have said in County Durham, which of course is a big place! It looks spectacularly eerie and haunted though, do you get film crews turning up all the time? And ta for your comment, much appreciated.
I've never seen any film crews there, but it is over the other side of the hill from us, and most of my journeys take me in the other direction. It's certainly very well photographed (I've seen some stunning night shots of it), but I think that in general this area is not particularly popular with film crews, just because it's so hard to get to from any centre of civilisation - the nearest motorway is about an hour's drive away (albeit a very beautiful hour's drive!)
Also, I adopted something similar to the "scat singing to sheep" approach a few years ago when walking around Redmires, although my version is "singing like a bear who's just had a lovely dinner". I always do it around livestock these days, it lets then know where I am, and that I'm neither scared of them nor do I want to eat them. Plus it makes me happy! I would recommend it to anyone.
Great idea. I’ve heard this approach works with German wolves too. My own singing would keep anything well away from earshot, I’m sure.