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Bradford, Shipley & beyond: a Slow Ways journey

Saira Niazi
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Bradford, Shipley & beyond: a Slow Ways journey

In the run-up to our pilot National Slow Ways Swarm, Saira spent some time in West Yorkshire, walking Slow Ways and getting to know amazing local people and places in the process

On my first day, while photographing a sign outside the African Caribbean Achievement Project in a diverse, lively part of Bradford, a lady came out and invited me into the centre, where she introduced me to other staff and gave me a tour of the beautiful Victorian building.

Makeeda then took me to the Furniture Hacks upcycling workshop and told me about all of the amazing services the centre runs, from healing circles and healthy cooking projects to mentoring for young people.

I told her about Slow Ways and invited her and the staff members to our Leeds get-together. I said goodbye to everyone, and continued to walk through central Bradford towards the station in the golden late afternoon light.

Shortly after arriving at the station, I got the train to Shipley where I would start my first Yorkshire Slow Ways walk, Shibra one, Shipley to Bradford.

The first part of the walk was really varied; I followed a waterway and quiet pathways that ran parallel to the main road. Soon however the sky darkened and it began to rain. I couldn’t find the path on the route that led from the end of a hilly road towards a countryside opening. I decided instead to reroute my journey and follow an A-road the rest of the way.

On the way, I came by a mosque where I met a trustee named Mohammed. He told me it was the first purpose-built mosque in the North and that it was connected to a youth club where they ran activities. He gave me a tour of the newly refurbished space.

Soon enough I was back where I began. Although I wasn’t successful in following the route, I was glad I was able to find another way and make some new connections! I also defo learnt my lesson (don’t start a walk at sunset without doing some research!)

The next morning, I set out to walk from Brighouse to Bradford, Bribra one. Although the weather was tumultuous – a mix of snow, rain, hailstones and sunshine – the walk itself was really enjoyable and varied. Thank you to volunteer and super-walker @DavSanderson for designing such a brilliant route! (See more about David here.)

From industrial estates in South Bradford (comprising factories, warehouses and an aerospace HQ that emitted the most otherworldly sounds), and colourful underpasses, to the countryside and the lovely village of Wyke – the route was filled with surprises. The highlights included makeshift stiles, a tiny rivulet path and a family of goats.

Somewhere along the way, I popped into a textile shop where I met a Pakistani woman named Nadia who worked there. We spent ages talking in broken Urdu. She told me she walks around her neighbourhood every day with her neighbour and keeps herself busy in the shop. She was charismatic and warm. She moved to the UK three years ago. She didn’t have anyone she knew in Yorkshire apart from her neighbour, and her husband who worked long hours. She found a job in a local textile shop to keep busy, and loves to talk to make new friends.

Although there were some challenges (a bit of missing river path, LOTS of mud, crazy weather and slight rerouting to go around private land) it’s a brilliant Slow Way that takes you from a frentic vibrant Bradford into Brighouse through serene countryside and unlikely pathways.

The next day before heading back to London, I spontaneously took a trip to Hebden Bridge, famous as one of the most alternative areas of the UK. I wandered by the canal and high street, and met some local lovely people. It was filled with colour and magic.

I remembered Makeeda’s words from my first day, “People in the North are known for being warm and friendly!” I couldn’t agree more! West Yorkshire is filled with wonder and heart.

See Slow Ways on Countryfile? Find out how to get started with us!

Saira Niazi
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See Slow Ways on Countryfile? Find out how to get started with us!

We were joined by the BBC’s Countryfile for a wet and wondrous walk from Warwick to Leamington Spa! Read on for a quick-start guide to joining Slow Ways (rain optional!)

Despite the relentless weather, Warwick-Leamington Spa was a five-star route. The group of dedicated route-reviewers – Mary, Lynn, Kelly, Ingrina and David, plus the Countryfile film crew – reviewed the route after we’d all got home and dry, and unanimously considered it worthy. See the episode here; we’re 10 minutes in.

By the end of the day the route was verified, which means that it had three positive reviews (and more!), and a snail badge of approval. It is now considered a trustworthy part of the Slow Ways network. A satisfying result!

Photo by Mary Austin
Photo by Mary Austin

Trustworthy, and beautiful too. The route took us through the picturesque streets of Warwick town, offered a hazy glimpse of the castle turrets from prim parkland filled with a myriad of old trees, and along the beautiful river Avon. Despite the pouring rain, the group were taking photographs, vlogging, sketching and surveying along the way.

See the walk on the BBC!

Watch us on Countryfile here

After the film crew left us we continued on to Leamington Spa, passing by an aqueduct, a field of sheep, an international bowls match, and a whole host of other interesting sights and sounds. Our day together was filled with laughter and joy, connection and discovery.

The Slow Ways route from Warwick to Leamington Spa, Warroy one, freshly verified and a trustworthy strand of the national network

People all over the UK are walking an average of 137km of Slow Ways every day (!), peer reviewing, testing, amending and bringing valuable local knowledge to the routes. Together these many hundreds of volunteers are well on the way to having created a fully verified national walking network connecting all the towns, cities and national parks in Great Britain.

Sound like your sort of thing? Read on below to find out how you can get involved.

Lynn’s journal log of the route

Your guide to getting started with Slow Ways

Through the series of videos below, Cristie will talk you through the process of signing up to the site, choosing and downloading a route, and leaving your first review (they really needn’t be long!).

Step 1: Sign up to Slow Ways! It’s free and easy

Having an account allows you to create waylists (route collections for future plans), leave reviews and track the numbers of routes you’ve walked!

Sign up here, or watch the video for help with signing up.

Step 2: Find and download the route

Find a route, download the GPX file and open it on a navigation app like OS Maps, Garmin Basecamp (laptop app), Viking (laptop app), Outdoor Active (mobile app) or Locus map (Android only). You can also go old-school and either print the map via Inkatlas or simply draw it onto an Ordnance Survey map.

You can use the Slow Ways website to search for a route in your local area or futher afield. If you’re just getting started, you can try walking a route that’s already been reviewed so that you know what to expect! Feeling bold? Be the first to pioneer a route that has no reviews.

Step 3: Walk the route!

Now for the fun bit – plan and walk a route! During your journey you can take some photos and make some notes. You can add these to your review later on.

You don’t have to walk the whole route in one day – for most routes there are points every 5km where you can jump off. You can easily break a route into a number of sections and then post a review when you’ve completed all of them.

Step 4: Leave a review!

It’s easy to leave a review. Simply find the route you walked, scroll down the page and click ‘review this route’. You can then give it a star rating and add a review.

It can be as long or short as you like! Is it a viable route? Did you enjoy it? Did you face any challenges? What was the weather like? Did you have any interesting encounters or discover any gems along the way? Share them with the next walker!

If you find that a route isn’t possible to walk, you can upload a new gpx file via the ‘Suggest a Better Route’ function or write about the issue in your review so that others know how to get around it.

Step 5: Create a waylist of your dream routes and journeys and plan them using Slow Ways! You can make your waylist public to share it with others too

Part of the fun of using Slow Ways is planning purposeful adventures. You can do this by creating waylists that feature some of your dream routes. Recently I have created a number of waylists which I have given names like Sea Dreamer, Edgelands, Multicultural Magic, Pastoral Visions, and my personal favourite ‘You Will Get Lost!’

Dan’s national parks trail waylist

Each of my waylists consists of routes in different parts of Great Britain, but yours could be a holiday plan, a hit-list of routes in your local area, or a gauntlet to share with a friend. Click the button below for more in-depth how to guides from Cristie to help you on your Slow Ways journey.

Welcome on board, and happy walking!

More Slow Ways how to guides

Slow Ways has kindly received support from the National Lottery Community Fund. Thank you National Lottery players!

Join the next Slow Ways National Swarm / Ymunwch â’n Penwythnos Prysur Cenedlaethol

Slow Ways
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Join the next Slow Ways National Swarm / Ymunwch â’n Penwythnos Prysur Cenedlaethol

How far can we walk in a weekend? Join the second swarm and find out! / Pa mor bell y gallwn ni gerdded mewn un penwythnos? Cerddwch yn ystod ein Penwythnos Prysur i gael gwybod!

Our national #SlowWays swarm has started – Keep track of our collective progress here!

We would love for you to get involved in our next National Slow Ways Swarm weekend, taking place on the 27-29 May, 2022. On your own or in a group, long routes or short routes, urban or rural: add your walk(s) to the collective total and be part of the buzz as we tick off as many as we can! There will be a special get-together in central Cardiff on Saturday 28th May to celebrate.

On Ellbri, between Elland and Brighouse, West Yorkshire, by Jane Taylor /
Ar Ellbri rhwng Elland a Brighouse, Gorllewin Swydd Gaerefrog, gan Jane Taylor

Swarms really work!

Over one weekend in March we invited people from across Great Britain to walk and review as many Slow Ways walking routes as possible in a single weekend as part of our pilot swarm. See some of the swarm stories here.

From Bradford to Brighton, Aberystwyth to Alnwick, people undertook exciting Slow Ways journeys alone, with friends, or in groups. Along the way new connections were made, areas discovered, and pathways traversed. The swarm was a big success!

Over the weekend, we collectively walked 1500 miles – covering 233 routes. Of those, 33 routes gained their third positive review, which meant they became verified. Over 50 per cent of the routes on our network have now been reviewed, which is fantastic – but we still have a way to go!

Black Brook, between Ripponden and Elland, West Yorkshire, on Ripell Slow Way, by Jane Taylor / Black Brook, rhwng Ripponden ac Elland, Gorllewin Swydd Gaerefrog, gan Jane Taylor

How do we get involved?

On your own or as a group you could:

  • walk a single Slow Way to a neighbouring town
  • walk as many routes as you can over the weekend
  • walk to a distant place by combining multiple routes
  • be a pioneer: If you are looking for inspiration on which Slow Ways to walk, it would be useful to look at routes which haven’t been reviewed yet. Filling some of those gaps will really connect up the network nationally. Pioneering a route that has not been walked before will give people who follow in your footsteps more confidence to try the route too.
  • go snail bagging: Bagging a snail means being the person to award a route its fully verified status, by giving it its third positive review. You can help to fully verify routes and ‘bag snails’ on your own or as part of a group – each person’s review counts.

The easiest routes are short 5km urban walks. The most challenging are over 40km and go through remote and rugged terrain. The average Slow Ways route is about 15km and will connect places with public transport.

Many of the Slow Ways routes are untested and some may even be dangerous. It’s really important that you only walk routes that are within your experience. You will be entirely responsible for your own happiness and safety.

If that’s fine with you, we’d love to have your help with this pilot swarm. Simply sign-up below.

Between Coulsdon and Brixton, by Michael Schiller / Rhwng Coulsdon a Brixton

Taking part is as easy as going for a walk

To take part simply follow these three steps:

1. Choose a Slow Ways route: Taking part on your own or in a group, this map will help you to target your efforts.

2. Walk it: Walk the route on your own or in a group.

3. Review it: Make sure you share a review so that we know you’ve completed the walk!

We’ll be added a totaliser to our homepage so that we can see our collective achievements over the weekend.

We want to inspire lots more people to contribute to Slow Ways

Spread the word: Are you on social media? If so, please help to spread the word about what you are doing using the hashtag #SlowWays. We are @SlowWaysUK on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

On Wobwob (Woburn to Woburn Sands, Bucks), by Andrew Mackay / Ar Wobwob, Sir Bwcingham, gan Andrew Mackay

Slow Ways so far

Slow Ways is a grassroots initiative to create a national network of walking routes. The routes connect all of Great Britain’s towns and cities, making it easier for people to imagine, plan and enjoy walking and wheeling journeys between places.

So far 8,000 walking routes have been suggested by volunteers. Our current challenge is to check them all – that’s 120,000km of routes! It’s a big challenge, but totally doable with enough people.

You can walk and review any time, but the swarm will be a big push with energy and fanfare, and a post-walk get-together.

Slow Ways is supported by the National Lottery Community Fund.

Byddem wrth ein bodd pe baech yn cymryd rhan ym Mhenwythnos Prysur Cenedlaethol nesaf Slow Ways rhwng 27 a 29 Mai 2022. P’un a fyddwch yn cerdded ar eich pen eich hun neu mewn grŵp, ar hyd llwybrau hir neu lwybrau byr, mewn ardal drefol neu allan yn y wlad: cofiwch ychwanegu eich taith/teithiau at ein cyfanswm cyffredinol er mwyn bod yn rhan o’r cyffro wrth i ni gerdded cymaint ag sy’n bosibl o lwybrau! Bydd yna gyfle arbennig i ddod ynghyd yng nghanol Caerdydd ddydd Sadwrn 28 Mai i ddathlu.

Mae Penwythnosau Prysur wir yn gweithio!

Yn ystod un penwythnos ym mis Mawrth, gwnaethom wahodd pobl o bob cwr o Brydain i gerdded ac adolygu cymaint ag sy’n bosibl o lwybrau Slow Ways mewn un penwythnos, yn rhan o’n Penwythnos Prysur peilot. Mae rhai o straeon y Penwythnos Prysur i’w gweld yma.

O Bradford i Brighton ac o Aberystwyth i Alnwick, aeth pobl ati i gerdded llwybrau Slow Ways ar eu pen eu hunain, gyda ffrindiau neu mewn grwpiau. Ar y ffordd cafodd cysylltiadau newydd eu creu, cafodd ardaloedd newydd eu darganfod a chafodd llwybrau newydd eu troedio. Roedd y Penwythnos Prysur yn llwyddiant mawr!

Rhwng Coulsdon a Brixton yn Llundain / Between Coulsdon and Brixton, London, by Michael Schiller

Gyda’n gilydd dros y penwythnos, gwnaethom gerdded 1500 o filltiroedd ar hyd 233 o wahanol lwybrau. Cafodd 33 o’r llwybrau hynny eu trydydd adolygiad cadarnhaol, a oedd yn golygu wedyn eu bod wedi’u dilysu. Erbyn hyn, mae dros 50 y cant o lwybrau ein rhwydwaith wedi cael eu hadolygu, sy’n wych o beth – ond mae gennym ffordd bell i fynd!

Sut mae cymryd rhan?

Ar eich pen eich hun neu mewn grŵp, gallech:

  • gerdded un o lwybrau Slow Ways i dref gyfagos
  • cerdded cymaint o lwybrau ag y gallwch dros y penwythnos
  • cerdded i le pell i ffwrdd drwy gyfuno sawl llwybr â’i gilydd
  • arwain y ffordd: Os ydych yn chwilio am ysbrydoliaeth ynglŷn â pha un o lwybrau Slow Ways i’w gerdded, byddai’n ddefnyddiol ystyried llwybrau sydd heb eu hadolygu eto. Bydd llenwi rhai o’r bylchau yn cyfrannu at gryfhau’r rhwydwaith yn genedlaethol. Bydd cerdded llwybr nad oes neb wedi’i gerdded o’r blaen yn rhoi i’r bobl a fydd yn eich dilyn fwy o hyder i geisio cerdded y llwybr hwnnw hefyd.
  • casglu malwod: Byddwch yn casglu malwen os chi fydd y person a fydd yn rhoi i lwybr ei drydydd adolygiad cadarnhaol, a fydd yn golygu felly ei fod wedi’i ddilysu yn llawn. Gallwch helpu i ddilysu llwybrau’n llawn a ‘chasglu malwod’ ar eich pen eich hun neu mewn grŵp – mae adolygiad pob person yn cyfrif.

Llwybrau trefol 5 cilomedr o hyd yw’r llwybrau hawsaf. Mae’r llwybrau mwyaf heriol yn 40 cilomedr a mwy o hyd ac yn mynd drwy ardaloedd anghysbell o dir garw. Ar gyfartaledd, mae llwybrau Slow Ways yn oddeutu 15 cilomedr o hyd ac maent yn cysylltu mannau lle mae yna drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus â’i gilydd.

Littleborough i Ripponden, neu Litrip, gan Jane-Taylor / Littleborough to Ripponden, or Litrip, by Jane-Taylor

Mae llawer o lwybrau Slow Ways yn llwybrau nad oes neb wedi’u cerdded, a gallai rhai ohonynt fod yn beryglus hyd yn oed. Mae’n wirioneddol bwysig mai’r unig lwybrau y byddwch yn eu cerdded yw’r llwybrau sy’n cyd-fynd â’ch profiad. Chi’n unig sy’n gyfrifol am eich diogelwch a’ch hapusrwydd.

Byddem wrth ein bodd pe bai modd i chi ein helpu gyda’r Penwythnos Prysur peilot hwn, os ydych yn fodlon. Gallwch gofrestru isod.

Mae cymryd rhan mor hawdd â mynd am dro

I gymryd rhan, dilynwch y tri cham hyn:

1. Dewiswch un o lwybrau Slow Ways: P’un a fyddwch yn cymryd rhan ar eich pen eich hun neu mewn grŵp, bydd y map hwn yn eich helpu i sianelu eich ymdrechion.

2. Cerddwch y llwybr: Cerddwch y llwybr ar eich pen eich hun neu mewn grŵp.

3. Adolygwch y llwybr: Gwnewch yn siŵr eich bod yn rhannu adolygiad fel ein bod yn gwybod eich bod wedi cerdded y llwybr!

Byddwn yn rhoi adnodd cyfrifo cyfanswm ar ein hafan er mwyn i ni allu gweld beth y byddwn wedi’i gyflawni gyda’n gilydd dros y penwythnos.

Rydym am ysbrydoli llawer yn rhagor o bobl i gyfrannu i Slow Ways

Rhannwch y neges: Ydych chi ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol? Os felly, helpwch ni i rannu’r neges am yr hyn rydych yn ei wneud, gan ddefnyddio’r hashnod #SlowWays. Ein dolen ar Twitter, Instagram a Facebook yw @SlowWaysUK.

Slow Ways hyd yn hyn

Menter ar lawr gwlad yw Slow Ways i greu rhwydwaith cenedlaethol o lwybrau cerdded. Mae’r llwybrau yn cysylltu pob un o drefi a dinasoedd Prydain â’i gilydd, sy’n ei gwneud yn haws i bobl ddychmygu, cynllunio a mwynhau mynd o le i le ar droed ac ar olwynion.

Mor belled, mae 8,000 o lwybrau cerdded wedi’u hawgrymu gan wirfoddolwyr. Yr her i ni ar hyn o bryd yw eu harchwilio i gyd – 120,000 cilomedr o lwybrau! Mae’n her enfawr ond yn un y mae modd ei chyflawni â digon o bobl.

Gallwch gerdded ac adolygu unrhyw bryd, ond bydd y Penwythnos Prysur yn ymgyrch amlwg, a fydd yn llawn egni a bwrlwm, a bydd yna gyfle i ni gwrdd â’n gilydd ar ôl cerdded.

Chard i Crewkerne (Chacre dau) yng Ngwlad yr Haf. Taith gerdded pum seren ym marn Helen Gough / Chard to Crewkerne (Chacre two) in Somerset. A five-star walk in Helen Gough’s opinion

Caiff menter Slow Ways ei chefnogi gan Gronfa Gymunedol y Loteri Genedlaethol.

Sign up

Please register your interest by filling in the form below, so we can keep you updated on the swarm.

If you signed up for the first swarm there is no need to sign up again.

Feel free to skip any sections you don’t know the answer to yet.

Cofrestrwch

Cofrestrwch eich diddordeb trwy’r ffurflen isod, er mwyn i ni anfon y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i chi.

Os gwnaethoch gofrestru ar gyfer y Pythefnos Prysur gyntaf nid oes angen cofrestru eto.

Mae croeso i chi adael unrhyw adrannau nad ydych chi’n gwybod yr ateb iddynt eto.

* indicates required / yn ofynnol

Are you registering as an individual or a group? / Ydych chi’n cofrestru fel unigolyn neu grŵp?

Your provisional plans / Eich cynlluniau hyd yn hyn

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You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website. / Gallwch ddad-danysgrifio unrhyw bryd trwy glicio ar y ddolen yn nhroedyn ein he-byst. I gael gwybodaeth am ein harferion preifatrwydd, ewch i’n gwefan.

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Wythnos o gerdded yng Nghymru

Hannah Engelkamp
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Wythnos o gerdded yng Nghymru

Tim Ryan sy’n hen gyfarwydd â cherdded pellter mawr yn defnyddio Slow Ways i gynllunio ei daith gerdded wythnos o hyd o Gaerdydd i Aberystwyth

Read this article in English here / Darllenwch yr erthygl yn Saesneg yma

O edrych ar y map cynnydd, mae’n amlwg bod angen i ni yng Nghymru fwrw ati. Mae yna rai esgusodion da. Un ohonynt yw’r ffaith bod llawer o’n llwybrau Slow Ways yn hir – mae ein haneddleoedd ymhell oddi wrth ei gilydd, a bydd yn cymryd mwy na diwrnod i fi gerdded llawer o’r llwybrau sydd yn fy rhwydwaith lleol i. Mae trafnidiaeth yn her arall – os yw llwybrau’n mynd ar draws mynyddoedd, gall fod yn anodd cyrraedd adref a gall bysiau fod yn brin, hyd yn oed rhwng trefi. Mae gennym y naill esgus ar ôl y llall!

Yn ffodus, rwy’n gwybod yn bendant y bydd 19 o lwybrau Slow Ways sy’n dilyn ei gilydd yng Nghymru yn ymddangos ar y map cynnydd cyn bo hir fel llwybrau sydd wedi’u hadolygu – a llawer ohonynt am y tro cyntaf – diolch i Tim Ryan sy’n hen gyfarwydd â cherdded pellter mawr. Llwyddodd Tim i ddatrys y broblem o ran trafnidiaeth drwy wersylla, ac mae’n aelod o’r Gymdeithas Cerddwyr Pellter Mawr ers amser, felly doedd y pellter ddim yn broblem chwaith. Nid yw llwybrau hir yn ei boeni o gwbl.

Dim (cweit) y Daith Cambria!

Fe wnes i gwrdd â Tim ar y prom yn Aberystwyth, ar ddiwedd ei wythnos o wyliau pwrpasol, ar ôl iddo fwynhau cerdded ar hyd llinell letraws i gyfeiriad y gogledd-orllewin o Gaerdydd. Nid cyd-ddigwyddiad mo’r ffaith bod y llwybr a ddilynodd Tim yn fy atgoffa o hanner deheuol Taith Cambria, sef y llwybr cerdded o’r de i’r gogledd sy’n enwog am fod yn heriol ac sy’n fwriadol yn cynnwys pob copa y mae’n dod ar eu traws. Yn ôl fy ffrindiau sydd wedi cerdded y llwybr, mae gweld y man uchaf yn y dirwedd ac anelu ato dro ar ôl tro yn anodd yn feddyliol yn ogystal ag yn gorfforol.

Waylist Tim – cawn weld yn byw yma

Yn ôl Tim, ei fwriad yn wreiddiol oedd dilyn Taith Cambria, ond newidiodd ei gynlluniau ar ôl iddo rwygo cyhyr ym mola ei goes. Roedd fersiwn Slow Ways o’r llwybr yn berffaith. Mewn gwirionedd, roedd yn her i’r gwrthwyneb, oherwydd mae Slow Ways yn osgoi’r copaon yn fwriadol ac yn rhoi blaenoriaeth i’r llwybrau mwyaf uniongyrchol rhwng trefi.

“Rydw i wedi dringo Pen y Fan droeon, felly wnes i ddim gweld eisiau’r golygfeydd. Mae cerdded llwybrau Slow Ways yn flaenoriaeth wahanol – mae’r boddhad yn deillio o adolygu’r llwybr ar gyfer y person nesaf ac ystyried y llwybr fel hynny.”

Diwrnod un allan o Gaerdydd: Caerdydd i Bontprennau i Draethen i Risca / Lluniau tirwedd gan Tim Ryan

“Roedd y diwrnod cyntaf allan o Gaerdydd yn llwybr pum seren, heb os. Cefais fy synnu – roedd y llwybr cyfan ar y ffyrdd – ond roedd ganddynt balmentydd ac roedd cerdded arnynt yn wirioneddol braf.”

Cerddodd Tim ar hyd pedwar o lwybrau Slow Ways ar y diwrnod cyntaf a phump ar yr ail ddiwrnod, ond erbyn iddo gyrraedd canol Mynyddoedd Cambria roedd angen dau ddiwrnod arno i gerdded llwybr gwych 34 cilomedr/21 milltir o hyd Trerha. Fferm yn unig oedd un o’r nodau anghysbell (term Slow Ways ar gyfer aneddle).

Beth bynnag, meddai, roedd fersiwn Slow Ways o Daith Cambria ymhell o fod yn hawdd. “Wrth groesi’r Mynyddoedd Duon, fe feddyliais i bod yn rhaid i fi ganolbwyntio o ddifri’! Roeddwn i’n gallu gweld popeth o’m cwmpas yn glir, roeddwn i’n defnyddio map a chwmpawd i ddod o hyd i’r ffordd – roedd yn nodweddiadol o amgylchedd lle mae arweinwyr mynydd yn ennill eu cymwysterau. Sylwi ar bob carreg frig, gwybod ble’n union roeddwn i bob amser; roedd yn wirioneddol anodd. Bydd yn rhaid i fi ddweud yn yr adolygiad na ddylai neb gerdded y llwybr heb fap a chwmpawd.”

Diwrnod tri, Tredegar i Abercynafon i Nant-Ddu

Mae hygyrchedd yn rhywbeth cymharol, meddai – rhaid i unrhyw lwybr fod yn “hygyrch o fewn eich gallu chi, ac mae’n bosibl bod lefel eich gallu’n golygu na allwch ddarllen map neu nad ydych yn hoffi cerdded ar ffyrdd, er enghraifft – mae’n fwy na bod yn hygyrch i gadair olwyn. Nid fi sydd i ddweud beth y gall neu beth na all rhywun ei wneud; fy ngwaith i yw bod yn onest am yr hyn y bydd rhywun yn dod ar ei draws. Byddaf yn nodi bod yna gamfeydd, neu dwmpathau o laswellt, neu beth bynnag, ac yna’n gadael i bobl benderfynu drostynt eu hunain.”

Mae’n amlwg bod Tim yn hoff iawn o fynd i archwilio llwybrau cyn i eraill fynd ati i’w cerdded. Yn ogystal ag adolygu llwybrau ar gyfer Slow Ways, mae hefyd yn treialu teithiau cerdded cymdeithasol ar gyfer y Gymdeithas Cerddwyr Pellter Mawr a’r Ramblers, ac mae gofynion pob un o’r tri yn wahanol. “Rhaid i chi ystyried cymhwysedd y bobl a fydd yn eich dilyn. Ar gyfer y teithiau cerdded cymdeithasol, mae angen i fi ddod o hyd i rywle â golygfa ac ati, lle mae modd cael cinio, ac mae’n gas gen i fynd â grwpiau ar y ffyrdd. Weithiau mae’n rhaid i fi gynnwys dolen fawr er mwyn osgoi gorfod gwneud hynny, ond does dim gwahaniaeth oherwydd dim ond mynd allan am dro y maen nhw. Mae Slow Ways yn hollol wahanol.

Diwrnod pump, Glyntawe i Llanymddyfri

“Yr ail ddiwrnod oedd waethaf – roedd y llwybr wedi’i gau mewn cymaint o fannau! O ran y tir agored rhwng y Cymoedd – bues i’n cerdded o 7am tan 5pm, ac yn aml roedd yn rhaid i fi ddringo dros ben ffensys mewn mannau lle’r oeddwn yn gwybod na ddylai fod angen i fi wneud hynny. Doedd gen i ddim amser i fynd yn ôl i chwilio am opsiynau amgen hollol newydd, felly bydd yn rhaid i fi rannu fy mhrofiad a gadael i’r person nesaf ei addasu. Roedd yn rhaid i fi feddwl, beth yw’r flaenoriaeth i fi fan hyn? Ac roeddwn i wedi cadw lle mewn mannau gwersylla, felly roedd yn rhaid i fi gadw i fynd. Roedd yn wythnos o wyliau!”

Gofynnais i Tim pam yr oedd yn awyddus i adolygu llwybrau Slow Ways. “Mae’n beth da. Ac mae brwdfrydedd a momentwm yn perthyn i’r prosiect, diolch i Dan.” Arhosodd Tim i feddwl am eiliad. “Hefyd, os meddyliwch chi am y peth, dylai llwybrau’r Frenhines ar gyfer cerddwyr gael yr un flaenoriaeth â’r llwybrau ar gyfer gyrwyr. Mae’r llwybrau cerdded yn endid cyfreithiol. Fel cerddwr, ni ddylech fod yn ceisio osgoi cael eich gweld gan rywun yn y ffermdy – fe ddylai rhywun eich gweld o’r ffermdy! Allwch chi ddychmygu rhywun yn cau ffordd y mae gyrwyr yn ei defnyddio?”

“Dylai llwybrau’r Frenhines ar gyfer cerddwyr gael yr un flaenoriaeth â’r llwybrau ar gyfer gyrwyr. Mae’r llwybrau cerdded yn endid cyfreithiol. Allwch chi ddychmygu rhywun yn cau ffordd y mae gyrwyr yn ei defnyddio?”

“Wedi dweud hynny, os bydd rhywun o’r ffermdy yn fy ngweld byddaf yn aml yn cael fy ngwahodd i mewn am goffi. Bydd y gŵr dan sylw’n siarad yn ddi-stop yn aml, a byddaf yn meddwl – d’ych chi ddim wedi gweld neb i siarad â nhw ers wythnosau!” Rwy’n awgrymu wrth Tim bod dyletswydd gymdeithasol efallai’n gysylltiedig â cherdded ar draws y wlad – rhyw fath o ymgyrch atal unigrwydd – ac mae’n cytuno. “Ac roeddwn i wrth gwrs yn ddiolchgar am y croeso, a’u diddordeb yn fy nhaith!”

Diwrnod saith, Llanymddyfri i Ty’n Cornel

Rwy’n tynnu rhai lluniau o Tim ar y prom yn Aberystwyth, wedi iddo groesi’r llinell derfyn, cyn iddo ymadael i ddal y cyntaf o sawl bws a thrên er mwyn mynd adref i Tiverton yn Nyfnaint. Mae’n sôn, wrth basio, mai yno y gwnaeth ddylunio pob rhan o’r rhwydwaith yn Tiverton. Felly, os byddwch fyth yn yr ardal honno, gallwch fod yn ffyddiog y bydd unrhyw lwybr y byddwch yn ei ddilyn wedi’i archwilio gan arbenigwr. Os na fyddwch yn yr ardal honno, bydd pob rhan o’r llwybr rhwng Caerdydd ac Aberystwyth wedi’u hadolygu yn fuan a bydd y llwybr yn barod am ei ail gerddwr.

Tair hoff llwybrau Tim

  1. Ystradfellte to Llandeusant, Llayst one, oherwydd harddwch y mynyddoedd a’r ymdeimlad eich bod chi’n wirioneddol yn y gwyllt. Mae’n eithaf heriol ond cewch eich gwobrwyo wrth i chi fynd dros y Mynydd Du. Roedd y llwybrau gwledig a’r lonydd tawel cefn gwlad i Landdeusant yn hyfryd hefyd
  2. Nanabe three o Abercynafon i Nant Ddu. Llwybr hardd heibio i raeadrau godidog, llwybr dymunol wedyn drwy goedwig uwchlaw Cronfa Pentwyn, ac yna llwybr braf ar draws rhostir a llwybrau drwy’r coed i Nant Ddu
  3. Y llwybr hir ond gwerth chweil o Randir-mwyn i Dregaron, Trerha. Byddwn yn bendant yn hoffi dychwelyd at y llwybr hwn a threulio mwy o amser arno. Roedd dringo’r cwm i’r hostel anghysbell yn Nhy’n y Cornel yn bleser pur
Diwrnod chwech, rhwng Llanymddyfri a Ty’n Cornel
Tim ar y llinell derfyn yn Aberystwyth
  • Ewch ati i greu eich rhestr ‘waylist’ eich hun o lwybrau cysylltu yma – dyma’r lle i fod yn uchelgeisiol!
  • Gallwch weld llwybr Tim yma, a’i adolygiadau o bob llwybr
  • Dilynwch Tim ar Twitter yma er mwyn gweld beth y bydd yn ei wneud nesaf

Walk a week in Wales

Hannah Engelkamp
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Walk a week in Wales

Long distance walker Tim Ryan has pioneered a version of the Cambrian Way on 19 consecutive Slow Ways, across spectacular landscape from Cardiff to Aberystwyth

Darllenwch yr erthygl yn Cymraeg yma / Read this article in Welsh here

A glance at the progress map shows that we in Wales might need to get a wriggle on. There’s some good excuses. The sheer length of many of our Slow Ways for one – our settlements are far apart and many of the routes in my own local web will take more than a day to walk. Transport is another issue – where routes go over mountain ranges getting back home can be tricky, and even between towns buses can be scarce. Excuses, excuses!

Luckily, I know for certain that 19 consecutive Welsh Slow Ways will soon be appearing as reviewed on the progress map, many for the first time, thanks to long-distance walker Tim Ryan. Tim got around the transport issue by camping, and is a long-time member of the Long Distance Walkers’ Association, so that sorted out that issue. Long routes do not trouble him.

Not (quite) the Cambrian Way!

I met Tim on the prom in Aberystwyth, where he finished his week’s purposeful holiday, having made a satisfying diagonal northwest from Cardiff. It’s no coincidence that his own line reminded me of the southern half of the Cambrian Way – a notoriously full-on walking route from south to north Wales that deliberately takes on every summit in its way. Friends who’ve done it tell me that it’s mentally as well as physically tough, to spot the highest point in the landscape and head for it, summit after summit after summit.

Tim’s transwales route – see the live waylist page here

Yes, said Tim, he was originally intending to do the Cambrian Way, but changed his plans after tearing a calf muscle recently. A Slow Ways version was perfect. In fact a kind of opposite mission, as Slow Ways deliberately avoid the summits, prioritising directness between towns. “I’ve been up Pen y Fan many times, so I didn’t miss the scenic viewpoints. Walking Slow Ways is a different priority – the satisfaction comes from reviewing the route for the next person, looking at the walk in that way.”

Day one out of Cardiff: Cardiff to Pontprennau to Draethen to Risca / Landscape photos by Tim Ryan

“The first day out of Cardiff was a definite five-star route. I was surprised – it was all on roads – but they had pavements, and it was just a really nice walk.” Tim walked four Slow Ways on the first day, five on the second, but by the time he got the middle of the Cambrian Mountains he needed two days to walk the gorgeous 34km/21-mile Trerha. One of the remote nodes (Slow-Ways-speak for a settlement hub) was just a single farm.

In any case, he pointed out, the Slow Ways version of the Cambrian Way was far from watered down. “Crossing the Black Mountain I thought, I’m really having to concentrate here! I’m in perfect clear visibility, navigating with a map and compass – it was a classic mountain leaders’ qualification environment. Spotting every rocky outcrop, knowing exactly where I was at all times; it was really tricky. I’ll have to advise in the review that this is only undertaken with a map and compass.”

Day three, Tredegar to Abercynafon to Nant-Ddu

Accessibility is relative, he points out – any route has to be “accessible within your capabilities, and your capabilities might be that you can’t read a map, or don’t like walking on roads or whatever – it’s not just about wheelchair access. It’s not up to me to say what someone can and can’t do, but to be honest about what they’ll find. I’ll write that there are step-stiles, or tussocks, or whatever, and then let them make up their own mind.”

Tim is clearly really motivated by walking recces. As well as reviewing for Slow Ways he tests out social walks for LDWA and the Ramblers, and all three have different requirements. “You have to think about the competence of the people who will follow you. For those social group walks I need to find a lunch-spot with a view etc, and I hate to take groups on roads. Sometimes I have to throw in a big loop to avoid it, but it doesn’t matter because they’ll only be out for a walk anyway. For Slow Ways it’s a completely different thing.

Day five, Glyntawe to Llandovery

“Day two was the worst – so many blockages! The open land between the Welsh Valleys – I was walking from 7am to 5pm, and often had to climb fences where I knew I should be able to get through. There wasn’t time to go back and check out whole new alternatives, so I’ll just have to share what I found and leave it for the next person to amend. I had to think, what’s my priority here? And I’d booked campsites, so I had to keep going. It was a week’s holiday!”

I asked Tim what made him want to review Slow Ways. “It’s a good thing. And it has enthusiasm, and momentum, as a project, and thanks to Dan.” Tim thought for a moment. “Also, if you think about it, the walking parts of the Queen’s Highway should be given the same priority as the driving parts. It’s a legal entity. As a walker you shouldn’t be skulking around trying not to be seen from the farmhouse – you should be seen from the farmhouse! Can you imagine someone just closing a road?”

“The walking parts of the Queen’s Highway should be given the same priority as the driving parts. It’s a legal entity. Can you imagine someone just closing a road?”

“That said, if I am seen I often get invited in to the farmhouse for coffee. Often the guy will rabbit on and I’ll think – you’ve not had anyone to talk to for weeks!” I suggest to Tim that maybe there’s a social duty in walking all over the country – a kind of anti-loneliness drive – and he agrees. “And I was of course grateful for the welcome, and their interest in what I was doing!”

Day seven, Llandovery to Ty’n Cornel

I take some finish line photos of Tim on the Aberystwyth prom before he heads off to get the first of a series of buses and trains back home to Tiverton, Devon where, he drops in, he designed all of the Tiverton web. So, if you’re ever in the area you can be sure of an expertly recce’d route. Failing that, Cardiff to Aberystwyth will soon be all reviewed and ready for its second walker.

Tim’s top three routes

  1. Ystradfellte to Llandeusant, Llayst one, for its mountain beauty and genuine wilderness feel. A bit of a challenge but with great rewards over the Black Mountain; the countryside paths and quiet country lanes to Llandeusant were also a pleasure
  2. Nanabe three from Abercynafon to Nant Ddu with a beautiful walk up alongside scenic waterfalls followed by a pleasant forest walk above Pentwyn Reservoir and then a nice moorland hike and forest trails to Nant Ddu
  3. The long but rewarding hike from Rhandirmwyn to Tregaron, Trerah. This walk I certainly would like to return and spend more time on. The climb up the valley to the remote hostel at Ty’n Cornel was a delight
Day six, between Llandovery and Ty’n Cornel
Tim at the finish line in Aberystwyth

Slow Ways art #3: Marcus Lee

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Slow Ways art #3: Marcus Lee

Filmmaker and director of Reel Street Productions, Marcus Lee, walked a Slow Ways route from Shipley to Bradford, clocking up his step count and producing a vlog in response to his journey

“Despite not being an avid walker and being more accustomed to driving, I thought it would be interesting to walk from Shipley to Bradford using one of the Slow Ways routes. Taking this journey allowed me to see and experience Bradford in a way that I wouldn’t normally from my car. Take a look at my video journey, I hope it encourages you to try the walk out and see if you have similar experiences to mine.”

Shibra one, Shipley to Bradford
Marcus Lee
Marcus Lee is a filmmaker and director of Reel Street Productions. Over the years, he has produced films for a wide range of organisations and community groups, including schools, business, charities and councils, as well as creating videos for actors, presenters and musicians. See him on socials: @marcusleetv
Marcus’s website

Roxy’s first route: Bristol to Portishead

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Roxy’s first route: Bristol to Portishead

“In March, I was tasked by Slow Ways to walk one of their routes and make a wee video of my experience. I’d just recently moved into my van, and was parked up in Bristol for a couple weeks. It was my first time in the area, and in Bristol, so what better way to explore than on foot?

I chose quite a long route, so decided to park up at the end the night before so I could relax after walking 14 miles. I packed up my camera, mic and tripod along with numerous snacks, and grabbed an early bus into Bristol. Although I started in a big city, the walk brought me across so much nature.

From the green spaces in Bristol out to the path along the Avon river – there was always some greenery or wildlife to see (even towards the end of the route, in the most industrial area, I saw a deer!).

This, of course, meant that I stopped every few minutes, camera at the ready, to capture something new that caught my eye, making the 14-mile route last all day. I arrived into Portishead just as the sun was setting, a beautiful end to a long day.”

Roxy walked Porbri two, from Bristol to Portishead. Want to follow in her footsteps? Download or print the route, and read its review here.

Read more Swarm stories and see more films here.

Roxanna Barry

Roxanna is a mixed-race, queer, freelance photographer and videographer, with a mathematics degree, who discovered the outdoors in one wham-bam moment during her first hike in Glen Coe, and has been making work in the outdoors and on environmental themes ever since. Check out her portfolio, which includes beautiful climbing photography with the express intention of increasing representation in climbing guidebooks.
Roxanna on Instagram

Dogs using Slow Ways #1: Cookie

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Dogs using Slow Ways #1: Cookie

We asked wildlife photographer Jasmine Pasha to turn her lens on dogs going about their Slow Ways journeys, to see what we human walkers might learn

Since Slow Ways began two years ago people have poured hundreds of thousands of words of reviews, and thousands of photos, into the collective pot. Routes are being walked and reviewed at a rate of 137km a day! We are well on the way to discovering how people feel about the routes they are walking, as each reviewer leaves notes and clues, tips and memories, like a postcard to the next user.

But there is another major user of the routes. Love them or hate them, there are many, many dogs of Slow Ways, all non-verbally having their own experiences of the routes, back and forth (and back and forth and back and forth) all over the country. What are they thinking? What do they love, what do they hate? It’s not our place to suggest, so the best tool we have is a camera.

We asked talented wildlife photographer Jasmine Pasha to spend time on routes, where she’d try to capture some of the spirit and soul of these route companions. The photos stand alone, but as you look at them you might like to think: what is the dog thinking? What senses is it using that its owner can’t access? What extra information would the dog write in its review? Can we recognise joy, right here? Might it be contagious?

First up – here’s Cookie on his Slow Ways journey.

Slow Ways route: Sunbury-on-Thames—Hounslow: Sunhou two
● Distance: 9km / 5 miles

Cookie’s Slow Ways journey took him through vast open spaces, a colourful urban underpass and along the river. He seemed to really enjoy the variety of the route. Although he stuck to the path as much as possible, he veered off every now and again, sniffing his way along. One particular scent really entranced him. He couldn’t seem to tear himself away, and in following it, he almost fell in the river.

Slow Ways art #2: Ranya Abdulateef

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Slow Ways art #2: Ranya Abdulateef

Wakefield-based textile artist Ranya Abdulateef walked a Slow Ways route with friend and fellow artist Shanelle Bateman. Shanelle and Ranya decided to try out each others’ art practice in making work inspired by the journey

“I illustrated my Slow Ways walk from Leeds to Pudsey using mixed media collage. The piece I completed is A2 in size. Collage is an art practice that I have not experimented much with, but I thought it would work well, which it did. The collage contains images from our walk and includes hand-drawn illustrations depicting some places. The background was inspired by the canal reflection and some paint that we found spilled over the floor. I think it makes a nice background.’ 


Ranya Abdulateef 
Ranya is a textile artist based in Wakefield. Founder of MelograniArt embroidery, a member of the Merrie collective and a sewing teacher and project leader with Leeds Refugee Forum. Ranya has a varied practice including printing, embroidery, illustration, and painting as well as photography, which are all inspired by nature.
Ranya on Instagram

What is Slow? What are Ways?

Hannah Engelkamp
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What is Slow? What are Ways?

We want to translate Slow Ways into different languages, but first we need to think about what ‘Slow’ and ‘Ways’ really mean

What should Slow Ways translate as in Welsh? And what about Scottish Gaelic? Or Cornish? Polish or Punjabi? Before we begin, we need to do a little linguistic audit of the nuance and associations of the words Slow and Ways, to try to keep the same feelings in other languages.

Language is a lovely, juicy, flexible, fluid sort of a thing. Each word has behind it a snail-trail of evolution and adjustment, that always started ages ago, or rather didn’t really start anywhere discernible at this distance, but just a fading contrail of clues. Snail is nice – the Old English snægl, from the root snog: “to crawl, creep, creeping thing” (see snake and also slug). Symbolic of slowness at least since c. 1000; snail’s pace is attested from c. 1400.

Slow is a movement

The name Slow Ways was chosen before my time here, and not everyone was unanimous. Slow has recent meanings that amount to a bit of a movement – slow travel, slow food, slow TV, even slow medicine, gardening, counselling, gaming, parenting and conversation. You’ll have soaked this in through popular culture, even if you don’t know (as I didn’t until two minutes ago) that the slow movement began with activist and editor Carlo Petrini’s protest against the opening of a McDonald’s restaurant in Rome in 1986.

These Slow things advocate a mindful, holistic, considered way of going about life. It’s about savouring, taking care, enjoying depth. It’s the antithesis, and definitely a reaction against, the frenetic speed of modern life, and the pressure to keep up. It’s quality rather than quantity. It’s reflection, community, and “the need to be seen and appreciated! It is the need to belong. The need for nearness and care, and for a little love!”*

Slow is also just Not As Fast

It’s also a great big fad, which could make a person uncomfortable, when shackling Slow Ways to it. It looks, from a glance at Etymology Online, that these meanings for Slow are new: Slow was previously from Old English slaw, and resoundingly negative: “inactive, sluggish, torpid, lazy,” and worse, “not clever, blunt, dull.”

Founder Dan likes that slow can be just a relative term. He’s a big fan of the late Duncan Fuller’s MyWalks project, which is all about taking notice, and even exploring set questions while walking, to force yourself to engage. But at other times he pounds along footpaths, in the zone, deep in thought, with dance music on his headphones, getting from A to B.

As well as Slow having all sorts of meanings, it can also slough these off and be simply the slower of the travel options available between points. Dan may be walking fast, but is still (likely to be) slower than driving, cycling, getting the train. You take the fast way and I’ll take the slow way, and you’ll be in Scotland before me, but I’ll have had an enjoyable stomp with some tunes. And I’d argue that mindful or not, the slow wayer always gets a more holistic experience – muscles, lungs, rods and cones, at the very least. Maybe interacting with some weather, animals, humans, heritage too, even when travelling at pace. There are a wide spectrum of benefits, purposes and ways of walking to be explored.

So – in summary – we need all of this to bubble up in translations of Slow.

Show me the Way

And Ways? What does way mean? It’s the route, the path, but also the how, the philosophy.

From Old English weg “road, path; course of travel; room, space, freedom of movement;” also, figuratively, “course of life, habits of life” as regards moral, ethical, cultural, or spiritual choices.

I’m most excited about this project as a reminder that just getting there is missing a trick. We have saved ourselves so much labour with modern tricks and tech, but out with the bathwater have gone so many of the benefits of doing things the long way, the slow way, maybe the hard way. The rained-on way, the aware way, the way that leaves space for all the things we avoid – chance, risk, boredom, dirt, surprise, serendipity. When running around chasing my tail in a spin of chores and trips I forget that sometimes I may have a choice of how to get somewhere. The Way is active, it has agency and takes initiative. How you do something is very often as important as doing it, sometimes more so.

We’re careful never to say we’re creating paths – we’re not. The paths are already there. We are creating routes and ways to use those paths, joining them up in new configurations that serve a purpose – to join one settlement with the next.

In the process of making these connections, we are changing the way the land is thought about. Suddenly there is a way through that may not have existed in recent popular local consciousness before. And that opens up a new way of doing things, the option and opportunity to walk next time, rather than take the car. Maybe, hopefully, some new, enriching ways of life.

And then to translating

So, Slow Ways. Do we translate it as literally as possible, or go for the nuance of the meaning? So far in Welsh we’ve had loads of great suggestions, from Llwybrau Llonydd, which is similar – nice alliteration but maybe not enough philosophy in the Llwybrau, or enough motion in the Llonydd:

Llwybrau: path, footpath, beaten track, unmade pathway; footprints (of person or animal), tracks, trail; course, direction, tenor; orbit of planet

Llonydd: still, motionless, lifeless, stagnant, calm; quiet, tranquil, peaceful, peaceable, tame, courteous; comfortable, content, satisfied; sufficient

Or we could break with finding a perfect version of the English, and go boldly for something more poetic like Malwodi which literally means ‘to snail’ – to go slowly.

We’d love to hear any ideas, in any of the languages of Great Britain, from Welsh and Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Manx Gaelic and Cornish. Also the other main languages spoken in Britain: Polish, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Arabic, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil, Turkish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian, and more, not to mention British Sign Language.

It might be a big job, but the payoff will be when I get to wear one of the Slow Ways t-shirts in all the languages.

Please do get in touch – the best place is this question on our forum, or Twitter, Instagram or Facebook – with any ideas!

*Professor Guttorm Fløistad

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