Slow Ways’ new promotional video asks viewers to #GiveaHike.
In the video, titled What is Slow Ways, walkers and wheelers from around the UK are seen making journeys to help verify the Slow Ways network around the UK. The video features feet-first walking clips sent in from across the community, including one that looks rather wet. We also sent filmmaker Jason Brooks to film smiling faces walking through Bristol on Winbri two, and we sent Mark Davenport to film wheelchair users from the Experience Community wheeling along Marsla one. You can watch it for yourself below, and we’ve also got Slow Ways’ Lara to tell us more about the Bristol shooting day.
Experience Community were very involved in the very early days of Slow Ways, advising on the grading system that we have in place. The canalside route of Marsla one has rough bits and slopes, but the group knew it to be accessible to them and their Mountain Trike wheelchairs. This is a perfect illustration of how important it can be to have prior knowledge of a route; not just for this group, but for people with all sorts of access needs. Thanks to people all over the country reviewing and surveying Slow Ways, you can find out what routes will likely work for large dogs, muddy days, pushchairs etc.
Lara Kramer Slow Ways Partnerships Lead
After booking the filming day for early March, I just had to cross my fingers for good weather. I travelled up to Bristol from Cornwall the night before in the torrential rain: the forecast was not good. I imagined myself chasing a six-foot-seven filmmaker with a flimsy waterproof and tarpaulin.
In the morning, I traipsed around Bristol city centre shopping centre in Supermarket Sweep style. Armfuls of all of the umbrellas in sight amused the checkout staff at T.K.Maxx, while the hunt for lanyards had me begging phone shop staff to rifle through under the counter.
We had chosen to walk a part of Winbri two, which my colleague and I had walked just a few weeks earlier. We had really enjoyed the walk and commented on what a great route it was for taking in different landscapes, from grimy flyovers to a countryside estate. The walk briskly picks up pace approaching Harbourside so it seemed fitting to use it as a good example of a Slow Way, and it also happened to be a pretty accessible and flat route too which assured suitability for the wheeler in the group.
We were expecting 12 extras to come along and join us for the filming day but with a series of drop outs in the 24 hours before, and one young man who just forgot, we were down to seven. A stroke of luck: the rain had stopped and it looked like following the film maker with a waterproof wasn’t going to be needed!
We set out along the harbourside, making easy conversation as we went whilst Jason ran circles around us with his gimbal camera. The group consisted of extras, facilitators, a newbie to Bristol, a recent film graduate and a University researcher, but everyone had the joy of walking and being in the outdoors as a common thread.
As we walked and talked our way to the Cumberland Basin, we forgot about being filmed and eased into our new walking group status, frequently swapping lead walkers and shapeshifting to suit the landscapes and the requests that we were getting from our Director. This made for a fun time getting to know each other, which was a good reminder of how walking in a group of relative strangers can be such a delightful, levelling and enjoyable experience.
A quick stop for coffee and cake at Ashton Court gave us all the chance to refuel before turning around and walking back to our original destination. On the return journey, the sun shone and it was as if we floated back to base camp. Aside from a moment where Jason got stuck on the wrong side of a fence with his camera, the whole filming day went without a blip and everyone involved enjoyed the day immensely.
The group are considering doing something similar again, and with Bristol so close to being verified, it would be great to organise. We wish to thank everyone who was involved in making the Slow Ways promotional video: namely Jason, who did a fantastic job filming, editing and animating the film. We are delighted with the result.
Saira immerses herself in the The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, walking with the author Rachel Joyce and finding out about the joys and challenges of community
Following a quick introduction, we set off on the walk. As we wandered, we were encouraged to speak to different people. Every so often, we stopped at a designated point and were given a new discussion prompt by Emily; some related to Harold, some didn’t.
Rachel shared her ideas, insights and reflections on the story. The walk was well attended, mostly by women of different ages: ardent readers and writers, and some walkers.
During the afternoon I connected with various individuals – an older woman who’d grown up in North London spoke of walking miles to the Hampstead Fair when she was a little girl. A young petite Asian woman new to London who said she spends most weekends wandering around trying to get to know the place she now calls home. A free-spirited Australian woman who works in advertising but seeks something more creative.
My most memorable encounter was with a former New Yorker named Maggie, a warm, charismatic, visually impaired Jewish writer. She was full of stories. We talked rats and ramblings, the neighbourhoods that make up cities (London and New York) – and of course, we talked about Harold’s journey.
Embarrassingly, I hadn’t yet read the book, but I knew the story. It became richer and more complex the more Rachel spoke of her experiences and connection to the characters. I made a mental note of the things she shared that struck me: deciding to take the train to Berwick-upon-Tweed to witness the filming of the final scene and then coming to realise that she was really there to say goodbye to her dad who had died in recent years, as well as the magic that comes from watching people and being moved by them.
Following on from the book club and a wandering intermission of sorts, we filed into the Everyman Cinema to watch a private screening of the film.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
It was deeply sad yet hopeful – the film chronicled Harold’s journey walking 450 miles from Devon to Berwick-on-Tweed to save his friend Queenie. Harold, an ordinary man, was undertaking an extraordinary pilgrimage.
It reminded me of inspiring individuals in the Slow Ways community who had embarked on extraordinary journeys for a purpose; people like Annie, a nurse who walked from Ipswich to Bristol for her premature grandson River, Lizzie who carried her baby 50 miles to her mother’s house partly as protest march against the sanctity of motherhood, and Steve and Sandra, who walked from their home in Bucks to their former homes in the West Midlands using Slow Ways, to raise money for the ultra-rare xeroderma pigmentosum.
Harold walked for a purpose and took the most direct route, on the way he encountered various people and places – he experienced the joy of community, and its challenges too.
An interview with Rachel Joyce
A few days after watching the film, I interviewed Rachel Joyce. We spoke about Harold’s journey, walking, community and more.
Tell us about Harold?
Throughout, he’s true to the man he is, an ordinary man. Harold isn’t a walker. I wanted to show this through the shoes he wore. He travels light, he undertakes a journey, direct and unplanned, between two places and for a purpose. For his friend Queenie. He travels through urban areas, along motorways and in the suburbs, as well as through the countryside.
His journey takes in the landscapes and cityscapes that you would encounter were you to undertake a similar journey. The fact that he is travelling light, that’s he’s a pilgrim traversing transitory spaces in which nobody belongs, opens him up to passers-by. People can share their stories and secrets with him.
Click here for our Harold Fry themed Waylist, for walking a similar route to that seen in the film.
I loved that the film draws light upon the way we inspire, or touch people’s lives, be it knowingly or unknowingly. Meeting the people he met was integral to Harold’s healing journey. We might not be able to save people but we can provide comfort through our words, through our acceptance of them. How important was community to Harold’s journey?
I’m a big believer of community. It’s so important to honour community. It’s sad to see so many churches, community centres and libraries closing down. It’s wrong. I’d notice (in my library), that often people weren’t coming in for books. They were lost and wanted a place to linger. The library, and other meanwhile spaces, offer that. Our experiences of covid showed just how important community spaces are. By taking these places away, people don’t encounter one another. We put up more boundaries, we don’t understand one another and this is dangerous, it’s counter to who we are.
I couldn’t agree more. This comes across beautifully on Harold’s journey, the idea that people want and need to connect, to be seen and heard. That people want to be part of a community. And my last question: if you could walk between any two places in the UK what would those places be and why?
I think I’d walk between Tewksbury and Shrewsbury. I’m interested in places with a spiritual connection, places that are rich in possibilities and mystery. I’m also interested in urban places where the streets are invested with more meaning and greater connections. I like churches… I like the idea of walking to get lost and not knowing where you were going…
Thank you so much Rachel!
You can buy The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry book here (Amazon / Hive / Bookshop). Harold Fry is now out in cinemas across the UK. We highly recommend watching!
From wandering into a ‘blessed little sea shanty’ at Pett Level beach to people watching at sunset beside the prettiest street in England, Saira reflects on the little things that made her walk from Hastings to Rye memorable
What makes an excellent Slow Ways journey? I’ve chalked it down to the following: varied terrain, a handful of hidden gems, unexpected encounters, new discoveries and ending at an infinitely interesting settlement.
Towards the end of last year, I followed a Slow Ways route that checked all these boxes! Hastings to Rye (Hasrye 2) traversed ancient woodland, steep glens beside the sea, quirky villages and flat pastures home to grazing sheep.
On my walk, I passed houses with names like Moonwind, Witchwood and Paix (French for peace). I enjoyed a cereal bar while taking in sweeping sea views from ‘Hughie Pringle’s Bench of Awesomeness.’ I spotted wildlife: sanderlings and a snake, a medley of mushrooms. I shared a conversation with a priest by the river at Winchelsea. He told me he had walked the Camino in recent years, a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, a city in Galicia. “The trick to walking long distances”, he says, “is to pace yourself.”
Although I stuck to the route, admittedly, I did veer off at times to explore nearby places of interest before returning to the set path. I wandered into a ‘blessed little sea shanty’ at Petts Level beach, not far from one of my favourite areas in the South East, Dungeness. Known to many, as the UK’s very own wild west, Dungeness is home to number of outsider artists and writers as well as a lighthouse, a nuclear power station, filmmaker and campaigner Derek Jarman’s’ garden, and Europe’s largest shingle beach.
On my journey I also stopped off at the Empty Sardine Can Gallery, beside a supremely unhelpful fingerpost (this way? that way? up? down?) and a local café that sold the best lemon drizzle cake I’ve ever eaten. I woolfed it down, and chugged a can of lemonade on a microbreak by the sea. After I finished checking the route, I walked down cobbled Mermaid Street, one of the prettiest streets in the England. I took photos, and watched people. I peered into the house with Two Front Doors and watched the sunset over Rye from a high place. It was beautiful! Once the sky had bled black and my hands had become numb with cold, I headed to the small train station.
In retrospect, there were other places I would have loved to linger; Fairlight Glen Beach, a hidden beauty spot on the rugged coast not far from Hastings, and the ruins of the otherworldly Camber Castle, but due to fading daylight, it would have been impossible to get to Rye before nightfall had I taken any more detours. Nonetheless, it was a brilliant walk and an excellent adventure, as are most Slow Ways journeys.
If you want to experience the magic of walking Slow Ways, I would start off by walking a route like this one!
Have you been on a memorable Slow Ways journey recently? We’d love to hear about it! Send us your story, email us at hello@slowways.org. Sign up to walk and review Slow Ways. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
We spoke to London based teacher and Slow Ways volunteer Lizzy Hones about her reasons for walking, her favourite trails and trips she’s got planned
Lizzy, why do you walk?
I walk to feel whole and to disconnect from the constant stress of teaching. I used to do half marathons but hurt my back and wanted to take up gentler exercise. I used to walk to school and back as a child. I love looking at nature and just being.
Tell us about some of your more memorable walking journeys?
I have just returned from walking Offa’s Dyke, which was memorable for fantastic views and loads of friendly walkers, including lots of women. There were lots of ups and downs and despite reducing my load, it was still a challenge. The Dales Way is another beautiful walk following a river through stunning countryside.
You’ve walked many trails from the Saxon Shore Way and the London Loop. Do you have a favourite?
Pembrokeshire is my favourite path because of the constant presence of the sea. On a hot summer’s day, it is azure like the Mediterranean. It’s fantastic for wildlife spotting, and you can see all sorts of animals like seals, choughs, ravens and cinnabar moths.
Have you had any interesting or serendipitous encounters while walking?
I have met lots of interesting women including some older ladies who told me about walking Offa’s Dyke and paying £8 for basic facilities but it was much quieter, and they recommended some Irish walks like the Dingle Way. I meet interesting people on every walk. Everyone has interesting experiences they want to share.
Do you prefer to walk alone or with others?
I do spend most of the time walking alone because most of my friends are bored after an hour but on a trail, I will often spend a couple of days walking with people I meet. Sharing experiences and company is nice, as walking can be lonely sometimes.
Growing up, did you often go on walks with your family? Where would you walk?
We lived at the end of a lane, so had to walk everywhere. It was a mile and a half to school every day and two miles to the station. I grew up in the Arnside and Silverdale AONB and there are lots of beautiful walks there. We often used to go to Kirkby, Lonsdale and Ingleborough; I love the seven waterfalls walk there.
What have been your favourite Slow Ways journeys?
I enjoyed planning London North to South, but the air pollution was taxing. I am planning to walk Dorking to Horley very soon.
Do you have any tips or advice for anyone who is interested in long-distance walking?
Do some day walks that include ascends and descends to prepare the leg muscles. Start with a path or trail that is not too challenging, has facilities and that you could walk part of for 3-4 days. Get measured for a good pair of boots, good socks and rucksack.
Do you have any walks planned for the future?
I am currently walking the Sussex Literary Trail. A beautiful walk from Horsham to Chichester. I have walked a lot of paths in Kent and Sussex, and would now like to explore Essex.
Thank you Lizzy!
Sign up to be a Slow Ways walking volunteer yourself here. For some of the walks Lizzy mentioned, try Kirkby, Dorking, or perhaps Horsham.
Lizzy Hones
I live in urban South London, without a garden. I work as a teacher in the education sector. I enjoy swimming, yoga and walking. I am a keen reader, embroiderer, blogger, cinema goer and gallery enthusiast. Follow Lizzy’s journeys on Twitter!
From surfers in the South East of Scotland to Somali history walks in London’s East End, we welcome the ten community stories projects we will be supporting along our walking routes
Last year, we launched “Tales from a Slow Way,” a community stories project that would enable us to commission creatives and groups to work together to produce original stories situated on Slow Ways walking routes.
The stories could cover just about any topic, we just asked that they help to inspire more people to contribute to and use our network of Slow Ways; walking routes that connect all of Great Britain’s towns, cities and thousands of villages. The stories could take on any format from film, music and art, to photo-essays, zines, and creative writing.
We were especially keen on seeding stories that will help strengthen and create community – stories that are inclusive and diverse. We wanted to do this to better understand and illustrate the variety of ways people see and connect with Slow Ways.
From the incredible 250 applications that we received, we are now delighted to announce the ten that will be part of our upcoming programme
Serena Coady x Female farmers of Shetland
Serena is set to hike the Slow Ways trails across the Shetland Islands to report on an unsung part of the agricultural community: female farmers. She will produce a photography series, feature story, and short documentary that captures the farmers on their home turf, following their busy daily routines and their vital roles in Scottish agriculture. She is excited to capture Shetland’s immense natural beauty: its wild coastline, iron-age ruins, and of course, Shetland ponies.
Serena Coady is a London-based journalist focused on telling the stories of people who live in geographical isolation. She is also a solo traveller and hiker. Her work has appeared in The Independent, CNN, i-D, Dazed, South China Morning Post, Vox, Refinery29, and Harper’s Bazaar.
Creative Commons
Fred Garratt-Stanley x Lewes Community Football Club
In the UK, non-League football is an important source of community pride and togetherness that rarely gets the respect it deserves. Fred seeks to shine a light on the innovative, community-centred work being done at one of the world’s most progressive football clubs, East Sussex-based Lewes FC. Part travelogue, part reported feature, Fred’s story will trace the LewalfSlow Ways path across the South Downs into Lewes, to communicate the important role football can play in bringing communities together and providing representation for people from all backgrounds.
Fred Garrat-Stanley is freelance football and culture writer published in GQ, Vice, Huck, NME, and more. Based in South London, he is a huge non-league football fan and regularly attends lower league matches across the capital and further afield, documenting those trips on his blog, Stanchion.
Jess Green x Leicester Rape Crisis
Jasmine House at Leicester Rape Crisis will host a healing walk along one of the Slow Ways routes with a small group of young female survivors of sexual abuse. The walk will focus on the unique healing aspects of walking and nature, and will end with a creative writing session with poet Jess Green where the young women the charity supports can express the feelings they experienced. Bringing their young people to the Slow Ways route will allow Leicester Rape Crisis to support them in a safe environment and use the power of nature and walking to process the trauma they have faced.
Leicester Rape Crisis is a charity based in Leicester that supports female survivors of sexual abuse, sexual violence and rape. They have been active for over 30 years and work from the ethos of women supporting women, providing a safe space for women and girls to process and heal from sexual trauma.
David Lyons & Mike Guest x Wave Project and Surfers against Sewage
For a lot of people, surfing means barrelling waves in Hawaii, sun-kissed Californians and Aussies in board shorts, but in the southeast of Scotland, the weather is cold and the water is colder. The committed surfers in the area, however, are making a positive impact far beyond the confines of the sport itself, whether it’s the Wave Project supporting the mental health of young people or Surfers Against Sewage campaigning against water pollution. Writer and surfer David Lyons and photographer Mike Guest will be creating a zine to celebrate the characters, stories and nature of the southeast coast of Scotland. Their zine will be based on the Slow Ways route from Dunbar to Eyemouth, which connects the only two surf shops in the southeast of Scotland: Coast 2 Coast at Belhaven and St Vedas at Coldingham.
Mike Guest is a photographer from Edinburgh and self-confessed salt water addict. As well as working for major brands, Mike works with community initiatives, including recently facilitating a group of young creatives in Caithness exploring their relationship with the ocean.
Dave Lyons is a writer and charity communications professional who surfs regularly on beaches between Dunbar and Eyemouth. He has written about surfing in Scotland previously, most recently for Adventure Uncovered and Scottish Island Explorer.
Somang Lee x ESEA Sisters
London is home to ESEA Sisters, an East and South East Asian women’s community group which creates safe spaces where Asian women can exchange knowledge and experiences as a minority group living in the UK, and for whom walking is a core activity. As a woman of Korean heritage, Somang grew up feeling that women who looked like her were often portrayed as weak and subservient, in stark contrast to the vibrant and strong community of women she knew. By capturing the many voices of ESEA’s walking group through personal interviews and illustrated maps in a colourful ‘field guide to walking’, Somang hopes to make their stories visible and show how outdoor adventures can build personal confidence and strengthen community bonds.
An award-winning illustrator and projection artist based in London, Somang Lee trained at Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art. Her creative practice is informed by her love for nature and outdoor adventures and her aim is to create illustrations that are both beautiful and useful – making use of the wonder of nature, to inspire others to get out there and be part of it.
Nazia Sultana x Sustainably Muslim
Environmentally-minded volunteer group Sustainably Muslim were first brought together when they created a brand new community garden in Canning Town in the summer of 2022. They will be walking a Slow Ways route through east London while having conversations about their three guiding interests: community, nature and Islam. Nazia will be working with a videographer to capture those conversations, identifying different plants and trees along the way and creating a plant ID book that can be shared with the local community.
Sustainably Muslim aims to inspire & empower Muslims to serve the environment & their community through education & social action.
Lillie Aissa x LEC Minorities
LEC Minorities are a self-described group of mates studying the environment at Lancaster University. All from different backgrounds, their experiences contribute unique perspectives to the male-dominated, Eurocentric heteronormative study of the environment and the environmental sector. They will mark the end of their final year by walking from Lancaster to Yorkshire, reflecting in particular on their experience of attending university during COVID-19 and the diversity crisis within the environmental sector. They aim to analyse and film the socio-ecological landscapes around them using their training, resulting in a fresh and creative short film representative of young people in the UK exploring nature today.
LEC Minorities are a community of final year LEC students, studying Geography, Ecology and Conservation. As the world changes, they believe skills like collaboration, creativity and diversity of thought will be integral to the future.
Fatuma Khaireh x Numbi Arts
The Somali community of London’s East End has resided in the area for over 150 years, but its history is gradually being erased by the process of gentrification and redevelopment. Working with Numbi Arts, an East London-based Somali cultural organisation, Fatuma aims to document and share an oral history walk that seeks to preserve and highlight the little-known history of the community and serve as an inspiration for other communities to replicate this model of local archiving. The oral history will be made available as a podcast and available to be listened to by anyone interested in following along the route.
Fatuma Khaireh is a multidisciplinary creative with a focus on audio. She has produced works for arts organisations such as Somerset House and Four Corners Gallery. As an audio producer, she has have worked for cultural and journalistic bodies such as the BBC and The Guardian, as well as commercial brands such as Adidas and Net-A-Porter.
Roseanna Gooder x Swiss Cottage School
Every Slow Ways route is a collaboration between the path and those who walk it, and Swiss Cottage School hope to create an interactive sensory experience for people with learning disabilities on a walk of their choosing. Using visual prompts, the sensory story they create will have exploratory aspects at various stops along the route such as feeling different textures in a wood or smelling plants, to assist students in processing spoken language and written text. The art work symbolising each experience and the accompanying text will be created by the young people attending the Swiss Cottage School.
Swiss Cottage School, Development and Research Centre is a community-maintained special needs school in the London Borough of Camden. Their research-informed curriculum and passionate community create innovative learning opportunities to promote holistic development
Rachel Murray x Deafinitely Women
Deaf-initely are a group of deaf and hard of hearing women from the Midlands who share a common love of being outdoors. They aim to walk a new route as a group, supporting deaf and hard of hearing women in sensory-exploration of new areas and activities along the way. In doing so they challenge themselves physically, emotionally, geographically and creatively. By sharing their experiences through this project, they hope to encourage others to test their boundaries and experience their walks with a new perspective.
Rachel Murray is, in amongst other things, a storyteller and passionate about walking. She is often to be seen wandering in the Derbyshire Dales muttering stories to the wind and the odd sheep. She tells stories in all manner of places; from caves to castles, care homes to cafes and schools to shopping centres.
With many thanks to our project partners for their role in the selection process
Soraya Abdel-Hadi, Founder, All the Elements
Soraya is an award-winning writer, artist, and advocate for women and diversity in the UK outdoors. In 2021, she was named Lonely Planet Sustainable Storyteller. She is also the founder of the All The Elements – a community working to increase diversity in the UK outdoors.
Phil Young, Co-Founder, The Outsiders Project
Phil is the co-founder of The Outsiders project, an outdoor sports platform and agency championing diversity in outdoor sports. The project is run by TCO London, who are also the owners of Huck Magazine, a magazine that celebrates independence, seeking out the people, scenes and movements around the globe who are challenging the status quo. Phil is also a co-founder of Black Trail Runners.
Sheep farmer and Duke of Edinburgh supervisor Dafydd Morris-Jones explains how walking his rounds gives him useful sensory information
I walk twelve miles a day during lambing, and always lose plenty of weight. I can tell I don’t walk as much as that the rest of the year; I get podgy over Christmas! It’s a mile and a third straight from the bottom of my farm right to the top, but the wiggly route is two miles, then two back. I do that three times a day or even four at the very height of lambing.
If I ride there on a quad bike, the sheep think that I’m there to feed them and run towards me. If I walk down, I get to observe their behaviour.
In an area without fences, a flock establish a heft, the area that the sheep collectively understand as their own, and stick to. They pass this knowledge on from ewe to lamb over generations. Rams wander and don’t stick to a heft, but wethers (male castrated sheep) get protective and stay with the flock.
As part of creating and maintaining the heft, sheep go to have their lambs in the same spot that they were born in. They’re obsessed by their little place. But there are spaces, including rocky outcrops, little hollows, and root cellars, that the sheep will go to if they don’t feel well. If a sheep turns up in one of those places, I know who to keep an eye on as their labour gets closer. On foot, I can see who has moved position since I last passed.
It’s not just looking. I listen too, for persistent bleating, or for when it’s overly quiet. That’s a lot of sensory information that I wouldn’t get in a vehicle.
Sheep go to have their lambs in the same place they were born in
Many farmers have all their sheep lambing inside. There tends to be more mismotheringinside, and increased infection as they move from shed to shed (editor’s note: mismothering is when ewes don’t know which calf is their own due to, for example, the calf having the scent of a different mother). There are higher feed costs, but no predators: it’s probably a zero sum game. Outdoors, the ewes stop lambing at dusk (for fear of predators) and so there’s a glut of lambs born at dusk, and then again at dawn.
I’m probably a bit of a hippy when it comes to lambing, but outdoors just feels more natural to me. Shed-born sheep don’t get the heft, which also affects how they graze: they stick together in a bunch. Outdoor-born sheep stick to their own 50-metre spot. Over generations you see lambs with the same temperament as their mothers, and the outdoor-born are more wilful: their spot is more important to them than being compliant!
I’ve got ankle trouble at the moment though, which puts my back out and that makes my arm hurt. The doctor said it’s a classic case of farmer injury; from trudging long distances in wellies, day in, day out.
Even outside of lambing season, I prefer to walk; I can be more present. And I still love a holiday stroll for pleasure. On my honeymoon, we walked around Peru!
From Easter to October, I do Duke of Edinburgh award supervision, shepherding children. The groups of children plot a route to a wild camping spot, and I walk a parallel path which is probably twice their distance, keeping out of sight. We meet up once so I can ask them how it’s going and give them water.
From a distance I can see who is struggling, sitting a bit apart, and often trailing behind. I can see who has weighted their bag badly and will be suffering by the end of the day. Then, I can sensitively tell them how I pack my bag, for example, without giving specific support. These days it’s not just about getting through the landscape; they’re now asked to do a presentation on some aspect of the landscape that they have been observing, including grazing patterns, flora and fauna, number of holiday homes, infrastructure and water use. This makes the walk more conscious, less mechanical and more respectful of the countryside they are walking through.
There’s something wonderful about walking. It’s in the tiny differences.
🐌
Daf’s farm is between Ponterwyd and Devil’s Bridge in Ceredigion, Mid Wales. Walk Devlla two from Devil’s Bridge to Llanidloes if you want to walk through his landscapes. (Plus it’s had two reviews already, so the next person to walk it gets the snail badge, and adds it to the verified network!) If you’re not already signed up to review Slow Ways routes, do so here.
Devlla two across the Cambrian mountains is ready for its snail!
Dafydd Morris-Jones
Dafydd is a farmer, Duke of Edinburgh supervisor, caver and cave rescue volunteer, translator, dad, and many more things. He’s also involved with steering Tir Canol, an exciting co-designed community initiative that’s designing and providing positive outcomes for nature and people through the use of the land and sea in Mid-Wales, in an area with hundreds of landowners.
“This morning’s walk was to be a leisurely stroll from Caerleon, following the path of the River Usk to Newport. Heading into Wales’ third largest city might sound like a counterintuitive route for a National Forest trail, but part of my challenge was to imagine a walking route that might inspire people to reconnect with nature, and to understand that we can make that connection even when walking in urban environments.
I’d been inspired by the new grassroots walking initiative Slow Ways. It hopes to create a network of accessible walking routes that connect all of Great Britain’s towns and cities through crowdsourced mapping. Already, during the lockdown some 700 volunteers from across the UK had collaborated to map out Slow Ways’ 7,500 public footpaths and rights of way that collectively stretched for over 110,000 km. I thought some of my routes might help add to that map.
For all these reasons I was keen to explore the relatively new cycle and walking trail linking Caerleon to Newport and to see how easy it would be to connect with the well-established network of canal walking paths that link up through east Wales.
Caerleon’s namesake (the Welsh word caer means fort). Image from the author
Today I was joined by an old school friend called Andy. He lived nearby in Chepstow and his family hailed from Newport, so he was keen to explore his roots. We started by the Hanbury Arms pub in Caerleon and walked past the impressive stone remains of the old Roman amphitheatre. A group of young kids played hide and seek amid the grassy ruins while their parents chatted and drank coffee.
The Romans were a dominant presence in south Wales for nearly 400 years, and Caerleon played a major role in their control of western Britain. Even after the Romans left, Caerleon’s reputation was further enhanced by tales that it was King Arthur’s seat of power, where he gathered his knights at the fabled round table. The Victorian poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson travelled to Caerleon when he was writing his Arthurian poem Idylls of the King. He stayed at the Hanbury Arms pub and took long walks for inspiration along the river Usk.
The river path led us past Caerleon scout hut, the local football club and the high school, before crossing a railway line and turning toward the Usk by the grand red-brick Victorian façade of St. Cadoc’s Hospital. Local people were out walking their dogs and a small cohort of cyclists rode by on their way to Newport. One was particularly keen to announce his presence: an elderly man dressed in a bright yellow top who rang his bell with great urgency as he sped by us.
Our conversation turned to the houses we had walked past. They were built on the floodplain no more than 100 meters from the banks of the Usk. Earlier in the year, the river had burst its banks during winter storms, flooding low-lying fields and prompting local authorities to lay down emergency flood barriers to protect residents. I wondered how these houses had fared during that storm surge, and how desirable this location would be in future as climate change further increases flooding. In spite of humanity’s best and worst attempts, nature always restores its own balance.
Houses by the Usk. Image from the author
We were at the river now. It was high tide and the Usk looked picture postcard pretty as the sun broke through the clouds in streaks and reflected off the surface. A black cormorant was doing aerial reconnaissance for its lunch above us. This was the river in its best light. This far downstream the Usk’s waters begin to merge with the greater Severn estuary and the river displays a split personality. At low tide, it is reduced to a thin channel fighting its way through clogging, dirty grey mud banks that trap the little boats moored by its banks until the Severn surge frees them again.
Caerleon was well behind us at this point. We’d entered a sliver of countryside separating the town from Newport’s industrial edges. Even so, it was a surprise to come across a sow and her litter of piglets sleeping on the dry mud at the side of the cycle path. Behind the pigs was a truly magnificent and very old tree growing precariously at an angle out of a steep hillside, its thick branches raised upwards as if to help it maintain balance.
Pigs at the roadside. Image from the author
“So, what type of tree is that?” asked Andy with a hint of mischief.
“I’ve not quite reached that level of expertise,” I replied a little defensively. “However, I did download this handy Woodland Trust app with its guide to British trees. It should give us the answer.”
Just then an elderly couple walked around the corner: locals out for their daily constitutional up and down the river path.
“We’re trying to work out what type of tree this is,” I said. “Can you help?”
The couple looked at me as if I was a complete idiot.
“It’s an oak tree. Obviously,” said the woman before quickly moving on.
“Probably best not to tell too many people you’re writing a book about trees just yet,” said Andy.
Matthew Yeomans is the author of a new book, Return to My Trees, that recounts his 300-mile walk through the woodlands of Wales exploring how we reconnect and restore balance with nature. It is published by Calon Books.
Community Stories lead, Saira, ventures on a slow, muddy walk to Netherne-on-the-Hill village and encounters the roar of the M25
Mid-day, I decided on a whim to take a train out to Surrey to check Rednet one, a Slow Ways route that connects Redhill to Netherne-on-the-Hill. It had been a while since I went on a long walk, and I was itching to get out.
The route snaked its way through the patches of green and grey that straddle London and Surrey. It skimmed along the verges of beautiful watery expanses like the Moors, Holmethorpe Lagoons, Sypnes Myres and Mercers Lake. Stretches of these expansive landscapes were veiled by vegetation and woods. One of the reasons I chose this particular route is because I’ve spent a lot of time walking around these water bodies, and always wondered what lay beyond.
Paradoxically, Slow Ways gives you time as much as it takes it away. This was a slow, muddy, noisy walk.
A stretch of the route encompassed a wooded waterlogged trail that ran adjacent to the M25. I felt unsettled, slogging through as big trucks and vans and cars whooshed by in a relentless roaring blur. I was aware of my slowness, but the muddy terrain wouldn’t let me go any faster. Eventually my frustration dissipated and I resigned myself to the drawn-out nature of the walk. It was no longer uncomfortable; it just was.
This dreary soundscape of motorway junctions, of tunnels and hill tops, was varied nonetheless. It took in the urban cityscape as well as the natural landscapes of the Surrey Hills and in the distance, the South Downs…
The route was largely devoid of people, aside from the odd dog-walker or cyclist. At one point, as I turned the corner of a muddy unmarked path near Mercers Farm, I passed a group of Afghani boys. I smiled at them awkwardly and they looked on at me with a flicker of odd curiosity. I often find these encounters to be ones of odd curiosity (often mutual) like the time I saw a West African nun wandering past a windmill in Kingston-near-Lewes, or when I encountered a Korean man singing in his mother tongue through a wondrous passage. I continued on my way.
The route converged with the North Downs way, and from a hilltop, I watched the buzzards circle overhead. I looked out onto stretching green hills. On the other side a hazy mirage of London buildings; the Gherkin, the Heron Tower, the Shard, replete with roaring traffic and punctuated by birdsong. I kept on walking along the edges of a turnip field and through some woods.
The walk ended at the ghostly settlement of Netherne-on-the-Hill. It was quiet and felt isolated. I walked around in circles unable to find a clear passage to the bottom of the hill. I noticed a man getting out of his car outside the single village shop, and asked him how to get down. He pointed in a direction and told me to follow the steps that led to Brighton Road, where I could get a bus back to Redhill.
Following his directions, I met another dog walker at a junction — a woman with red hair. I double checked with her that I was on the right track. She nodded, pointing to a little path that ran away from the road. In our quick chat, she told me she had lived in Netherne-on-the-Hill for six years, and that it was a peaceful place. I wanted to find out more, but my bus was coming soon. I found the long winding steps going back down into the world. At the base, I crossed a valley and came to Brighton Road. I could see the red London bus on the horizon and ran for it!
On the bus, I read up on Netherne. From 1903 to 1994, it was home to Netherne Hospital, an asylum for treating psychiatric patients. It housed up to 2000 patients at its peak and had its own laundry, power station, sewage works, farm and sporting facilities. The hospital was known to be progressive in its treatment of mental illnesses, including in its use of art therapy and psychiatric rehabilitation. It closed in 1994 following the community integration of most of its patients, and housing was built on the site soon after.
Routes through edgelands often pass through various portals: dark, noisy, nowhere terrains.
In some ways, my Slow Ways walk wasn’t particularly scenic or interesting, but it was worthwhile; I’d discovered two new places that I’d never been, and I’d followed a route, varied and almost otherworldly, that connected them both. I couldn’t wait to go home and plan my next Slow Ways walk.
Register now for our new WISA account and generate generous short and long term returns on investment
I am delighted to announce our new high interest Slow Ways WISA account.
Analysts predict that this new derivative product is one of the best investments to secure your future, and should be prioritised alongside property, pensions and mainstream markets.
Our new WISA account requires regular investments and trade-offs that, when combined, can generate generous short and long term returns on investment.
As well as generating high personal rates of interest, the WISA account also pays social dividends to communities across Britain that surpass traditional accounts.
Like many high interest products on the market, your investments are not guaranteed or risk free, but evidence from world-leading experts means you can have a high level of confidence that your investment will be secure.
Returns on investment include*
Increased life expectancy
Reduced risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity and type 2 diabetes
Improved wellbeing
Reduction of stress
Improved sleep
Greater creativity and productivity
High interest memories
Joy
Financial benefits of the account include
Free and reduced cost travel
Savings on NHS budgets
Depending on your portfolio of investments, WISA’s social return can benefit communities, heritage and the environment, including mitigating the climate crisis.
How itworks
The Slow Ways WISA account requires regular investment and trade-offs in order to have the greatest return on investment.
These include slowing down in order to invest in:
walking, running or wheeling
sharing your experiences with others
To qualify for the Slow Ways WISA account you must:
Register for Slow Ways account
Walk, run or wheel Slow Ways
Leave reviews to help others follow in your footsteps
Account holders must make their own Slow Ways WISA cards by upcycling part of an old cereal box.
*The Slow Ways WISA account is regulated by yourself. The more you invest in walking and reviewing Slow Ways, the more you and other people will likely get out of it. Like with many investments, the WISA account is not risk free and you should take care when selecting your portfolio of walks and adventures.
Join Vi, a project manager and member of Black Girls Hike as she embarks on a watery wandering in Manchester through her favourite parks
Vi spends as much time walking as she does sitting down and enjoying the plants and wildlife that surround her. Join her on her joyous Slow Ways journey to Didsbury via her favourite Manchester nature spots.
Inspired to go on your own Slow Ways nature wandering? Sign up to walk and review Slow Ways. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Virginie Assal
I’m Vi, a French Black queer and disabled person living in Manchester.
During the week I’m a project manager in equality and diversity in the charity sector. But on the weekend, I put on my trainers and go hiking on adventures. Well, I call it slow hiking because I spend as much time walking as I do sitting down and enjoying the plants and wildlife around, rather than rushing to the summit. I’m also a member of Black Girls Hike UK, which provides a safe space for Black women to explore the outdoors.
You can follow my adventures on TikTok and you can follow Black Girls Hike on Instagram.
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