Try a Trail!

National Trails UK is a charity that exists to champion and strengthen the UK’s 21 National Trails and inspire more people to use them as a gateway to the great outdoors...

Following the opening of two new trails this year, Kate Conway, Senior Communications Manager for National Trails, told LWD about the charity’s work to improve access. 

In March, the King Charles III England Coast Path launched, creating a continuous route of nearly 2,700 miles around England’s coastline. Just a week later, Wainwright’s much-loved Coast to Coast Path became a National Trail too, following major upgrades to the route.

The UK’s National Trails connect people with some of the UK’s most treasured landscapes – from sea-swept cliffs and quiet riverbanks to National Parks, National Landscapes, wooded valleys and open moorland.

And they may be closer than you think. The Thames Path National Trail runs through the heart of London, while other trails pass close to towns, villages and transport links across England, Wales and Scotland.

A National Trail adventure doesn’t have to mean taking on a long-distance challenge.

It might be a short wheel along a surfaced path, a supported walk with friends, a picnic beside a river or simply somewhere peaceful to stop and enjoy the view.

However, you experience them, National Trails offer space to move, breathe and reconnect, with nature, with other people and with yourself. There is no right distance, pace or way to enjoy a National Trail.

Removing barriers

Of course, finding an experience that appeals is only part of the picture. You also need the confidence to know whether the route will work for you. Across the network, National Trails and their partners are removing physical barriers and improving the information people need to plan a visit.

The newly upgraded Coast to Coast Path National Trail shows what this can mean in practice. 

Thirty-eight stiles have been replaced with gates, more than nine kilometres of Trail have been resurfaced or laid with flagstones, and signage has been improved. There are also easier and lower-level options on parts of the route, including more than 11 miles in Ennerdale Valley open to horse riders, cyclists and people using all-terrain wheelchairs.

Elsewhere across the network, dedicated funding is helping National Trails make further accessibility improvements. 

On the North Downs Way National Trail, eight accessibility schemes have been delivered, including improvements to rest stops to better support visitors with physical access needs.

On the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path National Trail, Norfolk’s ‘mountains’ of Beeston Bump and Skelding Hill have been made more accessible, and a replacement boardwalk at Holme Dunes National Nature Reserve is improving access while also protecting sensitive habitat for natterjack toads.

Know before you go

Sometimes the biggest barrier is uncertainty. Knowing what to expect can make it much easier to decide whether a route will work for you.

Will there be steps? How narrow are the gates? Is there accessible parking? Where is the nearest toilet? How steep or uneven is the route?

On parts of the King Charles III England Coast Path National Trail in Somerset, visitors can now explore sections virtually before travelling. Digital imagery shows parking, toilets, steps, narrow gateways and other possible obstacles.

Why access is personal

Craig Grimes is a National Trails UK Trustee and Managing Director of Experience Community. He became a wheelchair user in 1997. His organisation works with disabled people to explore the outdoors and help National Trail managers understand what visitors may need.

“Access is a personal perspective, so it’s very difficult to make something accessible for everyone,” said Craig.

“A smooth, level path may suit one person, while other users may have all terrain mobility equipment and want something more challenging. The answer is not one standard route, but greater variety, fewer unnecessary obstacles and clear information.”

The Pennine Bridleway National Trail offers an excellent variety of options, from gentler terrain to more technical and arduous sections. You can explore the variety of surface conditions found on the Pennine Bridleway National Trail here.

While on Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail, Craig and his team have identified sections that can be completed using mobility equipment. They’re now creating maps with photos to provide detailed information about the routes.

Craig and his team at Experience Community have also audited all 102 miles of the Cotswold Way National Trail. Recommendations include replacing stiles and kissing gates, finding alternative routes around steep or eroded sections and focusing early improvements on places with accessible toilets, parking and accommodation.

Work has also taken place on the Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail, auditing several circular routes so disabled visitors can enjoy the spectacular dry chalk valleys of East Yorkshire.

Lived Experience

Through Paths to Inclusion, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players, National Trails UK is working with disabled people and community organisations to improve how information about the Trails is shared and experienced.

The project will listen to people who don’t currently visit National Trails, or feel these places aren’t for them. New content will be co-designed and tested with the communities helping more people feel confident to explore, connect and belong on National Trails.

For inspiration and information to get out exploring National Trails follow on: @national.trails.uk and https://www.linkedin.com/company/77060425 or visit https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/