Southern England index

Definition: southern England is England south of the river Trent.

Many people think that walking in southern England is easy. It doesn't always have the challenge of the rest of Britain, that's true; but no sane walker would underestimate the rigours of (say) Hartland to Bude on the South West Coast Path - a tough day out by any standards, and I've had 2000ft of ascent in a Chilterns day.

One key attraction of walking in southern England is precisely because much, the south-east and midlands in particular, is so crowded - yet local trails let you find quiet. A good example is the London Loop, circling a great capital city, but with long stretches of rural charm. Public transport in these areas is often very good, so leave off polluting the planet for a day and give your lungs a stretch.

I have a long back catalogue of walks to add to the site. Only a few southern England trails are covered at the moment - those with hyperlinks underlined - but the number will grow.

East Anglia and Essex

* The Essex coast, Harwich to Southend
 
* The Essex Way, Epping to Harwich
 
* The Forest Way, from Epping Forest to Hatfield Forest
 
* The Harcamlow Way, which should be renamed as the Cambridge 8 path, from Harlow to Cambridge and back 
 
* The Icknield Way Path
 
* The Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path
 
* The St Edmund Way, Manningtree to Brandon
 
* St Peter's Way, from Ongar to Bradwell
 
* The Stour Valley Path, Newmarket to Cattawade
 
* The Suffolk Coast and Heaths Path

London

* The Centenary Walk (Epping Forest), Manor Park to Epping 
 
* The Greenway: Beckton to Stratford and Bow along a great piece of Victorian engineering 
 
* The Lea Valley path: 50 miles from Limehouse to Luton, mostly on towpaths
 
* The London Loop
 
* The Regent's and Hertford Union canals. 
 
* See our family site for information about Wanstead Flats, which afford a road-free three mile circuit in the heart of east London.

North and west of London

• The Chiltern Way 

Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire

• The Greensand Way , from Haslemere to Ham Street

• Serpent Trail, from Petersfield to Haslemere

• South Downs Way, from Eastbourne to Winchester

• The Wealdway, from Gravesend to Beachy Head.

West of England

• South West Peninsula Coast Path (Westward Ho! to Bude, and Land's End to Tintagel).

Site created by Peter Aylmer of London

page created 30 December 2004, amended 21 March 2008