Talking Walking

Countryside diary of Ian Newman: walking and hiking guide, outdoor photographer and committed conservationist. Co-owner of Footpath Holidays

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First Green Shoots - Here Comes Springtime

First Green Shoots – Here Comes Springtime

February has slipped by and here we are in March. The wildlife obviously thinks that springtime is just around the corner; birds are pairing up for breeding and , for me, the most enjoyable sign of approaching spring – Hares boxing on the hillside. Yes, the Mad March Hare is with us, We are very fortunate in the chalk downland of Wiltshire to have a thriving population.

Barn owl on a post.

We are…

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Try A Little Bittersweetness!

Happy New Year. Long time, no blog!

Having just returned from another frosty morning pre-breakfast walk with the dogs I settled down to my breakfast of toast and chunky marmalade and a mug of steaming hot tea whilst browsing the internet. A story caught my attention, mainly because it was on the subject of ……..marmalade. Marmalade is my number one sandwich filler to take on hikes too.

It would…

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The Last Hurrah

As October gives way to November the English landscape is transforming. The greens of summer have given way to the russet oranges and deep reds of autumn. The woods are full of interesting fungi which are grabbing their opportunity to reproduce. In two or three weeks Mother Nature will shut up shop and only the evergreens and berries will provide some colour. We certainly intend to take as many…

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Get ready for the crunch (and the swish and the rustle).

Get ready for the crunch (and the swish and the rustle).

We’re almost at the end of harvest time in the English countryside and heading toward that great walking season, the Autumn (or the Fall if you prefer). The changing colours make for breathtaking panoramas and vistas, enhanced by the morning mists.

Catbells across Derwentwater in the English Lake District.

  Fog lingering over the Langdale valley

So the Autumn is a boost for the spirit, but the…

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Time for clear heads and quiet reflection - go for a walk!

Time for clear heads and quiet reflection – go for a walk!

On top of Seaworthy Beacon where I do some of my best thinking!

It’s been four months since I last posted a blog. The spring and early summer positively flashed by in a blur of EU referendum and European soccer championships, both of which saw England leave Europe early.

Now in the ‘Brexit period’ we need some clear thinking and calm reflection. Perhaps the politicians ought to get out for a walk…

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Hyperboreans - our friends in the North

Hyperboreans – our friends in the North

In Greek mythology the Hyperboreans were mythical beings who dwelled beyond the North Wind. Boreal regions are sub arctic regions in the northern hemisphere.

In England we often speak about the ‘North South divide’. It refers to the socio-economic divisions between the more prosperous South and the post industrial North. People in the south are regarded as having a softer climate, an easier life…

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There's a storm brewing - what shall we call it?

There’s a storm brewing – what shall we call it?

In 2015 the Meteorological Office decided that, for the first time, our Atlantic storms would be given names (in much the same way as hurricanes and tropical storms have had names for decades).

These names are given to storms which cause structural damage, affect travel and infrastructure and pose a danger to the population. Having grown up in a seafaring community, I am no stranger to high…

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Springtime Is Just Around The Corner

Springtime Is Just Around The Corner

Our unseasonally warm and wet winter season lasted into January but has now been replaced by more recognisably winter conditions.

We have been blessed with cold, clear, crunchy mornings on Salisbury Plain this week. Clear, frosty mornings are one of the glories of wintertime – perfect for a walk and with the bonus of returning home with a clean dog and clean boots!

The evenings are drawing out…

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For A Great Walk, Just Add Water!

For A Great Walk, Just Add Water!

It sustains life, supports growth and without it we would perish. It can be tranquil, picturesque, magnificent or destructive but when you’re out for a walk nothing lifts the spirits like a bit of water (unless it has flooded your path, of course!).

Whether it be a moorland stream, a mountain torrent, a glacial lake, a canal, a river, an estuary or the ocean there’s nothing like a body of water…

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Sacred Stones - Celebrate The Solstice

Sacred Stones – Celebrate The Solstice

From late June the daylight in the northern hemisphere begins to dwindle, imperceptibly at first but as the year progresses through August and September the darkening evenings become ever more noticeable. In late September the Autumnal Equinox is a real ‘milestone’ pointing at the darkening days to come. In late October the United Kingdom puts its clocks back an hour, temporarily extending the…

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England's Toughest Hike?

England’s Toughest Hike?

2015 was the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Pennine Way National Trail. The brainchild of journalist and hiker Tom Stephenson the ‘Way’ has challenged thousands of hikers over the years. At 268 miles long and with almost thirty thousand feet of ascent it remains a challenge, even in these days of lightweight gear (and we haven’t even considered the rough terrain and bad weather yet)!

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Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness - Looking at Clouds From Both Sides

Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness – Looking at Clouds From Both Sides

What a spendid autumn we’re having in Britain.

Keats’ ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ is giving us stunning views, thick fog and, lately, plenty of mists. London and the South East of England have been fogbound for the last two days. Further west in South West England and West Wales we have been somewhat luckier. The problem with fog is its unpredictability. Sunday started misty but…

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We'll huff and we'll puff but can we really rewild Britain? Not with these little teeth.

We’ll huff and we’ll puff but can we really rewild Britain? Not with these little teeth.

So the big question is; would it be feasible or viable to rewild the United Kingdom?

Knowing the definition of ‘rewilding’ would help. To my mind ‘rewilding’ is the reintroduction of lost species and allowing/encouraging natural habitat to regenerate. The call for this to happen is becoming ever louder.

The landscape of the British Isles is very, very different to the one you would have seen 6000…

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Loving The Coast

I grew up on the coast. For my first twenty years I could look out of our back window straight on to a tidal estuary with sailing boats bobbing at anchor.When we headed down to the river we would be carrying oars, an outboard motor, fishing tackle or a bait-digging fork. Sometimes all of these things!

When I left home and made my way in the world, I lived in a number of lovely, landlocked places.…

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Sisters, A Long Man, Windmills, Oxbows and Banoffi - a walk in the South Downs National Park

Sisters, A Long Man, Windmills, Oxbows and Banoffi – a walk in the South Downs National Park

Due south of London is an unspoiled landscape which has been awarded National Park status, England’s newest National Park  in fact. The landscape consists of rolling chalk downland which reaches the sea at a series of dramatic cliffs.

I recently had the pleasure of leading a small group of walkers based in the medieval village of Alfriston.

    Our first day’s walk took us along the coast from…

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Eryri - The Peaks of the Princes

Eryri – The Peaks of the Princes

‘Eryri’  (literally translated it means ‘home of the eagles’)  is the Welsh name for the Snowdonia National Park, a wild region of dramatic, soaring peaks, surging rivers and tranquil valleys. A stronghold of the Welsh language, the region is a mecca for hikers, climbers, kayakers, cavers, mountain bikers and adrenaline sports enthusiasts.

The Snowdon massif from the National Mountain Centre at…

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Just gorgeous in Wiltshire's Wylye Valley today. #walking #hiking #wiltshire #timeforwiltshire #wylyevalley #travel #wanderlust #countryside #nature #view #sunshine #fields