Long Distance Paths
Long Distance Path. The name alone is enough to send even hardy walkers into a mild panic, conjuring up images of vast distances, massive rucksacks and epic boggy slogs across the Pennines.
But it doesn’t have to be like that. Not every LDP is the preserve of super fit athletes draped in the latest lightweight gear or flinty-eyed adventurers with straggly beards and a pack full of stories to make your hair curl. No, the majority are perfectly doable by normal folk like you and me.
You may think that hiking an LDP requires lots of planning and significant resolve. Some undoubtedly do, but the huge majority are split into very manageable chunks, often of only a few miles between villages and attractions, providing plenty of places to hop on and hop off the trail, and easier logistics than you might expect, so can be done either as a continuous project or picked off a bit at a time.
It may come as a surprise to learn that according to the Long Distance Walkers’ Association there are now over 1,600 named and waymarked long distance routes in the UK, ranging from a few miles to a few hundred miles in length and criss-crossing the entire country. With so many to choose from, it’s no wonder that quite a few of them pass close to or through our area.
This page highlights some of our nearest options. Rather than full descriptions, each page includes a summary of the route, map information, highlights and links to useful resources to help you choose and plan your LDP. And, if all that fails, you can always message me via the website, and I’ll answer any questions as best as I can.
So, what are you waiting for? Strap on those boots, load up that rucksack, and give it a go!
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Northamptonshire Round
52 miles
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Grade: Easy
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Start / Finish: Brixworth Country Park
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Map: OS Explorer 223, 207 & 224