Welcome to Discovering Britain

We think Britain's landscapes are wonderful. There is a tremendous variety of different landscapes within our shores – whether in the countryside, in towns and cities or at the seaside. And every landscape has a story to tell about our past and present.

We are developing an exciting series of geographically-themed walks across the country that aim to bring these stories alive and to inspire everyone to explore and learn more about our landscapes. Each walk explores a particular landscape, finding out about the way in which the forces of nature, people, events and the economy have created what you see today.

About the walks

Our walks are fun, informative and inspiring. Prepare to discover something new, to be surprised by what's around you, and to find the unexpected. They are neither a route-march nor a catalogue of what you see. Instead the walks tell a story about the landscape, illustrated at points of interest along the route. Some walks give a different perspective on well-known places, others take you off the beaten track to explore something different.

The walks are not strenuous hikes or mountain climbs. We want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy them. We hope to entice people new to walking, as well as appeal to regular walkers. Mostly they are two to three hour excursions suitable for all ages and abilities. Most of the walks in towns and cities are no more than two miles long while walks in the countryside and at the seaside are between two and six miles long. Some walks are along very easy terrain while others are a little more challenging, so check the level indicated for each walk.

How it works

Finding a walk

You can search for walks on the website in three different ways – by the type of landscape at the heart of the story, by the setting of the walks, and by location or geographical region. You can view your selections in a list or on a map.

Why not browse the website for walks that you are interested in? The walk profile contains all the information that you will need to work out if it is the right walk for you. It tells you about the walk and its story, you can view the route and the different stopping points and look at a photo gallery of images to get a feel for it.

Preparing for a walk

When you have selected a walk, there are a range of resources to download that you can take with you on the walk.

• The introduction tells you the basic information about the walk, including the start and end points, length and level of difficulty.
• The audio commentary is available as mp3 files to download onto your personal music player. 
• A written script version of the commentary can be printed for those who prefer.
• The route map shows the walk route and stopping points. You can also download the gpx coordinates for the walk route onto your GPS machine if you have one.
• Use the ‘Learn more’ tab on each walk webpage to find out about additional activities along or near the walk route that will help you to plan your day out.
• Children's activities are available for some walks and can be printed off.

The learn more tab on each walk webpage contains information about additional activities along or near the walk route that will help you to plan your day out.

Going on a walk

For safety reasons, we advise you always to carry a printout of the map. Please also remember to take sufficient water and to wear clothing and footwear appropriate to the season and terrain.

When you arrive at the walk starting point, listen to the introductory tracks or read the introduction on the script. After that, follow the directions to the first stopping point. Listen to each track at the designated stopping point. When you are ready to move on, you can either read the directions in the script of follow the route indicated on the map.

All our walks are developed and tested by us and we aim to keep them up to date. Occasionally, though, routes become blocked and details changed. Please do let us know of any incorrect details or additional information using the Contact Us form. We would appreciate your feedback.

Also tell us what you thought of the walk and send us any pictures that you have taken. We will put your feedback in the experiences section of the walk and we will select the best submitted images for the photo gallery.

How this project is developing

Over the next two years, we want to create more than 200 inspirational and informative walks that bring our islands’ geography and history alive. They will explore different parts of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

We will be developing new walks all the time, so do come back and visit the website to find out what’s new.

We welcome suggestions for new walks, as well as feedback on existing ones and on our approach. If you want to share your views or have an idea for a geographically-themed walk please do get in touch using the Contact Us form. 

As the project progresses, we will be introducing more interactivity directly on the website and we will be looking at whether users would like a Discovering Britain mobile phone app.