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Main Boards => General Walking Discussion => Topic started by: Foreversun82 on 14:25:39, 04/03/18

Title: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: Foreversun82 on 14:25:39, 04/03/18
Hi everybody


We are living in Bedfordshire and what we are looking for are walks in the nature, in remote places like forrests, etc. We know, Bedfordshire and the other countys nearby are well populated, but I'm quite sure, there must be places of natural beauty for hiking. We already went walking in the chiltern hills, it's nice there, but sometimes a bit crowded.


Do you know such remoted places?


And another question: Are there any lakes you can go swimming? I know it might sound a bit weird, but back in Switzerland we were living near a lake, and swimming in summer in a lake is just beautiful  ::)
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: Mel on 16:28:29, 04/03/18
Yorkshire Wolds.  I never see anyone when I walk there.


As for wild swimming.  The Lake District has plenty of lakes and tarns you could swim in.  Wales has a few too, plus quarry lakes - probably nearer for you


Though trying to find "remote" and "lake" together is a whole different kettle of fish in terms of lack of people  :-\
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: Foreversun82 on 16:30:38, 04/03/18
That sounds good, thank you so much for your answer!
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: Dovegirl on 16:55:20, 04/03/18
The heathlands and woodlands of Ashdown Forest in Sussex have more of an atmosphere of remoteness than much of southern England. It's a lovely area for walking    :)

https://www.ashdownforest.org/home/index.php
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: Flanners on 17:18:23, 04/03/18
Yes if you try and stay away from the car parks/dog walkers and Pooh Bridge, I walk a lot in the Ashdown as it is a few miles from home, my favourite area in the South is the South Coast and inland up to Lewes....fantastic.
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: ninthace on 17:31:56, 04/03/18
When I was a lad I used to swim in the Ouse upstream of Bedford (mum wouldn't let me do it downstream "'cos you might catch something" but my mates did.  If you want somewhere in England that feels really remote try the North Pennines or the Howgill Fells  There are places there where you will think you are the last person left alive and you can walk all day without meeting a soul.
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: JsWalks on 16:25:12, 12/03/18
Hi everybody


We are living in Bedfordshire and what we are looking for are walks in the nature, in remote places like forrests, etc. We know, Bedfordshire and the other countys nearby are well populated, but I'm quite sure, there must be places of natural beauty for hiking. We already went walking in the chiltern hills, it's nice there, but sometimes a bit crowded.


Do you know such remoted places?

And another question: Are there any lakes you can go swimming? I know it might sound a bit weird, but back in Switzerland we were living near a lake, and swimming in summer in a lake is just beautiful  ::)





I know this is going to look like an outright plug of my videos .. but I produce walking videos of your surrounding area.. got a dozen or so walks you can view (with stats etc).. take a look. My blog link is in my Profile signature below or just search JsWalks.

 
As for second  question.. sorry, I don't!
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: gunwharfman on 16:53:03, 12/03/18
The most remote place I can think of, is when I hiked in the Arriege region of the Pyrenees, beautiful area but I felt so lonely for so long! In the UK the Glyndwrs Way and the Pennine Journey lingers strongly in my mind.
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: Owen on 21:03:41, 12/03/18
The nearest to Bedfordshire would probably by the Peak district on the Darbyshire/Yorkshire border. Or for forests there's Thetford forest near Norwich. Unfortunately, the nearer you are to the south-east the more built up the country becomes, all the wilder remoter places are in the North or West. There are lots of small pockets of unspoiled land even in the most densely populated parts of the country, there's the RSPB reserve at Sandy just south of Bedford, for example. 
Wild swimming is I'm afraid looked on as something beyond the pale in Britain, no lifeguard, untreated water, there might be currents, deep water, rats. But then lots of us still do it - quietly.       
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: Jac on 11:21:44, 13/03/18
I would guess that most 'wild' swimming is the UK is in the sea - not an option in Switzerland.
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: gunwharfman on 13:16:02, 13/03/18
I remember that Prof. Alice Roberts did a documentary on wild swimming. Not for me I'm afraid, I never did learn to swim.

In the 80s I worked with a colleague who came from Prague and in her younger days was one of her countries high divers. I saw her dive into Wastwater (staff outing) totally shocked some onlookers. She gave a display, very impressive to watch and then another colleague copied her, he hit the water and screamed with the cold water shock. He got out of the water very quickly!
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: BuzyG on 18:24:10, 13/03/18
I remember that Prof. Alice Roberts did a documentary on wild swimming. Not for me I'm afraid, I never did learn to swim.

In the 80s I worked with a colleague who came from Prague and in her younger days was one of her countries high divers. I saw her dive into Wastwater (staff outing) totally shocked some onlookers. She gave a display, very impressive to watch and then another colleague copied her, he hit the water and screamed with the cold water shock. He got out of the water very quickly!


It's amazing how the human body can be conditioned to except different climatic conditions.  As an ex uk winter surfer, for 30 years, the thought of a swim in Wastwater holds no fear.  The downside of that is when I walk in the UK summer I suffer with the heat and need to carry a lot more water than others, I walk with, who are better conditioned to the activity.
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: Pura Vida on 18:43:26, 13/03/18
BBC Wales did a program with Kate Humble recently exploring wales. One of the activities that she got upto was wild, naked swimming. It's all tastefully shot.
https://www.facebook.com/BBCCymruWales/videos/1643420249052722/
 :D
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: Doddy on 17:00:20, 15/03/18
Depends how far you want to go; the Cape Wrath Trail especially in the north is wilderness; wildswimming.co.uk will give swim areas. I have done open water Triathlons and the odd wild swim. Good ability and awareness is needed to cope with cold water and lonely places. A wet suit is just about mandatory in UK waters including the sea.
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: harry_keogh on 15:41:05, 16/03/18
There's some lovely quiet places in the Dark Peak that have a feeling of remoteness. The crowds tend to congregate in the same places ... ie The Great Ridge and Kinder Scouts south and west edges. I remember doing the Derwent Watershed walk last year.... definitely felt remote! I think I only passed a handful of people in a whole day of walking.


The key thing if you want a feeling of remoteness - don't walk at a weekend. If you can spare a few holidays to use as walking days, or if you're lucky like me and can accrue flexi time to use, then walking on a week day makes a huge difference. I hardly ever see other people on my walks!
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: Marsden Moor on 17:14:36, 16/03/18
Same here Harry, work shifts so able to get out on a weekday, mainly walking around marsden at the moment and can certainly tell the difference between weekends and week days just me days off seem to be in tune with rainy days at the moment
Title: Re: Walking and hiking in remote places
Post by: BuzyG on 18:19:14, 16/03/18
Not walked on Marsden Moor since I was a teenager.  My now wife and I got the train there from Liverpool and had a very peaceful day, as I recall.  I remember a cool looking dam, near the start of our walk and finding a narrow gauge railway track somewhere up there.   Happy memorise from 40 years ago.  :)