Country Walking

Country Walking Magazine shows you the best of British walks: the biggest views, the hidden gems, the sea cliffs and the mountain summits. All our features come complete with superb writing, inspiring photography and step-by-step instructions so you can follow every footpath yourself. In every issue, you’ll find: - In-depth stories of amazing walks - A booklet of 25 pull-out walks every issue - with OS maps! - Information about hotels, pubs, cafes, tearooms. - Clear, jargon-free tests of walking kit And... every issue our readers tell their walking stories, help us devise new walks and shape the places we go to. If you love walking, this is the magazine for you.

Welcome

IN THIS ISSUE…

Cloud surfing

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS MONTH

'You can always make a wrong note right with the next thing you do.' • Why the worlds of walking and jazz music have more in common than you think…

TARPORLEY • Gentle countryside, wooded hills topped by castles, historic red sandstone buildings: this attractive village and its surroundings are a delight from start to finish.

Start 2026 with a golden badge • Winning a coveted golden badge is surely one of your top resolutions, and it’s one you can strike off just by having fun… or by being a bit silly!

Go for gold this month

Your View

Stuart Maconie • Under doctor’s orders, Stuart has taken on walking’s sweatier, red-faced, lung-stretching sibling. And to his surprise, he doesn’t completely hate it.

A winter weekend in wonderland • Winter walks aren’t always how you imagine them to be. Sometimes they’re a hundred times better – even more so if you make a weekend of it.

Giant peaks and great falls in Eryri • A low-level linear trail through some of Snowdonia’s most iconic scenery – and a waterfall which roars in winter finery.

Chill in the Chilterns • Wooded landscapes, chalk streams, idyllic villages and a curious sense of familiarity greet you on this Buckinghamshire trail.

Through a forest frozen in time • See how most of Scotland would have looked 7000 years ago in the primeval forests of the Cairngorms.

The WOW Factor • Who says you have to hike for miles to see something amazing? Not us. Welcome to little walks with jaw-dropping moments… starting with a mountain in the sea. In Somerset.

Speaking across the sea

Jawdroppers • Five more short walks with the wow factor that can fill any winter’s day with wonder.

MIND -OVERMOUNTAINS

When mind and mountains meet • Sometimes we need a good view inwards as much as a beautiful view outwards. With Mind Over Mountains, you get both.

Listen up! • Next time your walking buddy opens up to you, try these tips for active listening:

'I really opened up' • Reflections from some of those on the walk with Jenna.

THE BOURNE LEGACY • Even the smallest, quietest places have stories to tell, and they are best told on foot. Like the one in this small, quiet place in the East Midlands, which forged the most honest war writer of them all.

The Speed Demon

IN SEARCH OF SCOTLAND'S RING OF FIRE • At the farthest western tip of the British mainland lie the remains of one of the most violent volcanic moments in the nation’s pre-history. Walking it is a challenge – and a revelation.

Gear THE WALKER'S TOOLKIT • From binocs to balms, comfy seats to crunchy snacks: a celebration of little treats that make all the difference.

Tea break

Reach new heights • One of Lakeland’s unexpected super-views | Trees so ancient they need walking sticks | A lake famous for its monster (NOT the one you’re thinking of) and more great walks…

OUR ROUTES YOUR WALKS • Tackled one of the routes published in Country Walking?...