Great British walks
Britain is a walker-friendly country. It's easy to escape to the hills by following one of thousands of trails that come in all shapes and sizes. Varying in length from 79 to 630 miles, these walks take in everything from chalk downlands to rugged mountainsides, sandy bays to river meadows. If 630 miles sounds a bit daunting, don't panic - most walkers choose short sections of the path to explore.
More ambitious walkers can take to the highlands of Scotland, or follow the Pennine Hills across the backbone of England, or scramble in rocky Snowdonia, North Wales, where the team that first conquered Mount Everest did their training. I prefer the walks that roll down off a grassy ridge into a picturesque village, which - unless you're very unlucky - will have its cosy country pub serving good beer and food.
I also love the breezy coastal trails that track past untouched cliffs and beaches rich in wildlife. Take your binoculars on paths like these, and you'll catch sight of seals, dolphins and all manner of seabirds.
Roman remains
Britain's newest National Trail, up on Hadrian's Wall in the moors where England meets Scotland, is 84 miles long, but most walkers will only cover a few miles at a time, or some of the 40 circular walks that loop off the main track.
Opened last summer, the trail runs the entire length of the great fortification built by the Romans in the 2nd century to control their northern frontier. Today, it is still wild, remote countryside. My favourite stretch crosses the sharp escarpment of Great Whin Sill, where you're accompanied not just by Northumbria's big skies and wide, open spaces but also by some of the best-preserved sections of surviving wall which, in its prime, stood 15 feet high. There's another reason for choosing this particular part of the trail. On Whin Sill's slope there's Housesteads, the most complete Roman fort in Britain, its bare bones laid out to give a rare insight into life in this ancient outpost.
The trail runs from the friendly city of Newcastle upon Tyne to Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast, passing close to attractive old country towns like Hexham and Brampton and the historic city of Carlisle - so there's a good choice of places to stay (from hostels, farmhouses and bed-and-breakfasts to stylish city hotels).
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