Steve Davison
Список книг автора Steve DavisonThe Ridgeway National Trail
This guidebook – which includes both a guide to the route and a separate OS map booklet – describes the Ridgeway National Trail, an 87 mile (139km) route through southern England from Avebury in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. Typically walked in 6 or 8 days, this is a low-level waymarked route suitable for all abilities and for year round walking.
The guidebook details the trail in both directions, west to east and east to west (the main description is west to east). Step-by-step route descriptions are accompanied by 1:100,000 OS mapping and a separate OS 1:25,000 map booklet showing the entire route is included. Packed with details on points of interest and a trek planner giving at-a-glance information about facilities, public transport and accommodation available along the way, this book is an indispensable guide to walking this national trail.
Following a ridge of chalk hills through the Chiltern Hills AONB and North Wessex Downs AONB, the Ridgeway takes walkers through five counties and five thousand years of history. It offers a scenic and fascinating journey through our ancient and more recent past, visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Avebury's Neolithic stone circle and the famous Uffington White Horse, and includes excursions to picturesque villages, thatched cottages and cosy pubs.
Walking in the New Forest
This guidebook presents 30 walks in the New Forest in Hampshire and Wiltshire, Britain's smallest National Park. Easily accessible from Southampton, Bournemouth, Salisbury and Winchester, the New Forest encompasses varied landscapes, from ancient woodlands to open heaths, rivers and coastline. Routes of between 5 and 16km (3 and 10 miles) explore the Forest, mainly on fairly flat terrain, often on well-defined tracks and paths. Most walks are suitable for all the family and many can be combined to make longer outings. Each walk is described in detail, highlighting the many points of interest in this area – ancient sites and castles, picture postcard villages with thatched cottages or historic churches – with fascinating background detail. An extract of 1:25,000 OS mapping makes each route easy to follow, and suggestions for refreshment stops like pubs and tea rooms are included. All walks offer a good chance of seeing wildlife, including the famous New Forest ponies. This area has been protected and nurtured by ancient laws for over 900 years, and is the largest remaining area of lowland heath in Europe. It is this sense of history and the unique patchwork of habitats that make walking in the New Forest National Park such a rewarding experience.
Walking in the Chilterns
This guidebook describes 35 varied day walks in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in southern England, which stretches through Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. The routes range from 4 to 12 miles and cover fairly low-level terrain, and although some have several, sometimes steep, climbs and descents, they should be suitable for most walkers.
The walks take you on a journey through this classic Chiltern landscape that has been shaped by human activity for thousands of years, visiting interesting historic sites, colourful gardens and picture-postcard villages with thatched cottages, fascinating churches and cosy pubs. Step-by-step route directions include lots of information about all these sites along the way, and are illustrated with clear OS mapping and vibrant photographs. There is also information on the region's rich geology, history and plantlife, as well as advice on accommodation, transport and refreshments.
The Chiltern Hills follow a line of chalk from the River Thames at Goring up to the Barton Hills just west of Hitchin, boasting great views from the north west edge and, on the south east side, a more intimate undulating landscape of rounded hills and valleys, covered in a mix of broadleaved woodland and open farmland. Despite its relative proximity to London, the region abounds in peace and tranquility, making it an idyllic destination for a day's walk in the countryside.
The Great Stones Way
A guidebook to the Great Stones Way, a 36-mile walk through the Wiltshire Downs from Barbury Castle south of Swindon to Old Sarum north of Salisbury. The walk is divided into 6 stages with each stage ranging from 4 to 11 miles. The walk passes through countryside adorned with significant historical sites and relics from ages past, with short detours to the world-famous Stonehenge and equally enchanting Avebury henge.
Step-by-step route descriptions are accompanied by 1:50,000 OS mapping. Also included is a route summary table, information about facilities en route, plus maps for Avebury henge and Stonehenge. Rich with history and showcasing picturesque landscapes, this is a walk that can be savoured over the course of a week or enjoyed as an energetic weekend adventure. Good transport links are available at each end.
Walking in the North Wessex Downs
Guidebook to 30 circular day walks in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The routes, which range from 4 to 13 miles long take in parts of four counties – Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire.
The walks allow you to explore parts of the Ridgeway National Trail, the Kennet and Avon Canal and stunning historic sites, such as Avebury, the 3000-year-old Uffington White Horse, impressive Neolithic long barrows and Iron Age hill forts. The North Wessex Downs are accessible hills that rise above the towns and rural plains of southern England and roll gently west from Reading and Basingstoke to Swindon and down past Marlborough to Andover.
Alongside detailed route descriptions and OS maps, are plenty of details on points of interest, as well as practical information on the area from public transport links, to ideal refreshment stops on each walk. The result is an ideal companion to exploring both the popular and untouched corners of the North Wessex Downs.
Walking in the Thames Valley
Walking in the Thames Valley offers 25 challenging circular walks around the River Thames and River Kennet in the south of England, taking in the Southern Chilterns, the Berkshire and North Hampshire Downs, Southern Oxfordshire and the eastern edge of Wiltshire. All routes are within easy reach of Reading, Newbury, Abingdon and London. While some walks visit Iron Age hill forts, others pass more modern features such as Wilton Windmill and the Kennet and Avon Canal. Some follow sections of the Ridgeway, while others meander along the banks of the Thames. What they all have in common is that they take the keen rambler to some of the best parts of the Thames Valley – a patchwork of open chalk grassland, broadleaved woodland and farmland and home to two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Walks from 10 to 18 miles, including one 2-day route Shorter, less strenuous alternatives for many of the walks. Detailed route descriptions with information on local points of interest, OS mapping and vibrant colour photographs
The Kennet and Avon Canal
This guidebook to walking along the Kennet & Avon Canal covers the 94 mile (152km) route from Reading to Bristol. The canal walk is split into 7 stages of fairly easy, level walking, of between 9¾ and 18½ miles, with advice on splitting on shortening the stages if needed. The book also includes 20 easy circular walks, ranging from 4¼ to 9 miles, taking in the best sections of the canal and visiting sites nearby, making this two guidebooks in one.
Alongside OS map extracts and detailed route descriptions, there are plenty of details on the history, heritage and wildlife encountered along the way. An itinerary planner is included for walkers who want to create longer or shorter stages, and there is useful practical information including details on accessing the walks by public transport and a list of accommodation available along the route. The result is a highly useful and fascinating companion to exploring the canal and its surroundings.
In the early 1800s the Kennet and Avon Canal provided an important direct trade route between London and Bristol. Today the waterway weaves its way through the rolling chalk contours of the North Wessex Downs to the southern edge of the Cotswolds, passing vibrant towns and cities as well as picture-postcard villages with thatched cottages, ancient churches and cosy pubs. Fascinating features – such as Crofton Pumping Station and Beam Engines, the impressive Caen Hill flight of locks at Devizes, the aqueducts at Avoncliff and Dundas, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Georgian Bath and Bristol's vibrant Floating Harbour – are explored as the canal makes its journey across southern England.