Wellbeing | Moodscapes and walking routes

A good walk can cure many an ill but picking the best walk for your state of mind can have powerful effects and for those in need of calm, looking to relieve stress or anxiety or to boost creativity, a walk alongside a lake might be just the walking prescription you need.

Nowhere is as lavishly light as a lake, partly thanks to the sun glitter created when sun hits the surface of clean water. Sun glitter is made up of thousands of tiny glints, each caused by a splinter of sunbeam reflecting at exactly the right angle to send light to our eyes. As the water moves with the breeze or slight current, the glitter pattern changes, providing endless light and visual stimulation.
Morning light holds an abundance of blue, which helps shut down lingering melatonin that can make us feel drowsy and muddle-headed in the morning. Recent studies show that light also blunts the amygdala, the threat-detection centre that activates our fight or flight system. When we’re in the grip of chronic stress or anxiety, light quietens our amygdala. Bright light can also improve concentration and memory – neuroscientists think that our brain evolved to learn during daylight hours.
So, for energy and mood boosting blue-wave light, take your lakeside walk in the morning. However. sun glitter is also spectacular at the end of the day when light beams create glitter in shades of crimson, pink, amber and gold – telling our body it’s time to wind down. Moonlight on still water creates its own moon glitter, well worth seeking out for its mysterious elegance.
Research has demonstrated the importance of rhythmic movement for alleviating anxiety and depression and studies of older people have found that rhythmic walking not only improves physical health (muscle strength, balance and flexibility) but also quality of life.
We know that walking more briskly reduces our chance of cancer, heart disease, dementia and osteoporosis. When we move briskly, our brain produces the molecule known as brain-derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that promotes the growth of new neurons. BDNF appears to help recovery from depression and stress and the brisker the movement the more BDNF we produce. Picking up the pace also helps us to sleep better and turns a walk into a bone-building bonanza.

The above extract is from The Walking Cure: Harness The Lifechanging Power Of Landscape To Heal, Energise And Inspire by Annabel Streets (Bloomsbury Tonic). You can read a longer extract in our April issue, in shops now.

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Words for Walks | Coddiwomple

CODDIWOMPLE ‘To travel purposefully towards a vague destination’ (verb, English)

While striding out to reach a charming village, castle or pub certainly has its pleasures, setting off with nothing particular in mind invites spontaneity; it frees us up to follow an intriguing path or climb a hill simply to see a new view.

A ‘coddiwomple’ might be a wholly unstructured walk or perhaps a moment of drifting away from the path to explore on a whim. If aimlessly wandering feels like a recipe for getting lost (and not in a good way), then why not apply the same principle to exploring a rambling country estate where you can’t go too far astray?

Seek out places that invite wonder such as Hawkstone Park Follies, Shropshire, where you can meander through 100 acres of labyrinthine tunnels, sandstone caves and rhododendron jungles. Or Puzzlewood, Gloucestershire, a maze of enticing pathways between mossy rock formations – with no set trails, when you reach a fork in the path, simply choose your route and walk purposefully ahead.

The extract above is just one of the words for walks in our feature ‘Talk the Walk’ from our May issue. Enjoy a Solivagant, a Dauwtrappen or a Passeggiatta from page 52.

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Outing | Railway Rambles

Old railway lines are accessible, easy to follow and a pleasure to roam

The UK has more than 4,000 miles of ex railway lines, criss-crossing the country, that are there to be used by walkers. Most came about as a result of the Beeching Report in 1963, which closed down swathes of the rail network. Many of the routes eventually were reclaimed for public use by walkers and cyclists and remain so to this day. 

Railway routes are wonderful for walking on. They’re largely straight, often smooth and raised up a little, so they drain well, meaning no muddy boots. Because they’re such easy terrain, they’re accessible to all, regardless of age or ability. They’re also easy to navigate and hard to get lost on so you don’t even need to take a map. Next time you’re thinking of a good walk, maybe consider a railway ramble instead. Here are a few spots around the country where you can do just that. 

The Camel Trail, Cornwall

This railway once ran between Padstow and Wendfordbridge along the Camel Estuary and was used to transport sand from the estuary to inland farms. It’s great for bird watchers and passes through beautiful countryside. Poet John Betjeman called it “the most beautiful railway journey I know” and it’s still pretty lovely today. 

Parkland Walk, London

This path was once the Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace rail route and passes through the former Crouch End station (pictured above). It has wonderful views over London from the top of the hill at Ally Pally. 

The Mawddach Trail, Wales

Following the southern edge of the Mawddach estuary, this route runs from Barmouth to Dolgellau through Snowdonia National Park. One of the most accessible railway rambles, it’s largely wheelchair friendly - you can also hire a ‘tramper’ - and the North Wales Society for the Blind has produced a free audio guide to download that accompanies the trail. 

Innocent Railway Path, Scotland

Running from Newington, under Holyrood Park out to Brunstane. A highlight of the path is the 517 metre Innocent Tunnel, one of the UK’s oldest railway tunnels and pleasingly eerie!

Monsal Trail, The Peak District

One of the newer railway walks, this stretch from Buxton to Bakewell was only rescued in 1981 and some of the amazing 400-metre tunnels have only been reopened in the last decades, so there’s novelty factor to this stretch of railway. It also has some amazing views to enjoy. Don’t miss the cafe in the old station ticket office at Millers Dale.

Find more railway routes to walk on the OS website.

The picture above is of the abandoned platform along Parkland Walk in London. It’s part of our feature all about nature reserves in the May issue of The Simple Things, which is on sale now. 
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Wellbeing | Books to Inspire a Walk

A good walk is good for the soul. Take a hike from the comfort of your armchair with one these great books that will inspire you to put your best foot forward

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn (Penguin)

After Winn and her husband Moth lose their home and business, and he receives a terminal diagnosis, the couple decide to walk the South West Coast path – 630 miles from Somerset to Dorset via Devon and Cornwall – carrying all they have on their backs. It’s a tale of coming to terms with grief and the power of nature to heal.

Wild: A Journey From Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed (Atlantic Books)

Following the death of her mother, Strayed took on the Pacific Crest Trail – 1,100 miles up the US West Coast, including desert, ice and wild animals. Her account not only deals with her physical challenges (losing her toenails) but her emotional reckoning, too. It’s now a film starring Reese Witherspoon.

I Belong Here: A Journey Along The Backbone of Britain by Anita Sethi (Bloomsbury Wildlife)

When Sethi became the victim of racist abuse on a train, it sparked a period of anxiety. Motivated by claustrophobia to find open spaces, and determined that the crime would not stop her travelling, she hiked the Pennines, reclaiming the landscape and her right to be in it.

The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd (Canongate)

Shepherd’s short account of walking in the Cairngorms was written in the 1940s, but she chose not to publish it until 1977. It’s been an influence on nature writers such as Robert Macfarlane.

Windswept: Why Women Walk by Annabel Abbs (Two Roads)

Part memoir, part history, Abbs tells the story of trailblazing women, including Daphne du Maurier and Simone de Beauvoir.

OR TRY THESE NEW TITLES…

Between the Chalk and the Sea: A Journey on Foot into the Past by Gail Simmons (Headline)
This follows a long-lost pilgrim route between Southampton and Canterbury.

Sarn Helen: A Journey Through Wales, Past, Present and Future by Tom Bullough (Granta Books)
An evocative account of a journey along the old Roman road that runs from the south of Wales to the north.

Finding Hildasay: How One Man Walked the UK’s Coastline and Found Hope and Happiness by Christian Lewis (Macmillan)
In a bid to counter depression, Lewis sets off around the coast with £10 and two days’ worth of food.

In our February issue, we have a feature on walking in company by Duncan Minshull, author of Where My Feet Fall (William Collins). Turn to page 36 to read it.

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Etymology | Tilting at Windmills

Etymology from the land of giants and jousting

The phrase ‘tilting at windmills’ is often said to ‘come from’ Cervantes’ Don Quixote. In fact, the phrase never appears there, but it does refer to the title character’s strange belief that windmills are giants… "with their long arms. Some of them have arms well nigh two leagues in length” that he must fight. 

Tilting, for those who are wondering, means ‘jousting with lances’, and the phrase has come to simply meaning ‘fighting an imaginary enemy’. 

It was first used in reference to Don Quixote 40 years after the novel was published, in The Character of a London Diurnall in 1644, where John Cleveland wrote "The Quixotes of this Age fight with the Wind-mills of their owne Heads." But the phrase as we know it today is first used in April 1870 in the New York Times, which reported that the Western Republicans “have not thus far had sufficient of an organization behind them to make their opposition to the Committee’s bill anything more than tilting at windmills.”

If you’d like to tilt at a windmill, or perhaps just enjoy a spring walk to a windmill, do read our Outing feature from page 60 of the March issue.

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How to | Plan a Good Walk

As with so many things in life, the key to a good walk is all in the planning and anticipation… and the pub

Spontaneity definitely has its place, but sometimes you just need a solid plan, and a spring walk is one of those times. Heading off into the great outdoors, breathing the cold air and the world opening up before you can fill us with a confidence like nothing else. But a fair idea of how far away the nearest fish pie and a pint and a clean toilet is can really improve the mood on a long walk. Here are a few steps to planning a good walk and putting the pedestrian fates in your favour. 

Start with a good map. 

An Ordnance Survey Explorer map is best, as it gives you the best scale for walking and enough detail to be able to see where you can cross private land, find a phone box and might need wellies to cross a stream. If you don’t have a paper map you can always plan online at https://explore.osmaps.com/en?l. 

Devise a circular walk or at least make sure there’s a bus back

Many planned walks you’ll find in books or online can leave you five miles from your start point with no hope of getting home, so plan your own but do your research. Circular walks (where the end is back at the start) are ideal, dropping you back home or to your car. But if you want to go out and not back, plan your walk to some public transport (and don’t forget to check timetables and make sure the buses run on Sundays and don’t stop at 4pm). 

Get the boring but important bits out of the way first

Are you walking at the coast? You might need to check tide times. How about crossing railway tracks or busy roads?  It might be an idea to check busiest times and ensure you’ll be able to cross safely. It’s also important to check the weather; not only will you need to be properly dressed and kitted out but the weather might also affect your route if high winds are predicted, for example, and you need to avoid areas that are high up or close to trees that might shed branches, perhaps. 

Plan the pub

Now for the fun part. Locate the pubs (look for a PH) on the map and then do some research. There’s nothing so disheartening as arriving at the pub in the rain, ready for a roaring fire and a large glass of red only to discover it’s closed for refurbishments. Call and check they’ll be open on the day and check out the menu as well so you know what you’re looking forward to. 

Plan in your snacks

While we’re on the subject of sustenance, pack plenty of water and check that there will be shops or pubs where you can refill along the way. And plan to pack up a few snacks, too, if it’s a long walk. Some cake or flapjack, wrapped in foil and a flask of tea or coffee will see you right when lunch feels a long way off.

Ditto your walking companions

Think carefully about whether your walk pals will be up to the route you’ve planned, will get on with each other and will appreciate the walk as a whole. If you choose to go alone, perhaps plan in a podcast to listen to along the way. 

Seek out an adventure

Find a ‘main event’ to plan your walk around. It might be a fabulous view, an ancient church to look round or a geographical feature you want to stop off at and explore. Try to plan the walk so that the ‘event’ is about a third of the way through. You don’t want to peak too soon but you also don’t want the walk to feel like the first third of The Lord of the Rings. 

Keep them guessing

Plan in a surprise, too. Your companions will thank you for something that lifts their spirits in the last part of the walk, and post pub. It could be something as silly as a great photo opportunity, or a good ice cream shop, or as impressive as a fine piece of architecture or a point of historical interest. If you’re struggling, a good tip is always an ice box with ice creams inside, stashed in the boot of your car when you get back to the start. 

In our March issue, we have a feature all about ways to walk, adapted from 52 Ways to Walk: The Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy, One Week at a Time by Annabel Streets (Bloomsbury). Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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Nature | Tree tunnels

Walk through a tree tunnel near you and feel like you’re entering fairyland

Those moments when you walk (or sometimes drive) through a tunnel of trees are a bit special, giving you at once a feeling of being hidden from the world and also transported somewhere magical. Of course you know that at the end of the tunnel the world will be much as it was on the side you entered it, but the strangeness of being cocooned by trees brings, just for a moment, that feeling that anything is possible and at the end of the tunnel might lie an entirely different world. 

Some tree tunnels are partially ‘man’made’, with trees planted in avenues to offer a shady walk in summer and a canopy of silhouetted branches in winter. Others are formed naturally, when a path is formed through trees by either footfall or vehicles and the branches meet in the middle overhead, never able to grow lower than the tallest person who regularly passes through. 

We think a good tree tunnel is a very fine focus for a good autumn walk, so we’ve listed a few of our favourites around Britain and Ireland. We hope you can find one near you. Send us a postcard from Fairyland!

Halnaker, West Sussex

Halnaker (pronounced ‘Ha’nacker’) is just north of Chichester and this tree tunnel walk (pictured above) follows the ancient Roman road, Stane Street. The woodland path has worn down over the years, giving the whole tunnel a circular effect and the look of a Tolkien novel. 

Kilham, East Yorkshire

Immortalised by David Hockney, who painted this tree tunnel in various seasons (they were exhibited at the Royal Academy for some time), this tunnel is between the villages of Langtoft and Kilham. Hockney painted them outside, rather than in his studio, and it’s worth familiarising yourself with the pieces before you visit; you get the feeling of stepping around Hockney himself seated at his easel as you approach.

The Dark Hedges, County Antrim

Created by more than 150 beech trees planted along the Bregagh Road between Armoy and Stanocum by the Stuart family as an entrance to Gracehill Manor, this tunnel is so spooky it’s been featured in films and TV series including Game of Thrones. It’s seriously spooky, with branches that look terrifyingly like they might just reach down and pluck you off the road. 

Laburnum tunnel, Bodnant Garden, Conwy

This 55m-long laburnum arch was planted in 1880 at Bodnant Garden, now owned by the National Trust. It’s believed to be the longest and oldest in Britain and is best visited when the flowers are in full bloom and hanging down into the tunnel at the end of May and the beginning of June. 

Yew Tree Tunnel in Aberglasney Gardens, Camarthenshire

It’s difficult to date yews. Experts originally thought this tunnel to be a thousand years old but in the 1990s dendochronologists (tree-daters to you and I) decided it was probably only a quarter of that age and guess it was planted in the 1700s. It proved enormously popular in the Victorian era. Victorians went mad for yews, apparently. 

Gormanston College Fairytale Tree Tunnel, County Meath

The cathedral-esque curves of this tree tunnel in the grounds of Gormanston College near Dublin makes for a spooky walk with a quiet reverence about it. 

Untamed tree tunnel, Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire

Some of the best tree tunnels are the slightly wild ones you just happen across. Kilsyth has one in the Burnside area, close to the sportsground. As haunted-looking as some of the most famous tree tunnels but a bit rougher round the edges and more ‘real’, this is a joy to find as you turn into it. 

Rhododendron tunnels, Sheringham Park, Norfolk

Paths and tunnels weave through the rhododendrons at Sheringham Park. They’re at their colourful best in Spring and perfect for a game of hide-and-seek, no matter your age. 

Hollow Way, Monksilver, Somerset

Hollow Way is the perfect moniker for this sunken Lane which creates a perfectly round tunnel through the trees. We recommend a stop off at the Notley Arms Inn on the way back to rest weary legs. https://www.notleyarmsinn.co.uk/en-GB

Yew tunnel, Easton Walled Garden, Grantham

Another yew tunnel, but they really do make for the best tunnels. And if it gives you a taste for the labyrinthine, the gardens also have a turf maze to enjoy. Visit in late winter or early spring to enjoy the woodland snowdrops, too. 

Do share your favourite tree tunnels with us in the comments, and turn to page 17 of the October issue to read more about understanding your walks from outdoor guru Tristan Gooley.

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Words | backronyms and snackronyms

Some word-related fun to take with you on a winter walk..

A trail mix is comfort food at its most smug, and we’re right behind that. While you’re popping delicious gem-sized pieces of colourful dried fruits and nuts into your mouth (and maybe some chocolate in there, too) you can also feel the glow of fuelling your body with something healthy and homemade. 

There’s something about the words ‘trail mix’ that make you feel like you could face anything on a winter walk. Doesn’t the idea of being on a ‘trail’ rather than just a bit of a ramble make you feel like you are striding out with purpose? 

While we were putting together our On The Trail feature for our January issue, we discovered, to our delight, that there are several other even better names for trail mix. 

In North America, trail mix is often known as ‘gorp’, probably derived from the early 20th century term ‘to gorp’ or ‘to eat greedily’. Since then, however, gorp has become an acronym for Good Old Raisins and Peanuts or sometimes, more specifically, Granola, Oats, Raisins, Peanuts. It’s what’s known as a ‘backronym’: an acronym that was created to fit a word after the event, rather than a word that was created as an acronym. 

In Australia, trail mix is known as ‘scroggin’, a 1940s word which later came to stand for Sultanas, Chocolate, Raisins, Orange peel, Ginger, Glucose (sugar), Imagination (whatever you like), Nuts. Others, insist it stands for Sultanas, Chocolate, Raisins, Other Good thinGs Including Nuts.

Next time we head out on a winter walk we are definitely going to be making some of the trail mix recipes featured in our January issue and pictured above. Trail Mix is a very fine snack - Something Nice And Comforting (from the) Kitchen.

The trail mix recipes and warming soups for a winter walk featured in our January issue were taken from Delicious Wintertime: The Cookbook for Cold Weather Adventures by Markus Sӓmmer (Gestalten).

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Walking on the edge of land

A stroll is good for body and soul but a canter along the coast is a true tonic

Why is there nothing quite like a stroll along the sea? Walking anywhere outdoors is good for you; a chance to get your heart pumping, fill your lungs with fresh air and clear your head a little. But there’s definitely something a bit special about a coastal walk, especially at this time of year.

Perhaps, as we straddle two seasons, the idea of walking in hinterlands, along ‘the edge of something’, strolling between one world and the next, is appealing: one foot firmly on land, the other lapped by waves. Autumn’s a bit like that isn’t it? 

Or maybe it’s that a day spent in the sunshine is something of a last hurrah right now. As Autumn Proper beckons and evenings get darker, managing a day out by the sea feels like an easy win against the elements, as well as a chance to bank some fresh air and sunlight before we all become just a little more home-based. 

Some 2015 research by the National Trust showed that a coastal walk also gave us 47 minutes’ more rest on average the following night. And who couldn’t do with some extra sleep as summer draws to a close? The NT has put together a list of some of the best coastal walks around the UK. Why not get out there and make the most of an Indian summer this weekend? You’ve nothing to lose and 47 minutes’ of sleep to gain (plus the possibility of squeezing in some last-minute sand-between-your-toes, pebbles-in-your-pocket end-of-summer fun). 

In our September ‘Begin’ issue, Clare Gogerty visits East Neuk for our Weekend Away feature, and walks some of the Fife coastal path. Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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How to: do winter walks well

Wrap up, head out, gather up, then hunker down. Walks in winter are a bit special

A good walk can cure many an ill, but a good walk in winter brings with it rosy cheeks, a glow of achievement, and a life-affirming sense of having worked with the elements rather than against them.

We always feel winter walks are best summed up by Ruth Craft in her 1976 children’s book, The Winter Bear:

‘So three set off in the cold, still air

With an apple or two and plenty to wear.’

The three children wander among almost-bare hedgerows spotting ‘bryony vine and old man’s beard’ and eventually light upon a teddy bear, stuck up a tree, which they bring home, dry off, patch up and ‘set him with care on a round, brown cushion in the best armchair.’

It’s a classic winter walk. Well prepped, a well-trodden route, high hopes, a jolly demeanour and treasure at the end. And a roaring fire, too.

In winter, any one of us, setting off with purpose on a walk, has a small swagger of the intrepid explorer about us. You may be more shambling than Shackleton and more Ambridge than Antarctica, but this can still be an heroic expedition.

But it does require a little preparation. So here are our suggestions.

1. Dress as though your nan chose your outfit. At least one vest, two pairs of socks, waterproof shoes. You’re not covering up, you’re battening down the hatches.

2. Take a Thermos. A morale-boosting cuppa is just what you need at the top of a frosty hill, or after you’ve got pond water in your shoe. If you have a Thermos full of nice, thick soup you’ve really won at winter walks.

3. Make a collection. Why do only children get to have ‘nature tables’? We think grown-ups should have a nature table, too. So take a bag with you and pick up anything of interest you find on your walk: a pine cone, a nice acorn, a pebble with a hole in it, and take them home to arrange on your nature table and bring a little of the wild home to your garden.

4. Leave a surprise, too. Find a little hole in a tree or a niche in a stone wall and leave one of your finds there for someone else to happen upon. A gift to the winter walking community.

5. Say a cheery hello to everyone you meet. Even if you never say hello to anyone you pass usually. Bonus point if a really good dog runs up to you and licks your waxed jacket.

6. Have a plan. A hilltop to conquer, a wood to explore. You don’t need to follow a specific path but it helps to have something in mind so you can say: “Right, we’ve done what we came to do. Time to go home.”

7. Have somewhere to escape to and hunker down at the end. Ideally this should be a pub with a log fire, but your living room will do just fine as long as the kettle is ready to go on and you’ve got a nice cake in the tin.

In our February issue, we interviewed Emma Mitchell, author of Making Winter and, more recently, The Wild Remedy (Michael O’Mara books). Emma (follow her at @silverpebble2) documents her winter walks in beautiful ‘wreaths’ which she photographs, like the one pictured above.

And suddenly, a stroll out in the cold feels like a project we all want in on.

Buy the February issue to read all about The Wild Remedy and for the details of our reader offer on the book. For more winter walk inspiration, visit The National Trust’s Winter Walks page.

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Old railway tracks

Offering unusual routes and easy navigation, old railway tracks are ideal for hiking, biking or just a wander in nature. 

Some former routes have been restored for use as heritage lines, offering passengers the chance to enjoy the full sensory experience of steam: the smoky scent in the air, the magical chuff-chuff of acceleration and the occasional tuneful whistle.

They include:

The Bluebell Railway

Climb aboard splendid steam trains with romantic names such as the Sussex Belle and Golden Arrow running between East Grinstead and Sheffield Park in East Sussex; bluebell-railway.com.

North York Moors Railway

Admire the North York Moors National Park from the steam trains on this not-for-profit, volunteer-led railway, which is fast approaching its 200th birthday – don’t miss Goathland, famous for playing fictitious stations including Harry Potter’s Hogsmeade, as well as a turn in 1990s TV show Heartbeat; nymr.co.uk.

Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways

Indulge in afternoon tea and first-class travel as you steam between Porthmadog and Caernarfon along the world’s oldest narrow gauge railway – the carriages’ windows framing magnificent mountainous views as it passes through Snowdonia; festrail.co.uk.

Turn to page 62 of September's The Simple Things for Ruth Chandler on her love of old railway tracks, or read on for some of her favourite routes.

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Escape: Get walking

May is National Walking Month and the charity Living Streets is urging us to walk for 20 minutes a day as part of its Try20 campaign. 

If you need motivation, try one of these:

• Borrow a dog
  If you love dogs but don’t own one, sign up to borrowmydoggy.com to make contact with dog owners in your area who need a hand with walking.
   
• Track your walks
  Use an app such as Map My Walk, a Fitbit fitness tracker or a pedometer to keep track of your distance and feel your motivation soar.
   
• Do it for charity
  The app Charity Miles donates money from corporate sponsors to your chosen charity for every mile you walk.
   
• Make it a mindfulness exercise
  Walking is a great way to integrate mindfulness into your day. Instead of walking on autopilot with your legs moving and your mind elsewhere, observe what’s around you and the sensations in your body. Use the regular rhythm of your walk to keep your mind from wandering off and notice how much calmer and clearer-headed you feel afterwards.
  livingstreets.org.uk

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Escape: Rainy day adventures

A rainy walk with friends or family feels somehow enlivening, as if you’re defying the weather, having fun and making memories... even when water gets in your wellies

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing”
Lake District fellwalking legend Alfred Wainwright (originally from a Norwegian adage)

Feel the rain on your skin, see it drip through a hazel leaf funnel onto the forest floor. Touch the bark of a gnarled, rough oak or a smooth, grey beech trunk made dark by running water. Run your fingers over a velvety bracket fungus. As the sun comes out from behind a cloud, find a clearing and hold your face to the sky. A free dose of Vitamin D, courtesy of spring.

Hear the squelch and suck of wellies in gloopy mud, splash through a puddle, or linger on a bridge over a babbling brook. Hush up a little and you’ll notice birdsong all around, maybe a woodpecker at work. If the wind picks up, the branches creak and groan in an arboreal conversation that makes you believe in magical creatures. Big kid or little kid, climb a tree and feel the breeze whistle through the branches around you.

Turn to page 24 of April's The Simple Things for more of our April Showers ideas.

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Escape: How to spot a lost river

It's not all about Thermos flasks and hiking boots, a long walk through your nearest town or city can be as invigorating and enlightening as a country ramble. 

Turn to page 66 of October's The Simple Things for a closer look at discovering neighbourhood secrets on a good long urban walk, and read on for how to spot a lost river.

How to spot a lost river

In many large cities, rivers have been diverted and hidden underground to make way
for growing cities. You can still see traces of their path on the ground, if you know what to look for:

Stink pipes

Tall, thin poles with no wires attached. When Victorian sewers were built, often incorporating rivers, these allowed the release of potentially explosive gases.

Gushing water sounds

If you hear this beneath drains and manhole covers it’s a giveaway.

Roads that slope

They may echo the course of a river towards its outlet.

Confusing boundaries

Rivers were once used as natural delineations between one borough or district and the next. 

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Take a twilight walk

As the sun lingers longer on the horizon, dusk in high summer is an opportunity to take a twilight walk and revel in the nocturnal nature on all our doorsteps. 

The liminal magic of twilight, whether in the ‘tulgey wood’ of Lear’s poetry, Hardy’s ‘gloam’ or TS Eliot’s ‘violet hour’, affords it an ethereal place in our collective subconscious, but for a number of species, it is a time of industry, wakefulness and movement. A huge variety of creatures are starting their day as the human one winds down. For us, the pleasure of free-range family time adds to the thrill of those in-between hours, ensuring our eyes and ears are alert and attuned to our surroundings in a new way.

Try these twilight activities:

For guaranteed sightings of birds of prey, hares, or even seals and puffins, take an expert-led tour.

The National Trust and the RSPB offer a number of guided evening walks, whether bird, bat, or moth based, and many reserves have rarer residents too. Check out www.rspb.org.uk/events and www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

Spend an evening badger watching in a dedicated hide.

Badger cubs should be fully weaned by early July, but can be seen gathering food and bedding around hides. By summer’s end, they begin feeding themselves up for winter when they spend much of their time in a state of torpor, sleeping for days at a time. Find a local group at www.badger.org.uk.

Pack a twilight picnic, and a torch or camping lantern (to attract the moths) and watch as they flit around as the sunlight fades.

Or put up a white sheet in your garden, hang a torch or glowstick in front of it, and enjoy your own nature show.

Head to a pond or lake.

As the sun goes down, life on the water hots up. Newts and a variety of aquatic invertebrates are attracted to light, so as it gets dark, move a beam of light across the water to see what you find. On warm evenings you might spy frogs or toads swimming, while insects such as great diving beetles, water boatmen and pond-skaters can still be seen.

For more twilight tips, turn to page 76 of July’s The Simple Things.

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Things to do this bank holiday weekend

Three days to forget about work, remove yourself from the sofa and go out and find adventures in new places. If you're stuck for what to do this weekend, fear not. Our friends at The National Trust have put together the perfect guide to events happening up and down the country.

Here's three of our favourite activities for the weekend...

Parade along the bluebells- nothing says British springtime quite like a sea of bluebells. Find your nearest bluebell walk here.

Cheshire's Victorian May Day - from maypole dancing to Punch and Judy, and a whole host of activities in between.

May Fayre - Morden Hall Park, London - stalls, crafts, shows and live music throughout the entire weekend.

Click here to find an event in your area.

Have a happy bank holiday!