We have two weeks in England in late June and would like to spend three days on a self guided hiking tour going inn to inn in the Lake District or South Downs. Something accessible to London. We have two teens who like to hike but don’t want anything too crazy. Max is probably 8-10 miles per day.
Recommendations appreciated!
Recs on day trips from London also appreciated.
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1717 posts
Look at www.nationaltrust.org.uk for ideas for daytrips to sites in and around London Metropolitan. You can get a Family Pass. They also have hiking trails listed. You can check Bus and Train Routes in the LD or the SD to see what works best for you. My 1st choice would be South Downs, because they are not on everyone's Bucket List like the Lake District. There are companies that support hikers by making accommodations reservations and carrying your luggage forward. We liked hiking Hadrian's Wall. They have pick up and drop off buses along the Wall. York or Bath are also a good bases for Daytrips. Think outside the box to avoid crowds. Bon voyage!
Posted by
Yorkshire
1482 posts
Hi -
My personal preference would be The Lake District for a variety of reasons. That said, even now booking accommodation is likely to be a problem as it does get busy and lodgings of all types get booked up very early. But, if you can find suitable places to stay there’s no reason why you can’t book them and work out a route between them. However, be warned that even short distance hikes in the Lakes can be challenging because of the terrain.
I suppose that it all depends on what your teens consider hiking is. The South Downs are certainly more rolling hills than the steeper Lakes peaks and they are a good deal closer to London. But again you need to decide which area to plump for and soon as accommodation availability may ultimately determine which area you end up in. As route suggestions look at two of our National Trails - The South Downs Way and The Cumbria Way in the Lakes - these may give you some indicators of which area would suit you best. I’m not suggesting you walk the whole things but a section of one of them. For example, the central section of the Cumbria Way, Coniston to Keswick is a splendid three to four day hike which I’ve done myself.
Feel free to come back and ask if you need further advice, particularly on The Lakes which is more my neck of the woods. But initially you need to tie down your lodgings in whichever area you head for and a bit sharpish at that!
Ian
Posted by
London
1247 posts
These are both good places for walking. I would say the South Downs Way will be a bit gentler and the scenery in the Lake District will be a bit more dramatic. If you do choose South Downs Way make sure you include the eastern end, where Beachy Head is, as that's probably the biggest highlight. We're actually doing the South Downs Way at the moment, but as day trips from London. I really recommend the Cicerone guides which also include info on lodging and places to eat along the way.
Check out the National Trails website to help you decide: https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/
There are so many great day trips from London... do you have any particular interests?