Every issue of Country Walking magazine comes complete with 27 (yes, TWENTY SEVEN) route cards covering the whole of Britain, from Cape Cornwall to Cape Wrath.
Not just the super-famous scenic places (although if you want the likes of the Lake District, the Peak District and the Devon coast, we’ve got plenty of those) – but everywhere, all around the country – from Merthyr Tydfil to Margate; from Peterlee to Peterhead; from Llanfihangel Crucorney to Achnashellach. The idea is, in every issue, there should be at least one walk somewhere near you.
They come fully loaded with an Ordnance Survey map, start points, grid refs, step-by-step instructions, options for public transport, refreshments and toilets – and even a little panel where you can fill in when you did it and a star rating.
But these route cards are just as adventurous as you are, and they hate being cooped up in the back of the issue. With their compact double-sided A5 size, they are the perfect shape to cut out, stick in a decent-sized pocket, and guide you to a whole new world of walking adventures. (Many readers take joy in removing and filing them by county – we’ve seen the photos…)
But not just that. These route cards love it when you tell people where you’ve been, too.
At the back of each issue is a gorgeous page called Our Routes, Your Walks, in which those happy souls who’ve taken a CW route card for a walk share a photo and a three-line account of where they went and how the walk was.
All you have to do is take a photo of you on the walk holding the route card (see image above) and email it to cwroutes@bauermedia.co.uk. You can also post it on our Facebook pages, although that’s a little harder for the right person at our end to find.
Up for grabs each month for the best entry is a Custom-Made OS Map: you choose the location and provide a photo, and the wizards at Ordnance Survey will whip up a complete OS Explorer map centred on your chosen spot, with your chosen photo on the cover.
That’s exactly what Alex (above) did, who won recently for this photo and these words after doing our Chilworth & St Martha’s Hill walk in the Surrey Hills:
‘I took my mum with me for the long journey from Warwickshire and it really paid off; what a lovely village Chilworth is, matched by a walk that exceeded our expectations in terms of scenery and views. We especially enjoyed the history of the Gunpowder Mills along the Heritage Trail. For our first walk from your mag, it was no less than impressive.’
So be like Alex: go places, see stuff, maybe win a nice thing. You’ll be glad you did – and these little green pages will love you for it.
Subscribe to Country Walking magazine and get 50% off whole year of digital OS Maps.
