Ordnance Survey has published 10 new books in the Short Walks Made Easy series, which are books for those who want to venture into the outdoors without enduring strenuous long hikes, as well as Outstanding Circular Walks: Isle of Wight.
Short Walks Made Easy are guidebooks compiled by OS and each features 10 leisurely walks ranging from one to five miles. The routes inside are a comfortable way to pick and choose a stroll to the finest viewpoints and historical locations Britain has to offer, from the castle ruins of Arundel and Bramber in the South Downs, the sight of Symonds Yat Rock across the Wye Valley, or the grassy slopes and chalk cliffs of Tennyson Down on the Isle of Wight.
They have been specifically written for those with little walking experience, people less able, or anyone short on time. They highlight accessible paths and multiple ways to follow the routes. Each walk includes simplified mapping, walk profiles, turn-by-turn instructions, and route photography. The 80 pages of each edition include information on public transport, parking, amenities, places to eat and drink, nature notes, and the stories behind each walk.
The ten Short Walks Made Easy books are:
OS Short Walks Made Easy North York Moors
OS Short Walks Made Easy Anglesey
OS Short Walks Made Easy Mull & Iona
OS Short Walks Made Easy Wye Valley & Forest of Dean
OS Short Walks Made Easy Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths
OS Short Walks Made Easy Quantocks, Mendips and Somerset Levels
OS Short Walks Made Easy Isle of Wight
OS Short Walks Made Easy Bakewell & Dovedale
OS Short Walks Made Easy Greater Manchester
Second edition of OS Short Walks Made Easy South Downs
“Short Walks Made Easy books are perfect for anyone with little or no walking experience, and busy families who don’t want to spend the entire day out on a hike. It’s a fantastic way of making the outdoors accessible to everyone. The walks in this book are always between one and five miles, with very little or no steep gradients to overcome. Many are ideal for taking dogs out too. The book takes the hassle out of planning routes yourself. Just follow the instructions and you’re guaranteed a rewarding trip out discovering the beautiful countryside each time you use it,” said Nic Giles, managing director for Ordnance Survey Leisure.
The books have been written by a team of experienced outdoor writers and photographers. They are priced at £8.99 and are available from the OS Shop.
OS has now published 33 Short Walks Made Easy books covering routes across England, Scotland and Wales.
Outstanding Circular Walks: Isle of Wight
OS has also published a new Outstanding Circular Walks book for the Isle of Wight. It features 28 circular walks around the island which are longer in length, ranging between three and 14 miles. Each of these routes makes use of the Isle of Wight’s network of 500 miles of footpaths and bridleways. All walks in the book, written by Fiona Barltrop, are accompanied by large-scale Ordnance Survey route maps and GPS references for all waypoints.
Giles said: “This new guide to the Isle of Wight replaces the old Pathfinder Short walks book. It contains a much more comprehensive selection of walks, from The Needles to Bembridge and from Ryde to St Catherine’s Point.
“There’s something for everyone in this book. That’s why we’ve arranged the walks in the book by completion time. There are 12 shorter and easier routes in the first ‘green’ chapter between three and five miles, progressing through to nine half-day ‘blue’ walks up to seven-and-a-half miles, and finishing with seven longer outings in the ‘orange’ chapter for the true hiking lovers that go up to 14 miles long.”
Outstanding Circular Walks: Isle of Wight is priced at £12.99.
