Great Britain’s national mapping agency, Ordnance Survey (OS), was originally set up to map Scotland in the wake of the 1745 Jacobite rising.

More than two centuries later, the organisation’s route-planning app is downloaded more than 3.5 million times a month and the data it collects is a useful tool for highlighting the UK’s walking trends.

In the 12 months to April 2023, the app tracked Brit’s favourite walking routes.

If you are looking to get out into nature, staying fit and healthy while enjoying the stunning scenery the UK has to offer, now is a great time to dust off those walking boots.

Here are just five great UK walks that you might opt for this summer.

1. Carpenter’s Arms circular walk, Tonbridge, Kent

Kent is known as the “Garden of England” and there are few experiences more quintessentially English than a beautiful countryside walk to a great pub.

This six-mile circular walk begins and ends at the Carpenter’s Arms in Parker’s Green, Tonbridge. 

This short, flat, and unchallenging stroll will allow you plenty of time to enjoy the rolling meadows, farmland, and orchards of this beautiful county.

And at the end of your two-and-half-hour walk, visit Tonbridge Castle or enjoy a pint at the refurbished Carpenter’s Arms.

2. Bottom Wood, Chilterns, Buckinghamshire

The 36-acre Bottom Wood near the hamlet of Studley Green is owned and run as a nature reserve by the volunteers of the Chiltern Society. 

This beginner’s route is five miles long and should take around 2 hours and 20 minutes. It is also clearly marked.

Beginning at Bottom Wood, relax in nature as you practice the mindful art of forest bathing, or set the kids off running through the piles of dead leaves. You’ll find shade for a time, followed by wide country paths, bridleways and gravel tracks. And because the route is so clearly signposted, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, with little need to resort to the OS map or map.

The circular walk begins and ends at the Dashwood Arms in Piddington.

3. Surrey Three Peaks (Box Hill, Holmbury Hill, and Leith Hill)

While the OS app marks this walk as “easy” in terms of technical difficulty, the 22-mile Surrey Three Peaks challenge is not for the fainthearted. 

Over the 10 to 11 hours it takes to complete the route you’ll find steep climbs and an overall elevation of 1,058 metres.

You’ll be rewarded for your efforts with stunning views from the top of each peak, peaceful woodland in the valleys, as well as the beautifully meandering route through the pretty hamlets and villages in-between.

If you’re not a seasoned hill walker, consider breaking the walk into two or three separate trips, possibly over consecutive weekends. You’ll experience all the beauty the route has to offer, without the blisters!

4. Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire

The easy-to-moderate walking route from Goodrich Castle takes in everything the picturesque Wye Valley area of outstanding natural beauty has to offer.

Over 8.4 miles and around three-and-a-half hours of walking, you’ll leave the castle ruins behind and explore gently rolling hills, ancient woodland, and expansive farmland. As well as stunning river views.

From Flanesford Priory and Kerne Bridge to Symonds Yat – now a scheduled ancient monument –there’s plenty to see. 

And from the top of Coppet Hill, you can even see the Brecon Beacons national park hugging the horizon on a clear day. 

5. Redbrook, Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire

Another popular route offering views of the River Wye, this shorter – but slightly more challenging – trail begins at Tinmans Green in Redbrook and should take around 3 hours and 40 minutes.

The countryside route takes in wildflower meadows, leafy colonnades and unspoilt country lanes, as well as open fields, so be sure to pack sunscreen on warmer days.

Described as moderately challenging by the OS app, they’ll be climbing to do, up and back into the Wye Valley, with steps provided in places. There’ll be numerous stiles to cross too so a reasonable level of mobility and fitness will likely be required.

Your efforts will be rewarded by a trip to the Boat Inn at Penallt where you’ll find local Wye Valley beer, a great food menu, and a stunning terraced garden.