Emerging from the festive season into a New Year can be a shock to the system, but often the best solution is a beautiful walk to clear away the cobwebs. Luckily, the UK is teeming with tranquil and scenic spots ideal for such outings.
Footwear brand Fitflop has assembled a list of the UK’s most loved walks by examining the most Googled places in December 2023. With that date in mind, it’s easy to presume that the people doing the searching were after a walk over the festive season, and into the new year.
Dunham Massey in Cheshire takes the top spot, attracting an impressive 135,000 monthly Google searches.
This beautiful country house and garden boasts a remarkable 300-acre deer park. Dog owners will be pleased to see that the mini park loop is canine friendly and provides a brief but varied walk (lasting between 30 to 50 minutes) through stunning gardens and past a large pond. If you’re lucky, you might even catch sight of some fallow deer, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Taking the fourth place on the list and only 45 minutes from Bristol is Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, with 60,500 searches.
This stunning limestone gorge is part of the newly formed Mendip Hills National Landscape and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Beautiful cliffs provide the backdrop, wild goats and birds of prey can be spotted and at the lower end of the gorge are two show caves which together attract half a million visitors a year.
For a gentle and easy walk, choose to go through the hidden dry limestone valley, which ends in a tranquil grassy area – perfect for a picnic – while those looking for a challenge can take the four-mile walk through the gorge.
Another local walk, only 40 minutes drive from Bristol is Westonbirt Arboretum, which clinched the ninth position with 49,500 Google searches throughout the month studied.
The 600acre Victorian arboretum is home to over 15,000 trees and shrubs from around the world. Take a stroll along the 300 metre long STIHL Treetop Walkway, which gradually rises on a gentle incline to a height of 13 metres and provides stunning views of the arboretum landscape. It is accessible to visitors on foot, using mobility scooters, wheelchairs and pushchairs and to those with dogs on leads. Children will enjoy the play trail and visitors can recharge at the on-site cafe.
If you’re looking to escape the house this winter and fancy exploring one of the UK’s most popular walks, the full list is as follows:
1. Dunham Massey, Cheshire.
135,000 Dec. Google searches
2. Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire
110,000 Dec. Google searches
3. Belton House, Lincolnshire
60,500 Dec. Google searches
4. Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
60,500 Dec. Google searches
5. Polesden Lacey, Surrey
60,500 Dec. Google searches
6. Stourhead, Wiltshire
60,500 Dec. Google searches
7. Tatton Park, Cheshire
60,500 Dec. Google searches
8. Bibury, Gloucestershire
49,500 Dec. Google searches
9. Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire
49,500 Dec. Google searches
10. Alderley Edge, Cheshire
40,500 Dec. Google searches
11. Wentworth Woodhouse, South Yorkshire
40,500 Dec. Google searches
12. Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire
40,500 Dec. Google searches
13. Calke Abbey, Derbyshire
33,100 Dec. Google searches
14. Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire
33,100 Dec. Google searches
15. Corfe Castle, Dorset
33,100 Dec. Google searches