One of the things I love most about living in the UK is the closeness to so many different places and experiences.
You can drive for less an hour from Bristol and be in Wales, for example, or just over two hours to London.
There are so many possibilities for day trips, and Dan and I have made it our mission to take advantage of this fact whilst we can.
One activity we’ve decided to do more regularly is to go on day trips to walk different hiking trails nearby Bristol, and – on longer trips – further afield across the United Kingdom.
We both enjoy hiking, and although Dan is more experienced at it than I am, I’m keen to step up to his level.
Hiking is great for many reasons, but two of my favourite are:
- The exercise factor – It’s great for both your physical and mental wellbeing
- The nature factor – I love getting out into nature, and I know it’s probably related to the fact that being outdoors has been proven to enhance mental wellbeing as well.
The first hiking day trip we took was the Korea Friendship Trail, which is part of the The Cotswold Way.
The Cotswold Way is a 102 mile (164km) long National Trail running between Chipping Campden and Bath, and the Korea Friendship Trail intertwines with part of it, starting near the village of Dursley.
The Korea Friendship Trail, a looped path, is twinned with route 3 of the Jeju Olle Trail, South Korea, as a mark of friendship and international cooperation between the two countries.
There are apparently many similarities between the two routes – maybe one day I’ll walk the Jeju Olle Trail and will be able to confirm this!
The 3.5 mile (or 5.6km) walk takes you up Stinchcombe Hill, where you’ll find some spectacular views. At one point we could even seen the Severn Bridge in the distance!
The trail is a fairly easy one, as once you have made the first ascent up Stinchcombe Hill the path stays fairly level with only small inclines and declines for the rest of the loop, following the special green markers designed for the KFT.
As the first ascent is rather steep, if you’re not so great with hills, there is another option for you to begin the trail at the top of the hill rather than participate in the climb.
This route would be 3 miles or 4.8km.
The public are able to walk this trail as it was made available to the public by Sir Stanley Tubbs Bart – along the trail you will find a stone seat at a viewpoint, as well as a shelter later on down the path, in thanks to him.
To find out more about the Cotswolds Way walk click here.
There are hundreds of walks you can complete across England to take in the full beauty of this country.
To find a list of National Trust walks, click here.
Nice walk I didn’t know about it.
Neither did I! I was amazed when Dan told me about the hundreds of trails that are so easily accessible for the public in the UK