Booktrailing and walking with Julia Bradbury

Submitted: 20th September 2017

Exciting news today! Julia Bradbury, one of the most dedicated and famous walkers around has asked TheBookTrail to help choose the best walks the UK has to offer. You don’t have to be any kind of professional or regular walker to take part, just keen to suggest somewhere where you think others would enjoy. Walks? We asked? Well those booktrails certainly come in handy! How much more walking have we done since booktrailing!

Julia loves to walk and has written several books and presented several TV shows on the subject, so she knows what she’s talking about. She wants to know where you like to walk though – hilly, flat, with a sea view, in the middle of nowhere…..in a park….where do you see the beauty of walking?

THE SURVEY — Julia has selected some walks here for you to choose from –

VOTE HERE

Meanwhile – Here are a few BookTrail suggestions for various parts of the British Isles (thanks to the literary characters who live in this website) Some of which are also walks Julia is asking you to choose from…

Hilly Northumberland – Vera

The lady with the hat and mac (preparation is key) would no doubt suggest the Northumberland Moors. She’s had to trek over the moors to get to Hadrian’s Wall and a remote writing retreat in The Glass Room so she knows the area well. She is often seen in her all terrain jeep and often brings along her side kick Aidan and a flask of something probably so we reckon she’d choose the Northumberland wilderness to people who love a good literary walk. In her latest outing, she spends a lot of time walking the coast line at Whitely Bay and out to St Mary’s Lighthouse so she gets about does Vera, and as she would say herself, she’s not the fittest of people, so if she can do these walks then so can you!

The dales and valleys of Yorkshire- Kate Shackleton

Now, if there is anyone to show you the best places to walk in Yorkshire, it’s Kate Shackleton. She’s walked the hills and lanes of Harrogate, taken the Settle – Carlisle train and walked at both ends, and spent a great deal of time getting to know Yorkshire as a whole such as the moors, the legends and the mysteries which comes with it. In her latest outing, “Death in the Stars” she spends time in Giggleswick where you can get some stunning views of the surrounding countryside and where back in 1927 there was an eclipse and a mystery…..

Bronte Country

But one of those most famous literary walks is to “Walk The Invisible” and to follow in the footsteps of the Bronte sisters and their characters, from Jane Eyre to Heathcliff. This is such stunning countryside with the novels unfurling infront of you that it’s hard not to fall in love with Yorkshire at the same time.

Kent

Charles Dickens had a house at Broadstairs so he would be more than useful as a guide to this area. He could also take you around the streets of London too of course but it was the town and the area of Broadstairs where he called home.Imagine the literary heritage around these parts! In more a more recent novel The Widow’s Confession, there’s some lovely walks along Goodwin sands at night by lamplight….

Scotland

What about the Edinburgh of Rebus – he could take you around the mean old streets of the capital at night for added thrills and spills or if it’s the more supernatural aspect of the walks around the city you enjoy, what about following in the footsteps of ? There’s lots of hills and an old volcano in the city so there’s such heritage and stunning views too as you walk. Eat some haggis for sustenance and you’re good to go.

But there is more to Scotland that the capital of course – Jenny Colgan’s characters have spent many a happy day walking about the highlands, and at times driving a bus and going on a boat. These are remote places up in the highlands but the views and the feeling of space and freedom is unparalleled. Well, except if you’re in a Peter May novel, then the landscape is chilling and foreboding. Fun literary walks though!

Another great literary walk is to follow in the footsteps of Lin Anderson’s Rhona MacCleod who is even on a mountain rescue training walk in Follow The Dead when she stumbles upon a crime scene. Now bet she would recommend the places to go and the places best to avoid. She knows the terrain and could show you how to enjoy it, get the most from it and most importantly learn how to respect it.

Wales

Let’s not forget that Wales has some of the most stunning walks around – very hilly mind but even for the less adventurous there are less taxing and just as enjoyable walks to be found. If you like boat rides, you might want to head out to Bardsey Island as that’s where Mark Billingham took Tom Thorne to investigate the goings on on this island. Stunning wildlife and views from here. A landscape you can only appreciate by walking slowly and taking the time to take everything in.

Or what about going back in time to the rough, rugged landscape of medieval Wales? Barbara Erskine’s characters are your best guides there

Wales is also the home of Roald Dahl so you might find a character from one of his books on one of your walks. There are certainly enough stops to buy chocolate if you’re in Cardiff where the author was born. Next to Roald Dahl Plass if you please.

This is only a small selection of literary walks. We haven’t even looked at Ireland yet! Up hills, down valleys -along the beach, on an island, there are always literary links

Julia’s walks involve many other kinds of links as well – cultural ones, heritage links, historical links and of course, the best places to appreciate this very varied island and its wildlife.

Literary links or not, where have YOU walked to that you think is nice and would like to share with other people?