Walking trails
Spend a day in the upland commons
Stretching north to south, the upland commons are free for everyone to enjoy and welcome millions of visitors each year.
Follow these four steps to make the most out of your time in the upland commons:
1. Get close to nature
Breathe in the fresh air and discover miles of open, natural space, full of life. See if you can spot a rare bird - look out for a cuckoo in the south or the curlew in the north.
2. Look back in time
From stone circles to Roman camps, there are 3,000 ancient monuments protected by the commons. Picture what life was like in these moments of time.
3. Take in the view
Step into the upland commons and you’ll be rewarded with some of the most iconic landscapes in the country. Take a day to summit mountains, climb fells and explore heathlands.
4. Encounter traditional farming
Spot famous breeds of sheep, horses and cattle, free to roam on hectares of open pasture - from Dartmoor ponies to hardy Herdwick sheep.
Follow our walking trails
To help you explore the heritage of these picturesque landscapes, you can follow one of our walking trails. As you wander over peaks or along riverbanks, you’ll be able to read stories about everything the land has to offer.
Simply choose your walking trail (below) and click for full details of the route. We're using Komoot for our trails, which requires sign-in when you land on their website. You can also download their app.
We will be adding more walking trails over the coming months.
Explore Brant Fell Common, Yorkshire Dales
‘Brant’ means ‘steep’ in Anglo-Saxon which gives you a good idea of the nature of this walk. But you will be rewarded for your efforts on a clear day with spectacular views – stretching towards Yorkshire’s Three Peaks, Blackpool and the coast, the Lake District, and Upper Wensleydale.
Explore Stapeley Hill, Shropshire Hills
Explore Stapeley Hill (also known as Michell’s Fold), a jewel in this stretch of Welsh Marches border country. On a clear day, you'll be rewarded with far-reaching views, across Mid and North Wales, as far as the Snowdonia National Park. Experience the mystical, folklore feel of this place, tread in the footsteps of ancient ancestors, pilgrims, miners, and even witches…
This walk falls within the Shropshire Hills AONB.
Explore Clee Liberty, Shropshire Hills
Spend a day with us exploring the Shropshire Hills AONB. A lot of this walk is off the common itself, but there’s an option to extend the part that's on the common, giving extensive views of it from the surrounding farmland.
Take in the history of the Iron Age period from the impressive hill fort of Nordy Bank. The importance of this area in medieval times is a little less obvious, but we’ll take you on a journey past some of the important sites and sights from that period.
Explore Holne Moor, Dartmoor
A chance to explore Holne Moor and find out how water has been managed for people, livestock, and nature over the years. Look out for the brooks that crisscross the moor: Swincombe, O'Brook, Venford Brook, Ringleshutes, Holy Brook, and the Mardle. It's this water that brought the first settlers to the moor.
Explore Force Crag Mine, Lake District
Take in spectacular views of the surrounding high fells as you explore the old mine building, spoil heaps, and equipment of the Force Crag Mine, a scheduled ancient monument sitting at the head of the Lake District's Coledale Valley.
Explore Bampton Common, Lake District
Explore the rugged and varied landscape of Bampton Common in the Lake District. The Common stretches from the water’s edge on the west side of Haweswater to the ridge of High Street and includes High Raise, which at 802m is its highest point. This scenic route starts in the village of Burnbanks, which was built to accommodate the families of the workforce constructing Haweswater Dam.
