A paper Ordnance Survey (OS) map is of course the quintessential walkers’ tool, but the OS Maps app on your phone, with a handy red arrow telling you exactly where you are, takes the usefulness to new levels. Other apps – Komoot, for example – do the same, but the backing of OS data brings extra reassurance.
A subscription to the app has changed my attitude to country walks. Before, we’d see an inviting footpath sign but have no idea whether it went anywhere interesting or was just a shortcut to another road. Now we just pull out a phone and can see where the path leads, with maybe a link to loop back. Following a path on the app also gives you confidence when the trail isn’t very clear: you can be sure you are on a right of way even if, say, it appears to lead across someone’s front lawn.
More useful still is the “Find Routes” feature, which shows walks (and running routes) created by any of the app’s community of 3.5 million users. The OS has crunched the data on those users’ favourite walks across Britain over the past year. Here are six of the most popular city walks – perfect if you fancy an outdoor adventure within a city boundary.
Edinburgh: Arthur’s Seat
Why? Glorious panorama and majestic views
Distance 5 miles
Time 2 hours 45 mins
Difficulty Moderate
Start/end Canongate, Royal Mile
Paper map OS Explorer 350
This walk begins and ends beside one of its highlights – the Scottish parliament and Holyrood palace. Ascend into Holyrood Park, where a small detour reveals a view of the remains of St Anthony’s Chapel, before you reach a small plateau below the summit of Arthur’s Seat. Enjoy the panorama of the city, then take a grassy descent to Dunsapie Loch and its ducks and swans. The route goes down towards Old Church Lane and the Sheep Heid Inn (said to be the oldest serving pub in the city), ahead of the Innocent Railway along the foot of the hill and the Innocent Railway tunnel (the first one created in Scotland). The walk skirts the tunnel, but you can also walk through it. Climb back up to the foot of Arthur’s Seat, where Salisbury Crags offers more panoramic photo opportunities, particularly at night with Edinburgh Castle lit up below.
London: Parkland Walk (Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace)
Why? Tranquil escape with a palatial payoff
Distance 5 miles
Time 2 hours
Difficulty Easy
Start Finsbury Park station
End Alexandra Palace station
Paper map OS Explorer 173
Popular with the capital’s joggers and podcast listeners, this green finger through north London is a wonderful antidote to city life. The first section, from Finsbury Park to Highgate, is flat and lined on both sides with trees higher than a cathedral roof. After a pause for coffee in Archway Road, continue through residential streets, then navigate beneath oak trees (raining acorns at this time of year) in the Queen’s Wood local nature reserve and Highgate Wood before ascending to Alexandra Park and the reward of southward views over London from the majestic vantage point outside the front of Alexandra Palace.
Leeds: Rodley canal and river
Why? Waterside magic circular walk
Distance 3.5 miles
Time 1 hour 25 mins
Difficulty Easy
Start/end Canal Road, Rodley
Paper map OS Explorer 289
Between the urban sprawls of Bradford and Leeds, picturesque Rodley is a waterside treat for walkers. Cows and sheep graze beside the boats on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and only the sound of invisible traffic gives away its location in one of Britain’s largest metropolitan areas. This walk leads along hidden stairways, stone bridges, narrow grass tracks between railway lines and the River Aire, and up and over dales. When the route returns to the canal, prepare for friendly warnings from cyclists’ bells.
Near Birmingham: Monarch’s Way, Halesowen
Why? Rural escape on city boundary
Distance 7 miles
Time 3.5 hours
Difficulty Moderate
Start/end Manor Way, Halesowen
Paper map OS Explorer 219
For a true countryside adventure, this trek through fields, woods and farmland with the Clent Hills looming large on the horizon is the perfect choice. It’s just eight miles from Birmingham city centre and five miles from Dudley. Leave behind the busy A56 and begin the route close to the medieval ruins of Halesowen Abbey. Follow the well-maintained Monarch’s Way from stile to stile, crossing streams and passing through pasture, copses and grasslands. The route does get muddy in places at this time of year. Check the weather before setting off, as you can be exposed to the elements quickly.
Greater Manchester: Sale and Mersey water parks
Why? Assortment of natural life and city soul
Distance 8.5 miles
Time 3 hours 40 mins
Difficulty Easy
Start/end Priory Gardens, opposite Sale Sports Club, Dane Road, Sale
Paper map OS Explorer 277
This long-distance stroll, starting five miles from Manchester city centre, offers a diverse blend of urban and rural scenery. Once across the M60 motorway at the start, the route skirts past the Mersey, the Bridgewater Canal, the Chorlton Brook, and several lakes and nature reserves. Halfway through, it leads into Chorlton-cum-Hardy’s Southern Cemetery, final resting place for many of Manchester’s great and good. Among them are the graves of former Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby and Factory Records founder and impresario Tony Wilson. The flat route also passes through green open spaces and charming Manchester suburbs.
Cardiff: Cefn Mably Park loop
Why? Quick jaunt in foothills to clear the cobwebs
Distance 2.5 miles
Time 1 hour
Difficulty Easy
Start/end Bridge Road, Pontprennau
Paper map OS Explorer 151
This short walk in Cardiff’s eastern reaches takes only an hour and is a great way to revitalise in the fresh Valleys air. Take care at the outset when negotiating around the roundabout that straddles the M4, and you’ll soon be repaid with panoramic views of countryside and valleys. The route runs beyond the gates of Cefn Mably country park and its mansions before descending into rolling farmland. The path into woodland offers glimpses of the Rhymney river below before you follow the track back up to the start.
OS insiders’ tips for navigating with the OS Maps app
1 The red arrow on the map is your friend. To find the direction you need to take, hold your phone out in front of you like a torch. If you turn 180 degrees, so will the triangle.
2 Don’t slavishly follow the red line on the route. In OS Maps, this line is only a navigational guide. Pay close attention to the pathways (black dotted lines on the map). In practice, these are the markings you’ll need.
3 Keep an eye on the app whenever approaching forks in the route. Use common sense – if a suggested path looks untrodden or in bad condition, stay on the main one.
