Having lived in London for years this is, in our opinion, by far the most dramatic, beautiful and rewarding hike within a couple of hours of the capital. Located directly south of the city, the hike starts at the Beachy Head carpark, which can of course be reached by car but if you’re car-less there are plenty of great train options into nearby Eastbourne and then it’s a short 10 minute bus ride to the carpark.

The very obvious trail will then take you along the cliff tops with the first and arguably most striking marker, Beachy head lighthouse, right at the beginning. This iconic red and white striped structure is positioned just out in the water below the cliff tops and although a tall building it is somewhat dwarfed by the huge white chalk cliffs above, perfectly illustrating the sheer scale of this landscape.

And it is these signature undulating cliffs that make this hike so special, rising up sharply out of the English channel. Tracing their line along the trail you quite quickly lose your sense of perspective, as the tiny dots of fellow hikers in the distance move across the landscape. It is this sense of vastness that makes the hike so special - the sheer scale and subsequent feeling of epicness is near impossible to find so close to London!

The hike continues along the coastline for 45 minutes or so until you reach Belle Tout Lighthouse positioned at the top of the cliffs. From here it is a short 20 minutes down hill to Birling Gap, a small hamlet perched on the cliffs and an iconic English viewpoint. Here there is an option to take stairs down to the beach which we highly recommend doing as it gives you a completely different perspective of the landscape you’ve just been exploring.

From here you can either trace your steps back if you’re feeling fit or catch a bus. Such a great hike and very manageable with a little one, but of course do make sure if they are walking in parts that they’re far from the edge.

Additional tips:

This is a pretty easy hike but it is still always good to wear proper hiking boots. If you need to stock up on snacks and supplies Eastbourne is a good option but there is also a pub at the beginning and shop at the end. If you’re looking for a great lunch option then we highly recommend The Eight Bells in Jevington, a 10 minute drive from Birling Gap which does delicious food and is very cosy!

If you are looking for a beautiful walk with hardly any steep inclines in the Lake District then this may well be the hike for you. This 4 hour loop walk takes you past lakes of all shapes and sizes, over heathland, along tiny country lanes, across boulder strewn tarns, past an abandoned quarry and through ancient forests.

Starting northeast of Coniston at the National Trust car park (Grid Ref SD 326 996) the path leads you around the beautiful tarn. Littered with small, tree covered islands and surrounded by towering fells and mountains, you would be forgiven for thinking you’d just begun a hike in Canada.

After the spectacular start things don’t let up as the route leads you through the gorgeous rolling hills of the second section, past gloriously isolated farms and up to an abandoned slate quarry. The quarry, which has been closed for slate mining for years is now home to a mysteriously dark lake at its bottom, kept topped up by a dramatic waterfall flowing in over its steep sides.

Next you cross an almost trackless section that leads to a beautiful smaller lake, hidden from the surrounding world by rocky hills and tarns.

Note: This would be a great place for a dip if you’re brave enough!

The penultimate section of the hike feels really off-piste, as you make your way down a gully, through a gorgeous forest to another spectacular lake, which is well worth stopping at for a while to take in the views.

Finally the oath takes you through a large forest, hugging a parallel trail to the Tom Gill waterfall, a long waterfall that divides the trees beautifully and offers the perfect end to a really good hike.

To put it simply, Holkham Beach is one of our absolute favorite beaches in the whole of the UK. At low tide its golden sands seem to last forever, stretching off in either direction as far as the eye can see.

Instead of starting your walk from the usually busy Holkham car park, we actually suggest heading for a little layby just outside of Burnham Overy Staithe (What Three Words: bravo.sofas.tissue). Here you can park up and walk down a small track that leads you though the beautiful Holkham Nature Reserve, famous for its birdlife that’s amazing to watch at any time of day.

Keep heading down and you will soon hit the dunes that lead onto the vast beach. Here head right and the sand stretches for a mile or so to the Holkham Beach car park at the other end. However bearing in mind this is of course sand, it is pretty slow going and will most likely take around an hour. We highly recommend doing this at a low tide as you almost won’t be able to even see the sea as it pulls out so far, leaving the beach itself feeling desert-like and really quite strange. Then for the hike back you can either retrace your steps or we recommend weaving through the pine forest that borders the beach and is home to a series of well worn tracks that eventually lead you back to the dunes. This route offers something completely different and is the perfect end to what is a really special English hike.

Additional Tips:

Take a picnic, this beach is massive and you won’t be able to just pop anywhere if you get hungry! Furthermore, if you time it right the best place to have a picnic is on top of the dunes facing the wildlife reserve at sunset as thousands of birds fly overhead - it's very special!