Walking Guides
Many of our sites are situated amongst some of England’s most picturesque scenery. Use our walking guides to make the most of the great outdoors and enjoy a full day out in spectacular historical landscapes. Our walking guides detail the routes between two or three sites to make the most of the day. Bring along a picnic or enjoy lunch in one of our top tearooms and spend the day walking in the footsteps of our ancestors.
Our walks have been created to take into account varying levels of ability. Please only set off if you are comfortable with the distance and difficulty level indicated. These walks are also intended as a guide only – use your usual mapping tools to plan your walks, and make sure you plan ahead for any stops and facilities requirements, including parking, toilets and refreshments.
NORTH WEST, YORKSHIRE AND NORTH EAST
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NORTH YORKSHIRE: RIEVAULX ABBEY TO HELMSLEY CASTLE
Distance: 2.5 miles/4km
Difficulty: 1/5
Terrain: Paths and country roads, some steep steps
Perfect for a gentle stroll, this delightful walk takes in two English Heritage properties set in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside. Enjoy the winter sunlight flooding through the atmospheric arched stone windows of the ruined Rievaulx Abbey, then head over to the picture-perfect town of Helmsley and explore its magnificent castle.
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YORKSHIRE: FILEY BRIGG TO SCARBOROUGH CASTLE
Distance: 9.2 miles/14.8km
Difficulty: 3/5
Terrain: Undulating coastal paths
This route follows the Cleveland Way, a national trail that stretches for 109 miles along the North Yorkshire coast. You can join the trail in Filey and then walk along stunning coastline towards Scarborough, finishing with a look around Scarborough Castle. After enjoying amazing views and a castle with over 3,000 years of history, there are regular trains and buses back to Filey.
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NORTHUMBERLAND: DUNSTANBURGH CASTLE CIRCULAR WALK
Distance: 4 miles/6.4km
Difficulty: 2/5
Terrain: Country and coastal paths that are mostly flat
This circular walk starts at the fishing village of Craster and heads north inland, before turning south along the coastline to visit the magnificent castle at Dunstanburgh before returning to the village. This walk is courtesy of Northumberland Coast AONB Partnership, and its trail leaflets are available to buy in Craster Tourist Information Centre.
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TYNE AND WEAR: WHITLEY BAY TO TYNEMOUTH PRIORY AND CASTLE
Distance: 3 miles/4.8km
Difficulty: 1/5
Terrain: Beach and urban road
A gentle three mile walk following the coast south from Whitley Bay through Cullercoats and into Tynemouth, finishing at the magnificent Tynemouth Castle and Priory, once one of the largest fortified areas in England. There are regular trains and buses back to Whitley Bay.
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HADRIAN'S WALL : HOUSESTEADS ROMAN FORT TO CHESTERS ROMAN FORT
Distance: 9.6 miles/15.5km
Difficulty: 3/5
Terrain: Undulating
This walk along the moderately undulating central section of Hadrian's Wall offers history, landscape and nature. It takes in two of our biggest Roman sites, Housesteads and Chesters, plus many free-to-enter sites such as Sewingshields Wall and the Temple of Mithras.
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Hadrian's Wall Trails
There are also many other fantastic walks to be enjoyed along Hadrian's Wall, with additional trails at Housesteads Roman Fort, Chesters Roman Fort, Corbridge Roman Town and Birdoswald Roman Fort.
You can also join Craghoppers, Raven Todd DaSilva and Andrew Roberts, to learn more about the history of the wall and watch as they walk from Housesteads Roman Fort to Steel Rigg.
MIDLANDS AND EAST OF ENGLAND
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DERBYSHIRE: BOLSOVER CASTLE AND SUTTON SCARSDALE HALL
Distance: 7 miles/11.2km
Difficulty: 2/5
Terrain: Undulating
This circular walk links two of North-East Derbyshire's prominent landmarks: glamorous Bolsover Castle and the ruin of Sutton Scarsdale Hall. Facing each other across a valley, both were built on land belonging to William Peveril after the Norman Conquest. People following this route can discover the heritage of the landscape which connects them.
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SHROPSHIRE: WENLOCK PRIORY TO THE IRON BRIDGE
Distance: 4.5 miles/7.5km
Difficulty: 2/5
Terrain: Undulating
Walk from the beautifully tranquil medieval Wenlock Priory to the masterpiece of 18th century engineering that is the Iron Bridge - all via countryside beloved by Vaughan Williams and A E Housman. It’s also a chance to admire the conservation work that the bridge has recently undergone, which has restored the structure’s original red-brown paint colour.
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NORFOLK: CASTLE ACRE PRIORY CIRCULAR WALK
Distance: 6.4 miles/9.6km
Difficulty: 2/5
Terrain: Undulating
This gentle stroll around a rural west Norfolk village connects visits to Castle Acre Priory, one of the best-preserved monastic sites in England, and Castle Acre Castle and Bailey Gate. The Bailey Gate is one of two stone gatehouses added to the settlement's massive earthwork defences in about 1200. The main road into the village still runs between its towers.
SOUTH
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ISLES OF SCILLY: CROMWELL’S CASTLE, KING CHARLES’S CASTLE AND OLD BLOCKHOUSE
Distance: 3.5 miles/5.6km
Difficulty: 1/5
Terrain: Coastal paths and beaches
This circular walk takes in much of the pretty island of Tresco, along with three 16 century sites with strong ties to the Civil War. Cromwell’s Castle guards the anchorage between Bryher and Tresco, and is one of the few surviving Cromwellian fortifications in Britain. King Charles’s Castle was built in the mid 1540s as an artillery fort, later garrisoned by Civil War Royalists.
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ISLE OF WIGHT: THE NEEDLES TO YARMOUTH CASTLE
Distance: 6 miles/9.5km
Difficulty: 3/5
Terrain: Undulating coastal path and urban streets
This rugged walk starts at the south western tip of the Isle of Wight, by the famous Needles rock formations, and heads north to the pretty seaside town of Yarmouth and its Tudor castle that was built by Henry VIII. The walk passes Alum Bay and provides a great view of Hurst Castle over on the mainland.
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CORNWALL: TINTAGEL CASTLE CIRCULAR WALK
Distance: 4.6 miles/7.4km
Difficulty: 2/5
Terrain: Undulating coastal path and minor roads
This circular walk takes you south from Tintagel Castle to Trebar with Beach along the South West Coast Path, which will afford you panoramic views over the sea, before turning inland and returning to the castle via Treknow, one of Cornwall’s oldest slate mining villages.
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CORNWALL: PENDENNIS CASTLE TO ST MAWES CASTLE
Distance: 5 miles/8km (including a 3 mile ferry trip)
Difficulty: 1/5
Terrain: Urban streets
This walk takes you between two fascinating Tudor artillery fortresses. Pendennis was one of Henry VIII's most magnificent castles and acted as a defence during the Civil War and both World Wars. St Mawes is elaborately decorated and features many carved Latin inscriptions. The walk includes a short journey across the water on the St Mawes ferry.
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DEVON: BERRY POMEROY CASTLE TO TOTNES CASTLE
Distance: 4 miles/6.4km
Difficulty: 2/5
Terrain: Undulating
Berry Pomeroy Castle is known as one of English Heritage’s most haunted properties, and a winter afternoon creates the perfect atmosphere to explore this picturesque ruin. The walk then takes you to the Norman Totnes Castle through gorgeous countryside, where you’ll be rewarded with wonderful views over Totnes.
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DEVON: DARTMOUTH CASTLE TO BAYARD’S COVE FORT
Distance: 1 mile/1.6km
Difficulty: 1/5
Terrain: Undulating coastal path
This walk follows the River Dart between Dartmouth Castle and Bayard’s Cove Fort, going along a section of the South West Coast Path. Both Dartmouth Castle and Bayard's Cove Fort were built to defend Dartmouth and occupy picturesque positions at the mouth of the harbour.
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KENT: WALMER CASTLE TO DEAL CASTLE
Distance: 2 miles/3.2km
Difficulty: 1/5
Terrain: An easy walk following the coastal path
This short, linear walk follows a well-marked coastal trail along a shingle beach with one eye on the sparkling waters of the English Channel. Both magnificent castles were built on the orders of Henry VIII to defend England's southern shores, and Walmer Castle went on to house the Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports.
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KENT: DOVER CASTLE TO WESTERN HEIGHTS AND KNIGHTS TEMPLAR CHURCH
Distance: 2.1 miles/3.3km
Difficulty: 2/5
Terrain: Urban streets and grassy, uneven surfaces.
Dover Castle is one of England’s most iconic fortresses, with a defensive history stretching from medieval times until the Cold War. This walk also visits our two other sites in Dover: the Napoleonic fort of Western Heights and the medieval ruined Knights Templar church.
LONDON
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LONDON: APSLEY HOUSE, WELLINGTON ARCH AND JEWEL TOWER
Distance: 1.5 miles/2.4km (3 miles circular)
Difficulty: 1/5
Terrain: Urban streets
This short stroll takes in three sites situated in the heart of the Captial. Apsley House was once home to the first Duke of Wellington and displays a suitably grand interior of glittering treasures and fabulous art. The iconic Wellington Arch gives wonderful views over London and the Jewel Tower is a precious fragment of medieval English history.
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LONDON BLUE PLAQUE WALKS AND STORIES
Across London over 950 blue plaques, on buildings both humble and grand, honour the notable men and women who have lived or worked in them. Explore London and learn about these pioneering figures and their achievements, in the places they once resided.
To keep track of your travels, we have a dedicated free blue plaques app, which shows the locations of all current blue plaques and guided walks around Soho and Kensington. You can also discover the stories behind the blue plaques here.
PODCAST: Explore England's Story on a Pilgrimage Walk
We join Guy Hayward and Jason Goodwin from the British Pilgrimage Trust to walk a section of the South Dorset Old Stones Way – one of 10 historic trails taking in English Heritage sites en-route.
Listen on to discover the meaning of pilgrimage, the mental and physical benefits of exploring our past, and what you can expect to discover along the way.
Discover the PilgrimagesMore to Explore
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Inspire Me
Our historic sites offer something for everyone. Here we have gathered some of our favourite features, events and things to do to inspire your next visit.
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THE ENGLISH HERITAGE PODCAST
Join presenter Charles Rowe as we bring the history of our sites to life with news, views and expert interviews across over 150 episodes.
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Become a member today
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