The Ellesmere man helping to create new 2,360-mile hiking trail across the UK - and how you can help
A man from Ellesmere is lacing up his walking boots to help to create a new 2,360-mile-long walking trail that will connect all 15 of the UK's national parks.
Throughout June, more than 100 ramblers across the country are lacing up their boots to help plot a new 2,360-mile-long walking trail across the country.
The trail would stretch all the way from Nairn in the Highlands of Scotland, through Whitchurch, Ellesmere and Chirk, all the way to Plymouth, connecting all 15 of the UK's national parks.
It's part of the National Parks Trail Challenge by Slow Ways, which was started in 2020 by geographer Dan Raven-Ellison, aiming to connect every town, city and national landscape in Britain through thoughtfully designed walking routes.
The website enables users to plot a route between two or more towns or villages - with 'slow way' routes generally designed to be as easy as possible to navigate, avoiding difficult terrain and encouraging diversions to nearby points of interest.
Since it launched, the website has gathered and verified 10,000 routes, culminating in the ambitious plan to create a 4,000km trail that links all 15 of the UK’s national parks with paths that take the 'slow way'.
Over the course of this month, volunteers are attempting to collectively walk every step of the budding trail to help with it's development. One of those taking part, is Shropshire's 'Tree hunter' Rob McBride, 66.
Along with around 160 other people, Rob is helping to walk and verify routes around his home town of Ellesmere - with a bit of help from his eight-year-old cockerpoo, Buddy.
As well as walking the stretch of trail between Ellesmere and Whitchurch, Rob will feedback to the Slow Ways team on accessibility, rights of way and local points of interest.
"For me, walking is my daily dose of medicine to help keep the brain in order, it's not necessarily about getting somewhere quickly," he explained.
"They pick the most scene routes [between national parks], that's why we're here in Ellesmere along the Shropshire Union Canal.
"It's all about making walking accessible for as many people as possible. Lots of people don't go in the countryside at all, won't go off-road.
"So improving the footpath network and making people aware of where they can and should go - it's fantastic."
With 51 of the 277 routes completed, Slow Ways is still in need of more volunteers to help complete the trail. For more information or to sign up, visit: https://beta.slowways.org/
