Type of Walk: Disused Railways

'This is a pleasant, easy walk along the track bed of the old railway from the centre of Market Weighton. Return the same way or via Goodmanham.'

Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail

'The first part of your route from Hull is along the filled-in Foredyke Stream. The rest of your walk is along the track bed to Hornsea.'

Walking the Riding

Hornsea Rail Trail (Hull to Hornsea) [Sustrans]

'This route is part of the former Hull to Withernsea line, built by the Hull and Holderness Railway Company in 1854 mainly to serve the agricultural needs of the area and the new seaside town, Withernsea.'

Walking the Riding

'Runs from the Newington/St Leonard's area under Holyrood Park via Duddingston and Craigmillar to Brunstane in the East of the city. It is one of Edinburgh's extensive off-road pedestrian cycleways and part of the UK-wide, National Cycle Network's Route 1 (NCN1).'

EdinburghGuide.com

'A lovely walk from Keswick along part of the old Cockermouth, Keswick, and Penrith Railway trackbed and up onto Latrigg which stands over Keswick.'

WalkLakes

'Part of an extensive network of Railway Paths which are fantastic for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders. At Lydgetts Junction, this route joins the Waskerley Way and Derwent Valley Railway Paths and the Consett-Sunderland cycle route. At Broompark, it joins the Brandon-Bishops Auckland and Deerness Valley Railway Paths.'

Durham County Council

Railway Paths in County Durham

'A self-guided walk from Lavenham to Long Melford - through woods and open fields - largely following the route of the old GER Lavenham to Long Melford railway line. The walk provides the opportunity to see wild flowers alongside birds and animal wildlife in their natural habitat. You start and finish in these two well-preserved medieval "wool" villages.'

Lavenham Guildhall

'This attractive route links Rugby and Leamington Spa passing pretty villages, wildlife reserves, reservoirs and canals. From the centre of Rugby, the route follows the Great Central Way, and soon passes two Wildlife Trust Sites: Ashlawn Cutting and Cock Robin Wood ...'

Sustrans

'The Manifold Trail is often confused with the Manifold Way (Manifold Track) probably because there are so many other 'trails' in the Peak District - the Tissington Trail, the High Peak Trail, the Monsal Trail ... so everyone assumes that the Manifold Way is the Manifold Trail because it follows the trackbed of a former railway line ... '

A Taste of the Peak District

'A footpath and cycle way in Staffordshire, England. Some 8 miles (13 km) in length, it runs from Hulme End ... in the north to Waterhouses ... in the south, mostly through the Manifold Valley and the valley of its only tributary, the River Hamps, following the route of the former Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway, a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge line which closed in 1934 after a short life.'

Wikipedia

Manifold Way Cycle Trail [National Trust] | Manifold Way [LDWA]

'Follows the routes of two disused railway lines, running between the historic market town of Aylsham and the medieval city of Norwich.'

Norfolk County Council

Marriott's Way Sculptures [Recording Archive for Public Sculpture in Norfolk & Suffolk]

'The Mawddach Trail footpath walk and cycle route winds for 9.5 miles (15km) along the disused railway track on the southern edge of the spectacular Mawddach estuary. Whilst the trail can be joined at several points it starts at the picturesque market town of Dolgellau and finishes by crossing the iconic railway bridge over the mouth of the estuary into Barmouth.'

Jacky and Graham O'Hanlon

'Stretches for 10 miles from Knowle to West Meon, along a disused railway line. It is open to walkers, cyclists and equestrians. Between 2014 and 2015 Hampshire County Council, in partnership with the South Downs National Park Authority, carried out improvement works to the Trail.'

Hampshire County Council

Meon Valley Railway [Wikipedia]

'Follows the line of the former Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway through picturesque Cheshire countryside and between historic mill towns.'

Cheshire East Council

'This route connects the historic city of Chester to the Wharf at Connah's Quay. The path takes you along an old railway line and is an attractive open ride from the north side of Chester out into the Wirral’s rich arable farmlands.'

Sustrans

Wikipedia

'Former railway line that links Harpenden, Redbourn and Hemel Hempstead. It is approximately 8.5 miles long and suits both walkers and cyclers. The route forms part of route 57 of the National Cycle Network.'

Friends of the Nickey Line

'The North Dorset Trailway now extends from Sturminster Newton to Spetisbury, providing an off road trail for walkers, cyclist etc. The opening of the latest section, between Stourpaine and Blandford, proved to be a triumphant day with hundreds of people attending by various means of transport.'

Dorset Council

ALERT Unfortunately, the Website originally cited here (and the North Dorset Trailway Network?) seem(s) no longer, so I have cited instead a page from Dorset Council (where at the time of Review it was noted that the NDT Leaflet 'is currently being updated').

'We like to explore disused railway lines. We organise walks throughout North East England, for people of varying ages and abilities, usually on disused railways, although we also explore the high fells, rivers, the coastline etc. We are not a high-powered hiking club concerned mainly with clocking up the miles ... '

Northumberland Railway Walks Society

'This route was originally a Waggonway coming from Cowdenbeath and Crossgates to St David's Harbour in Inverkeithing Bay.  It was used to export coal and minerals from the mines around Cowdenbeath and Crossgates for shipping from Inverkeithing.  The Fordell Railway was still in use in 1939.'

Heritage Paths

'Linear green walkway, in the London Boroughs of Haringey and Islington, which follows the course of the railway line which used to run between Finsbury Park through Stroud Green, Crouch End, Highgate and Muswell Hill to Alexandra Palace.'

Wikipedia

Friends of the Parkland Walk

'Enjoy wild flowers, wooded countryside and fine views on this route which takes you along a flat, former railway line to the beach and harbour at Pentewan.'

Sustrans

'The route follows the Shropshire Union Railway for 2.5 miles. The Railway was opened in 1849 and ran from Wellington to Stafford.'

Telford & Wrekin Council

Derbyshire County Council

'The UK's specialist club for exploring old railways: it organises walks throughout the country for varying ages and abilities, usually on disused railways but occasionally on an old canal or even Roman road. '

Jeff Vinter [Webmaster]

Dorset Council

Friends of the Rodwell Trail and Sandsfoot Castle

'A green corridor route through Telford from Bratton in the north-west corner via the Town Centre to the spectacular Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. The route boasts great contrasts with futuristic new developments, pockets of woodland and meadow and mature parkland. For almost its entire length the route follows dry canal beds and disused railway lines.'

Telford & Wrekin Council

Silkin Way [GPS Cycle & Walking Routes] | Telford to Ironbridge Gorge [Sustrans]

'Starts at Castlecroft and runs for five and a half miles [about 8.85 km] to Wall Heath passing through other villages such as Wombourne where the Railway Café is located en route ... There are a number of walks of varying distances, which make up the series of walks based on the South Staffordshire Railway Walk. Routes contain a mixture of lanes, tracks and footpaths.'

Wikipedia

'This path follows the old Douglas to Peel railway line ... Information signs are posted about the path as well as picnic stops. Refreshment can be obtained from some of the main villages on the Trail like Crosby and St John.'

Isle of Man Guide

Steam Heritage Trail [Annierak]

'Follows the course of part of the Honeybourne Line, a single track railway built in 1859 by the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway and closed in 1976. Now a trail for walkers and cyclists, the route links the attractive town of Stratford-upon-Avon with the village of Long Marston.'

Warwickshire’s Country Parks

Stratford Greenway [Sustrans]

'Strathkelvin Railway Path is rail trail following the route of several dismantled railway lines extending from Gartcosh to Strathblane. The Northern Section follows the route of the Campsie Branch of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway which was extended as the Blane Valley Railway line and closed in 1951 (although some parts of the line were still used for freight into the '60s).[1] The Southern Section follows a branch of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway. Starting in Kirkintilloch it runs south and currently terminates at the northern tip of Gartcosh; just before the original railway junction would have split east to Bedlay Colliery and south to Glenboig.

Heritage Paths

'Mainly traffic-free with no steep gradients and takes in a variety of landscapes from the flat marshes and cider apple orchards around Yatton, steep wooded valleys and a tunnel through the Mendips, to historic Axbridge and the spectacular Cheddar Gorge.'

Sustrans

Strawberry Line

'Multi-purpose route between the Cardiff waterfront at Cardiff Bay in the South and the Market Town of Brecon in the North ... Passes close to Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil and through a wide variety of urban and suburban landscapes of those towns and the open moorland of the Brecon Beacons. '

Sustrans

'The Tarka Trail is one of the country's longest continuous traffic-free walking and cycling paths, and forms part of the Devon Coast to Coast Cycle Route.'

Sustrans

Tarka Trail [Wikipedia] | Tarka Trail [North Devon Biosphere]

'The new traffic-free section of National Routes 51 and 12 linking communities between Sandy, Bedford and Milton Keynes provides a useful link for local cyclists' everyday journeys, but is also worth exploring at a leisurely pace.'

Sustrans

Ox-Cam Walk [railfuture]

Wikipedia

'A multi-user path ... links the towns of Peebles and Innerleithen passing through the village of Cardrona on quiet roads. The path follows the picturesque River Tweed for much of the way and provides links to mountain biking trails at Innerleithen and Glentress.'

Scotland Starts Here

'Between Okehampton and Plymouth along the western edge of Dartmoor; the route is waymarked except where it crosses open moorland.'

Devon County Council

'The Wirral is unique in that it is fortunate to have the Wirral Way which incorporates the Wirral Country Park, a stunning stretch of 12.2 miles that runs from West Kirby all the way to Hooton in Chester The Wirral Way itself is the old disused railway line that has now been turned into a stunning coastal path running along the Wirral Peninsular.'

Wirral Way [GPS Cycling & Walking Routes] | Wirral Country Park [Wikipedia]  |  Route 56  [Sustrans]

'Footpath and bridleway linking the West Sussex towns of Crawley and East Grinstead via the village of Crawley Down.'

Wikipedia