The Ramblers Association

Milton Keynes & District Group

 

Links

The following links are to sites of interest to walkers, including some general information such as timetables and maps which may be of use when planning where to walk.

  • Organisations
  • General walking information
  • Milton Keynes and other local sites
  • Reporting 'Rights of Way' issues
  • Useful information
  • Walks
  • Walking holidays

    Organisations

    The Ramblers Association
    News on current issues and national campaigns with which the association is involved; list of publications with an order form; full text of fact sheets available online, covering such diverse subjects as rambling for disabled people, advice on Lyme Disease and ticks, equipment and safety on walks; an introduction to some of the long distance paths; basic information for visitors to Britain, including where to stay, maps to get and a useful list of contacts; form to join online; information on events and links to local groups with an online presence.

    MK Health Walks

    The MK Health Walk Scheme is now facilitated by The Parks Trust and offers a wide variety of free, volunteer-led, social walks. They take place over flat land and through the hidden or well-known local parks and open spaces in Milton Keynes. The Health Walks vary from 1 to 5 miles in the form of Gentle, Moderate and Brisk (short, medium and long walks), to suit all ability levels, and each walk ends with a social gathering for a soft drink. Walks are available every day of the week. They take place in different areas during the daytime on a weekly basis. All adults are welcome to join the groups any time of year.


    Ramblers Wellbeing Walks in the rest of England (Walking for Health)

    The MK Health Walk Scheme is no longer facilitated by The Ramblers Association but Wellbeing Walks are available, access the link above and type in your desired location to see what is available. They offer a wide variety of free, volunteer-led, social walks, and normally take place over flatter land and most walks end with a social gathering for a soft drink.


    Long Distance Walkers Association

    Information on LDWA aims, activities and membership; links to local groups with websites or email (each local group has its own web site with its programme, contacts and other information); programme of challenge events; information on The Hillwalkers Register, including how to claim an entry, and references to books on hillwalking; links to other hill-walking sites.

    British Walking Federation

    Information on events, trails, member clubs, the IVV and an online version of Footprint, the BWF magazine.

    Youth Hostels Association

    List of hostels searchable by region - gives prices, pictures and other details.

    English Heritage

    Information on conservation work, archaeology, national monuments, time trails and more.

    National Trust

    Searchable index and detailed information on National Trust properties; NT holidays.

    CPRE

    Information on the work of the CPRE (Council for the Protection of Rural England); links to local groups, catalogue of publications.

    Natural England

    Excellent information on national trails, areas of outstanding natural beauty, Greenways, national parks, quiet roads, rights of way.

    British Mountaineering Council

    Information on climbing and hillwalking.

     

    General walking information

    The Countryside Code [A5 Leaflet]
    Your guide to enjoying parks and waterways, coast and countryside.

    Walking Britain
    Features walks in mountains and national parks of Britain, including photos, descriptions of 50 walks, information and links to other walking sites.

    Walkingworld

    An excellent site with detailed instructions, including maps and photos, for walks all around Britain. An annual subscription gives unlimited acccess to all walks.

    The Hills of Great Britain and Ireland

    Searchable index of hills and mountains, giving height, map number and grid reference.

    World Outdoor Web

    Covers all sorts of outdoor activities with links to useful sites connected with walking, walking holidays in the UK and other parts of the world.

    Defra

    General information on Country side issues with a link to a useful outline of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) act.

     

    Milton Keynes and other local sites

    MKCitizen

    Online version of the Milton Keynes Citizen newspaper. Covers local and national news with a news and sports archive, jobs, property, maps, local businesses, what's on and plenty more.

    The Chiltern Society

    Information on the society which exists to preserve the beauty and character of the Chiltern Hills; calendar of events, including walks; links to other Chilterns sites.


     

    Reporting 'Rights of Way' issues

    Definitive Maps
    Use this site to view the definitive map and establish which local authority is responsible for the location you wish to report.

    Milton Keynes (Report it)  
    MK Rights of Way: Reporting 'Rights of Way' issues in Milton Keynes.
    Their interactive map shows the area covered by this authority but does not allow direct reporting. From this page, tick the 'Public Rights of Way' box  on the left hand side, selecting a relevant path will provide you with a specific RoW reference.
    Please report any Rights of Way issues via their website [please indicate it's a 'rights of way' report], by e-mail to customerservices@milton-keynes.gov.uk or by calling 01908 691691

    Transport for Bucks
    Transport for Bucks: Reporting 'Rights of Way' issues in Buckinhamshire. Their interactive map shows the area covered by this authority and allows the location to be identified and the issue to be reported.  You will need to create an account if you wish to submit a report.

    West Northants
    West Northants: Reporting 'Rights of Way' issues in Northamptonshire.

    Bedford
    Bedford: Reporting 'Rights of Way' issues in Bedford area.

    Central Bedfordshire
    Central Bedfordshire: Reporting 'Rights of Way' issues in Central Bedfordshire area. Their interactive map shows the area covered by this authority. From link choose "My Maps" tab, tick the 'Rights of Way' box, zoom in and click on the relevant path.

    Environment Agency
    Environment Agency: Reporting an environmental damage or pollution incident.
    Incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60


     

    Useful information

    Railtrack
    Railtrack train timetables.

    Eurail

    European rail timetables.

    RAC

    RAC route planner.

    National Express

    National Express coach timetables; links to European coach companies. sites.

    Streetmap and Bing (Multimap)

    Maps of UK with facility to zoom in to individual street level. Streetmap also has a facility for converting Grid references to Post Codes and vice-versa.

    Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    Travel advice on different countries.

    Smoothhound

    Directory of hotels and guesthouses around the UK.

    Lonely Planet Online

    Useful information for travellers to destinations all over the world. Includes history, economy, culture, events, money and costs, when to go, where to go, getting there and getting around, recommended reading, travellers' reports and links to sites for each country.

    OS Grid References  (Original Cartoon Version)

    A beginners guide on how to use OS Grid References.

    Using a compass

    How to use a compass with Simon King and Ordnance Survey.

     

    Walks

    RA Leading Group Walks - Checklist [downloads a PDF file]
    If you're leading a group walk, use this checklist to help you plan. It's been updated to reflect the changes as we move into a phase of living with Covid-19.

    RA Walks Finder database
    This is a national database of walks run by Ramblers groups all over the country. It is accessible through the RA website at:
    http://www.ramblers.org.uk/walksfinder.
    The database enables you to search for walks in a particular area and specify parameters such as distance, difficulty, dates, etc. Walks information is added by individual groups, but at present not all groups contribute data.

    Milton Keynes Boundary Walk
    The Milton Keynes Boundary Walk is approximately 60 miles long and uses existing footpaths.

    A new Waymarker has been placed along the route. When you see the Oakleaf symbol just follow the direction of the arrow on the host waymarker.

    Happy Hiker
    Enthusiast's personal web site with a variety of useful information on walking matters and equipment plus a selection of walks, mainly in the North of the country.

    GPS Cycle and Walking Routes
    Walking routes covering all of the UK's National Trails - over 2500 miles of walking to enjoy.

     

    Walking Holidays

    Ramble Worldwide
    Walking, trekking, cross-country skiing and sight-seeing holidays around the world. You can nominate our group to receive funding with every trip you book.

    HF Holidays
    HF Holidays has been the Ramblers recommended walking holiday partner since Oct 2011.

The Ramblers' Association is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Company registration number: 4458492.
Registered Charity in England and Wales number: 1093577, registered charity in Scotland number: SC039799.