I do realise approaching winter is hardly the ideal time to be recommending places to walk, but as things stand - with the exception of the Christmas hiatus - outdoors is likely to be the only place most of us can meet up with our mates or loved ones for some time.

Walking is a great way to socialise and exercise in these Covid times — Walking is a great way to exercise and socialise in these Covid times

So if you’re going to be stuck with socialising outdoors, you might as well double up on the feel-good benefits by having a stroll (or upping the pace a bit if you prefer get an exercise bonus from the time together) somewhere gorgeous.

These five special spots in England, are all places I’ve walked when the weather has been less than kind. (I’m assuming it goes without saying that they’re all equally lovely when the weather is more clement. But I’ll say it anyway.)

They’re an entirely random mix of landscapes and terrains. None of them require special gear or anything technical like that - although I would say, particularly with it being winter ‘n all, please do bear in mind the old saying ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes’.

To which I would add - ‘and the wrong shoes’. My sturdy wellies, into which I’ve just inserted the sheepskin shoe liners I use when the temperatures drop, and which I wear with really good walking socks - are well-caked with mud from multiple autumnal outings. I have a similarly indecently filthy pair of walking shoes which I use when the conditions involve less mud-wading.

A walk on the coast side

Views along the South West coast path are almost always breathtaking

England’s longest National Trail, The South West coast path, runs for hundreds of miles and passes through four counties (Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset). Any part of it is fabulous to walk along, but so many of my happiest walking memories centre around the stretches along the North Cornwall coast from Bude to Newquay and on to St Ives. The dramatic, rugged cliffs, beautiful beaches, magical coves and surrounding countryside make this well-maintained trail a treat at every turn. The walking isn’t difficult, but there are stretches that are steeply uphill and the path does run close to the cliff edges in places.

(If the weather is too unforgiving, or you live too far away to experience this magnificent pathway, settle down with a cuppa and read The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. Find out why by clicking here).

Up hill and down dale

Atmospheric walking through the trees on the Ashridge Estate in the Chiltern Hills

The Chiltern Hills are my most recent walking discovery, so I’m not - yet - best placed to tell you about more than the small part I walked last weekend (from Tring, through the Ashridge Estate and back via the village of Adtbury). I can, however, report that it was absolutely stunning. A mixture of atmospheric woodland with plenty of (very muddy at this time of year) paths and trails, and countryside, with views for miles as you clamber up the, sometimes quite steep, inclines. I’ve since come across this site suggesting 10 great walks to do in the Chiltern Hills. I plan to tick them all off in time!

Little lake

Compact and quiet, Brothers Water in the Lake District Image: redbubble.com

There are literally thousands of walks you can in the Lake District, some more challenging than others. All of them with their own beauty. One of the easiest is also one of the least known. It’s along the perimeter of Brothers Water, one of the most secluded, remote and small of the National Park’s lakes. This level, paved, 2.3 mile walk (find the details here) starts from the Cow Bridge car park and takes you along the wooded bank of this pretty, shallow lake (which in summer is covered with lily pads). I walked it on a bleak day in early January accompanied by a howling gale, and the conditions didn’t deter from its peaceful allure.

Sand, sea and sky

Why it’s worth cambering to the top of the dunes at Camber Sands

There are so many beach walks that I could recommend. Narrowing it down to just one, it was a tough choice between the amazing, vast beaches of the north Norfolk coast, and a spot that regular followers of These Are The Heydays will know holds a special place in my heart. Camber Sands, 15 minutes outside the village of Rye in East Sussex, is a sweeping 5 mile stretch of flat, beach that’s a mixture of sand and shingles, backed at the Rye end with sand dunes that look as if they’ve come straight out of an Enid Blyton story.

When the tide is out (and it goes out a long, long way) the wind and kite surfers take advantage of the frequently breezy conditions, but it’s always possible to stroll in peace and revel in the sound of the waves and the huge expanse of sky.

Villages and views galore

The view over the Cotstolds from the foot of the Broadway Tower

Another area that you can do any number of delightful walks through and around is the Cotswolds. There are dozens of ridiculously picturesque villages to explore, and wonderful countryside and woods to wander in. One walk that brings back memories of a particularly special and happy time, is along the Cotswold Way (another well maintained, easy to navigate national trail) from the village of Broadway up (no surprises that quite a bit of it is uphill) to the Broadway Tower, the second highest point in the Cotswolds. Find out more about the route and why the January weekend I walked it was so memorable here.

I did say earlier that you don’t require any specialist equipment for any of this walking, but there is one piece of kit that I never go walking without, and which I’ve often found found hugely helpful either for navigating tricky terrain - and especially at this time of year, extreme, and extremely slippery, mud - and to add an extra aerobic dimension to my walks. And that’s walking poles.

Four years ago, when we were about to embark on a trip to New Zealand that would involve quite a lot of challenging walking, I invested in these foldable, lightweight walking poles.

It’s true they’re not cheap - though at the time of writing they’re on special offer here - but they’re fantastic quality, light as a feather yet immensely sturdy, and so easy to fold you can carry them when they’re not in use almost without noticing.

Like I said, winter may not seem the ideal time to head out for a walk, but hopefully this has encouraged you to pull on your walking boots and explore a little.

I’d love you to add your favourite walk/s to my list and what piece of kit, if any, you never leave on a walk without.