Wonderful Walks

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of National Parks, here are six of the finest UK walks to enjoy

- Katy Holland

BRECON BEACONS

Said to have inspired Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, this extraordinary landscape has four spectacular mountain ranges and a plethora of ancient woodlands, with hidden waterfalls, caves, crevices and gorges galore. It’s home to some of the UK’s rarest wildlife, including otters, great crested newts, and reed warblers, as well as a host of migrating birds in autumn. By night, it’s a Dark Sky Reserve paradise for stargazers. You’ll find these walks and more at breconbeacons.org

Beginner’s walk Take the 6km trail to Sgwd yr Eira (the ‘Snow Waterfalls’) to peer behind the 18m curtain of water as it cascades to the rocks below. En route, there are river views and a wooded gorge, as well as a quartz mine and a crumbling gunpowder works. Start and finish at Dinas Rock car park.

Advanced walk The exhilarating 18km scenic Brecon Beacons circuit walk includes a trek up the summit of Pen-y-Fan, South Wales’s highest peak. Steep ascents and descents pay dividends in the incredible scenery.

Where to stay near Llanfrynach, the Ty Mawr Cottage Collection comprises five luxury hideaways with roaring log-burners and an on-site spa treatment room. A three-night weekend break in a one-bedroom cottage starts at £450; premiercottages.co.uk

SOUTH DOWNS

Established in 2010, England’s newest National Park features a sparkling coastline, as well as rolling hills and chocolate-box villages. With its huge variety of habitats, many of the species here are not found anywhere else in the country, including the greater mouse-eared bat. Other rarities include burnt orchids, chalk carpet moth and sundew, a carnivorous plant that eats up to 3,000 insects a year.