Enrich your walking holiday: find out what books to read out on the trail on these top eight writerly walks.

8 Writerly Walks and What to Read on Each Trail

by Catherine Sempill

The UK’s literary history is rich and as a result many of the trails that criss-cross this island are associated with famous authors, famous books, or both. Beatrix Potter brought the Lake District to life; Hampshire is known as Jane Austen country for a reason.

The list of literary associations is endless, so we’ve narrowed this particular list down to Immersive Literary Walks. In other words, walk these trails while reading these books to feel the story (and the landscape) come alive.

1 The Dartmoor Way

Agatha Christie’s mystery tales were set all over south Devon and Dorset, but much of The Sittaford Mystery in particular takes place around Dartmoor.

Views over the heathery hills of Dartmoot, dotted with sheep, with the cover of Agatha Christie's The Sittaford Mystery to the right. The cover depicts delicate flowers growing from a human skull.

During the day, walk across the beautiful moorland and over iconic tarns of the Dartmoor Way. In the evening, catch up on your reading as Miss Marple gets closer to solving the mystery.

2 The Cotswold Way

Cider with Rosie is an iconic read, and strolling through the Slad Valley at the southern end of the Cotswold Way takes on a new dimension if it’s accompanied by Laurie Lee’s descriptions of a bygone era of Cotswolds history.

Two walkers follow a path beaten by footfall into a grassy hill on the Cotswold Way. On the right, the cover of Cider with Rosie features haybales and flowers on a golden field.

3 The North Downs via Canterbury

While The Canterbury Tales may not be the easiest read for modern English speakers, the impact this text has had on English literature is undeniable. There’s nothing that adds more depth to a walk than by enjoying it for what it is today, while picturing life in the area of the North Downs Way in the late 1300’s!

A walker follows the chalk path of the North Downs Way through a field of wheat and poppies, with the Penguin Classics cover of The Canterbury Tales on the right, depicting riders with a castle in the background.

4 The Dorset South West Coast Path

Much of Austen’s Persuasion is set in Lyme Regis and describes scenes along the Jurassic Coast. Exploring this section of the Dorset South West Coast Path will really bring this classic work of literature to life as you pause for a lunch time read or wind down with the book before bed.

A view over a pretty sun-drenched cove on the South West Coast Path in Dorset. The cover of Austen's Persuasion, seen on the right, features a pale woman in fine silks.

5 The Yorkshire Wolds Way

If you’re a fan of Yorkshire, animals or commentary on rural life, you’ll enjoy the Yorkshire Wolds Way, and you’ll love anything by James Herriot.

Lush fields and deciduous trees feature on the Yorkshire Wolds Way, and here a group of walkers follow a path through the greenery. The cover of Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small sits on the right and depicts the same greenery from a higher vantage point.

Herriot is the vet who turned stories of his practice and encounters with the local inhabitants (people and animals alike) into enjoyable (mostly) light non-fiction reading. All Creatures Great and Small is a delightful book to accompany you on this route.

6 The West Highland Way

The highlands offer arresting walking scenery as it is, but spend each evening reading Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson and you’ll gain additional context about the region’s history.

A stone cottage sits amongst cleared scenery, with trees and a loch in the distance and the cover of Stevenson's Kidnapped on the right, depicting a man in period dress out on the Scottish moors.

The narrative is set around current events of the time, such as the infamous Highland Clearances, which helps you to see the area surrounding the West Highland Way in a new light.

7 The Cumbria Way

Walking slows down your thoughts, almost by definition, but if you really want to immerse yourself in the tiny details on the Cumbria Way, make like so many Beatrix Potter fans before you and pack some of her picture books for the evenings.

A farmhouse sits beneath the towering fells of Cumbria, surrounded by green fields. On the right, we see the cover of Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit, with an illustration of the eponymous character in his blue jacket eating a carrot.

The Tale of Ginger and Pickles or The Tale of Pigling Bland supposedly touch on some more adult themes, but the joy of Potter’s work is really in the illustrations, and the appreciation she so clearly had for the non-human inhabitants of this stunning part of England.

8 Offa’s Dyke Path

Offa’s Dyke Path divides England and Wales, and the scenery you’ll enjoy now is mostly a bird’s eye view of 21st century farmlands. Read On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin though and you’ll get vivid imagery of rural farm life in the early-mid 20th century, along with fascinating social commentary about the time.

Walkers follow a towering section of Offa's Dyke Path, with huge views out over the farmland below. On the Right, the cover of Chatwin's On the Black Hill depicts a handful of sheep on a windswept Welsh hillside.

Explore even more Contours walks and perhaps you’ll find your own books to accompany them.

Catherine Sempill

Independent Copywriter

Catherine is a freelance copywriter and content marketer who loves to travel and spend time outdoors. Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, she grew up stomping up and down mountains. Now she splits her time between strolling in the UK countryside and exploring mountains further afield.