Your travel page on walking holidays in your last edition (9.4.20) suggested six hikes across the UK and Ireland.

However when planning for 'the day when you can wear your walking boots' there is no need to travel any distance to find an exhilarating long distance footpath.

In Gloucestershire we have three National Trails, the Thames Path, the Cotswold Way, and on the very west of the County Offa's' Dyke Path, all offering an easily followed path, interesting history and great scenery.

Also in the county there are numerous promoted paths described in guidebooks and on maps, these include the Gloucestershire Way, Monarch's Way and the WYSIS Way.

The latter, which starts in Kemble, connects the Thames Path with Offa's' Dyke at Monmouth and also crosses the Cotswold Way near Painswick.

So using the WYSIS Way you can connect to Offa's' Dyke, turn right and then (after several days) meet the Wales Coast Path in Prestatyn, turn left, follow the coast with the sea on your right.

After about two weeks you will be back at the start of Offa's Dyke in Chepstow, then only a hop and skip to Monmouth to complete your walk around Wales and then retrace your steps to Kemble.

All this and a very reduced carbon footprint - use the lock down to prepare?

Richard Holmes

Cirencester Ramblers