Best places to run in England

• Abberley Hill

  hill

  A wooded ridge on the Worcestershire Way with a trig point and views to the landmark Abberley Hall clock tower and the Iron Age fort of nearby Woodbury Hill.

• Abberton Reservoir

  reservoir

  A huge internationally important wetland with a perimeter circuit of around twelve miles, big open water views and tens of thousands of wintering wildfowl.

• Abbey Park

  park

  Leicester's grandest Victorian park, with riverside paths along the Soar, formal gardens, a boating lake and monastery ruins ideal for an easy scenic loop.

• Abbot's Wood

  woods

  A peaceful Forestry England woodland with easy oak-lined trails and a medieval lake, ideal for a flat, sheltered run away from the Downs.

• Abbotsbury Castle

  hill fort

  A hilltop Iron Age fort on the South Dorset Ridgeway with a steep approach and commanding views along Chesil Beach.

• Abington Park

  country park

  Northampton's historic Victorian park with lakes, mature trees and open lawns, an easy and pretty in-town loop.

• Abney Park Cemetery

  cemetery

  One of London's Magnificent Seven Victorian cemeteries, now a wild 32-acre woodland nature reserve with atmospheric overgrown paths for a quiet jog.

• Ackroyd Drive Greenlink

  greenway

  Narrow green corridor of meadow and woodland linking Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park to Mile End Park for a continuous off-road connection.

• Adam's Grave

  landmark

  A prominent Neolithic long barrow atop Walkers Hill that makes a sharp steep target on the Pewsey Downs with views toward Salisbury Plain.

• Addison's Walk

  trail

  A tranquil tree-lined footpath looping a small island in the Cherwell within Magdalen College grounds, a short, pretty riverside stroll.

• Adel Dam Nature Reserve

  nature_reserve

  A small Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve with a lake and hides near Golden Acre, prized by birdwatchers for kingfisher sightings.

• Adel Woods

  woodland

  Quiet woodland trails following Adel Beck in north Leeds, a peaceful lesser-known alternative for a woodland run.

• Afton Down

  down

  An open chalk down rising east of Freshwater Bay, crossed by the Tennyson Trail with views over the western coast.

• Agden Reservoir

  reservoir

  A peaceful upper-valley reservoir above Damflask, often combined into longer Bradfield reservoir loops through farmland and woodland.

• Agglestone Rock

  rock/landmark

  A 400-ton sandstone outcrop rising from open heathland, an atmospheric off-the-beaten-path target on the Studland heath trails.

• Aira Force

  waterfall

  A 65ft waterfall plunging through a wooded gorge crossed by stone footbridges, on a lovely circular path above Ullswater.

• Albert Embankment

  promenade

  A mile of Thames-side walkway on the south bank from Vauxhall to Westminster Bridge with open views across the river.

• Aldbury Nowers

  hill

  A wooded chalk-grassland SSSI hillside on the Ridgeway with excellent views along the Chiltern ridge and a butterfly-rich climb up from Tring.

• Aldenham Reservoir

  reservoir

  An 18th-century canal-feeder reservoir near Elstree fringed by country-park paths, giving a flat, watery circuit close to the London edge.

• Alderley Edge

  viewpoint

  A bold wooded sandstone escarpment riddled with old copper mines and laced with paths through Scots pine and beech, with views across the plain.

• Alderman's Hill

  hill

  A steep grassy climb above Dovestone giving sweeping views over the Chew Valley and the surrounding moors.

• Allerton Towers Park

  park

  Quiet park around ruined towers and a walled garden, woven into the Allerton Country walk between Calderstones and Woolton.

• Allesley Park

  park

  A rolling former deer park in the west of the city with a historic walled garden, offering relaxed country-style walks and dog-friendly trails.

• Alton Barnes White Horse

  landmark

  A large chalk hill figure cut into the steep downland escarpment, a classic landmark to climb to above the Vale of Pewsey.

• Alum Bay

  beach

  A small bay framed by celebrated multi-coloured sandstone cliffs, right beside the path to The Needles.

• Amberley Wild Brooks

  nature reserve

  A flat floodplain of wet meadows and ditches beside the Arun, a peaceful low-level reserve with gentle paths and abundant birdlife.

• Ampthill Park

  park

  Historic parkland on the greensand ridge with high-point footpaths, a pretty lake and Katherine's Cross, plus woodland trails in Laurel Wood.

• Anderton Boat Lift

  bridge

  A restored Victorian boat lift raising boats 50 feet between the River Weaver and the Trent and Mersey Canal, a striking landmark on flat towpath walks.

• Angel of the North

  landmark

  Antony Gormley's vast rust-coloured steel angel on a hill above Gateshead, a striking destination reached on foot from Birtley's Longacre Wood.

• Anglesey Abbey

  landmark

  A National Trust house and gardens with a working watermill, the hub of flat fenland walks along Lode and the Lodes Way to Wicken Fen.

• Anglezarke Reservoir

  reservoir

  A tranquil reservoir ringed by easy waterside and woodland paths with picturesque views, ideal for a flat scenic loop.

• Arbury Hill

  hill

  At 225m this is the joint highest point in Northamptonshire, a stiff climb rewarded with wide views toward Daventry, Rugby and Coventry.

• Arden Way

  trail

  A long circular waymarked route through the rolling old Forest of Arden countryside, linking woods, villages and field paths.

• Ardingly Reservoir

  reservoir

  A 198-acre reservoir and nature reserve with a tranquil waterside path through woodland and inlets, an easy and pretty loop away from the hills.

• Ardwick Green Park

  park

  A small oblong Victorian park with wildflower areas and a war memorial, an easy green loop just south-east of the centre.

• Arlington Reservoir

  reservoir

  A tranquil reservoir and bird-rich nature reserve with a flat lakeside circuit, a gentle scenic loop beneath the Downs.

• Armstrong Park

  park

  A wooded Victorian park that links Heaton Park to Jesmond Dene, giving runners a continuous green corridor through the Ouseburn valley.

• Arnos Vale Cemetery

  cemetery

  A 45-acre Victorian garden cemetery and nature reserve with winding wooded paths among historic memorials, an atmospheric and quiet place to walk.

• Arnside Knott

  hill

  A limestone knoll near the Lancashire-Cumbria border with short woodland climbs to outstanding views across the sands of Morecambe Bay.

• Arundel Castle

  castle

  A grand hilltop medieval castle overlooking the town, sitting beside the River Arun path and Arundel Park for a scenic riverside-and-parkland circuit.

• Ashby Canal

  canal

  A lock-free rural canal with a quiet, level towpath winding through unspoilt countryside in the west of the county.

• Ashby de la Zouch Castle

  castle

  A ruined 15th-century castle with a tall tower, the start point of the Ivanhoe Way and a landmark on walks around the town.

• Ashdown Forest

  forest

  The largest open-access heathland in South East England and the home of Winnie-the-Pooh, with breezy heath tracks and forest paths across high, gorse-clad ridges.

• Ashness Bridge

  bridge

  A classic packhorse bridge framing a postcard view down to Derwentwater, on paths climbing into Borrowdale.

• Ashridge Estate

  country park

  A 5,000-acre National Trust expanse of beech woodland, commons and chalk downland laced with miles of trails and famous for spring bluebells.

• Ashton Canal

  canal

  A towpath running east from Piccadilly through Ancoats past locks and aqueducts, linking the city to Philips Park and Clayton Vale.

• Ashton Court Estate

  country park

  An 850-acre estate of open parkland and ancient woodland with grazing deer and a roughly 4-mile loop offering rolling, varied terrain and city views.

• Aspley Woods

  wood

  Extensive sandy pine and birch woodland on the greensand near Woburn, with a maze of undulating tracks ideal for trail running.

• Aston Clinton Ragpits

  nature reserve

  A former chalk quarry SSSI famed for orchids, a small wildflower-rich reserve for a gentle scenic loop.

• Attenborough Nature Reserve

  nature_reserve

  Flooded former gravel pits beside the Trent threaded by flat nature trails, famous for kingfishers, egrets and winter starling murmurations.

• Avebury

  landmark

  The largest prehistoric stone circle in the world, walkable on foot among the standing stones at the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage landscape.

• Avery Hill Park

  park

  An easy, mostly level parkland with a Victorian winter garden and open lawns, a gentle local loop for walkers and casual runners.

• Avon Gorge

  valley

  A steep limestone gorge carved by the River Avon whose cliffs and clifftop paths give Bristol's most dramatic scenery for walkers and runners.

• Ayot Greenway

  trail

  A flat, traffic-free path along a disused railway line between Wheathampstead and Ayot Green, ideal for a fast, even-surfaced run.

• Aysgarth Falls

  waterfall

  A famous triple flight of stepped waterfalls on the River Ure, linked by an easy and shady woodland walking trail.

• Bacombe Hill

  hill

  A flower-rich chalk grassland reserve on the Ridgeway rising straight out of Wendover, a steady warm-up climb toward Coombe Hill.

• Badby Wood

  wood

  Ancient oak woodland famed for its dense spring bluebell carpets, with bridleways climbing through the trees toward Fawsley parkland.

• Baffins Pond

  park

  A wildfowl pond with reed beds and a surrounding green, a flat easy circuit often linked into longer runs towards Great Salterns.

• Ballard Down

  down/ridge

  A breezy chalk downland ridge between Studland and Swanage with sweeping sea views on both sides and one steady climb.

• Bamburgh Castle

  landmark

  A mighty castle towering over a vast sandy beach, a striking landmark to run or walk beside on the open Northumberland sands.

• Bardon Hill

  hill

  At 278m this is Leicestershire's highest point, a steep wooded climb to a trig point on the rim of an active granite quarry with views across the Midlands.

• Barn Hill

  viewpoint

  An 86m hilltop in Fryent Country Park with a small pond and sweeping views to Wembley Stadium and central London, a sharp grassy climb for runners.

• Barnard Castle

  castle

  A ruined medieval castle perched on a cliff above the River Tees, the start of a scenic riverside walk to Egglestone Abbey.

• Barnes Common

  nature reserve

  A 50-hectare local nature reserve of woodland, scrub and acid grassland with a nature trail, one of London's largest commons.

• Barnwell Country Park

  country park

  Lakes, riverbank and meadows beside the Nene near Oundle with waterside nature trails where kingfishers and otters can be spotted.

• Barr Beacon

  viewpoint

  One of the highest points in the West Midlands, a breezy ridge with a war memorial and views to Cannock Chase, Lichfield and the Wrekin.

• Barr Beacon Local Nature Reserve

  hill

  A 227m ridge on the Birmingham-Walsall border, the highest point for miles, with grassland paths and panoramic summit views.

• Barton Hills National Nature Reserve

  nature reserve

  A folded amphitheatre of chalk grassland grazed by ponies, with steep grassy valleys and ridge paths offering some of the finest viewpoints in Bedfordshire.

• Barton Swing Aqueduct

  bridge

  The world's only swing aqueduct, an iron water trough that turns 90 degrees to let ships pass on the Manchester Ship Canal below.

• Battersea Park

  park

  An 83-hectare riverside park with a boating lake, sub-tropical gardens and a 400 m athletics track, hosting a weekly parkrun.

• Battle of Britain Memorial

  landmark

  A clifftop war memorial on the North Downs Way between Folkestone and Dover with open coastal walking and views across the Channel.

• Beachy Head

  cliff

  Britain's highest chalk sea cliff at 162m, a breezy clifftop climb out of Eastbourne with sweeping Channel views down to its red-and-white lighthouse.

• Beacon Batch

  hill

  At 325m this is the highest point of the Mendip Hills, a long heathery moorland climb with views to the Bristol Channel and South Wales.

• Beacon Fell Country Park

  park

  A wooded conical hill laced with well-signed paths and forest trails, topped by a viewpoint over Morecambe Bay and the Bowland fells.

• Beacon Hill

  hill

  A steep north-Hampshire chalk hill with a well-preserved Iron Age hillfort on its slopes and wide views over the countryside near Watership Down.

• Beacon Hill Country Park

  country park

  A heathland hill with rocky outcrops and one of the highest points in Leicestershire, offering steep climbs and panoramic views.

• Beacon Way

  trail

  A 25-mile waymarked long-distance path starting at Sandwell Park Farm, linking woods, lakes, canals and Barr Beacon for serious distance.

• Beckenham Place Park

  park

  Lewisham's largest green space at 96 hectares with ancient woodland, a swimming lake, nature trails and a popular Saturday parkrun.

• Bedgebury National Pinetum

  forest

  A world-class conifer arboretum and surrounding forest in the High Weald with miles of rolling trails through valleys and lakes for walking and running.

• Bedruthan Steps

  cliff

  A clifftop stretch of coast path overlooking towering sea stacks rising from a golden beach, one of Cornwall's most iconic views.

• Beer Head

  headland

  The westernmost white chalk cliff on the Jurassic Coast, climbed on the coast path for dramatic sea views over Lyme Bay.

• Beeston Bump

  hill

  A steep 63m grassy glacial hillock on the cliff edge with sweeping coast and sea views, a short sharp climb on the coast path between Sheringham and West Runton.

• Beeston Castle

  castle

  A dramatic ruined medieval fortress perched on a sheer sandstone crag, the Sandstone Trail passes its foot with steep climbs and views to the Welsh hills.

• Beeston Lock

  landmark

  A canal lock where the Nottingham and Beeston Canal meets the Trent, a popular turning point on towpath runs with a lockside green.

• Belas Knap

  landmark

  A striking Neolithic long barrow high on Cleeve Common, reached by a steep climb out of Winchcombe.

• Bembridge Trail

  trail

  A varied waymarked route over hills, through woods and along the marshy mouth of the River Yar to Bembridge.

• Bempton Cliffs

  cliffs

  Towering white chalk seabird cliffs where you can walk the clifftop trail past nesting puffins, gannets and kittiwakes above sheer 400-foot drops.

• Benacre National Nature Reserve

  nature reserve

  Coastal lagoons, reedbeds and the tranquil Benacre Broad backed by eroding cliffs, rich in bittern, marsh harrier and bearded reedling.

• Benfield Hill

  nature reserve

  A small chalk-grassland Local Nature Reserve on the northern edge of Hove inside the South Downs National Park, good for a short hilly loop with downland views.

• Berkhamsted Castle

  castle

  The earthwork and flint ruins of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle beside the railway, an easy flat landmark to circle on foot in the town centre.

• Berkhamsted Common

  common

  Silver birch woodland and gorsey heath crossed by ancient tracks, part of the wider Ashridge Estate and ideal for an undulating off-road loop.

• Bernie Spain Gardens

  park

  A riverside green space near the Oxo Tower with lawns and flowerbeds, one of the largest open spaces on this stretch of South Bank.

• Bestwood Country Park

  country_park

  650 acres of ancient oak woodland and the Mill Lakes waterside trail, watched over by the Victorian Winding Engine House on the Robin Hood Way.

• Beverley and Barmston Drain

  towpath

  A 4km urban watercourse with grassy banks and paved stretches that gives a long, flat traffic-free corridor for walking and wildlife watching through the city.

• Beverley Brook Walk

  trail

  A green waymarked route following Beverley Brook through Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park and Barnes Common to the Thames.

• Beverley Minster

  landmark

  One of England's finest Gothic churches and a striking landmark beside walkable streets and the pastures of the Westwood.

• Beverley Westwood

  common

  An expansive medieval pasture common grazed by cattle and crowned by the Black Mill, with open grassy slopes and fine views back to Beverley Minster's twin towers.

• Bewl Water

  reservoir

  The largest open water in South East England, ringed by a 12.5-mile mostly level all-weather trail through woods and over country lanes.

• Biblins Bridge

  bridge

  A swaying wire-mesh suspension footbridge over the River Wye linking riverside paths through the gorge, a fun crossing on circular walks.

• Bickerton Hill

  hill

  A heather-clad sandstone ridge with sandy tracks to the Iron Age Maiden Castle hillfort and far views over the Cheshire countryside and Welsh mountains.

• Bidston Hill

  hill

  A 100-acre heath and woodland crowned by an 1800 windmill and Victorian observatory, with panoramic views over the Mersey, Liverpool and North Wales.

• Big Waters Country Park

  nature reserve

  A network of paths around a large subsidence pond and mature woodland, a quiet wildlife-rich circuit on Newcastle's northern edge.

• Big Wood

  woodland

  A pocket of ancient woodland and local nature reserve with surfaced paths, a leafy quiet detour for walkers near the Heath Extension.

• Bilberry Hill

  hill

  A heather-and-bilberry-clad summit in the Lickey Hills with woodland trails and wide views, good for a hilly off-road run.

• Billesdon Coplow

  hill

  A distinctive tree-topped conical hill rising from the High Leicestershire countryside, a short steep climb with wide rural views.

• Bingham Park

  park

  Linked greenspace between Endcliffe Park and Forge Dam with tarmac paths beside the Porter Brook, good for unbroken riverside running.

• Bingley Five Rise Locks

  landmark

  The steepest staircase locks in Britain on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, with a flat towpath walk past the dramatic flight to a lockside cafe.

• Birling Gap

  beach

  A National Trust cliff-foot beach with crumbling coastguard cottages, a natural rest point and sea-level breather midway along the Seven Sisters clifftop run.

• Birmingham Botanical Gardens

  park

  Landscaped gardens open dawn to dusk with paths winding through glasshouses and lawns, a scenic detour off the canal route.

• Birmingham Canal Old Main Line

  trail

  Flat, traffic-free towpaths threading from Gas Street Basin past locks, bridges and narrowboats, perfect for fast canal-side miles.

• Birstall Meadows

  nature reserve

  A riverside meadow nature reserve beside the Soar at Birstall, with level grassland paths linking into Watermead's trail network.

• Bishop's Park

  park

  A riverside park along the Thames by Fulham Palace with a tree-lined promenade, an easy flat run by the water.

• Black Down

  hill

  The highest point in the South Downs National Park at 280m, a wooded heathland summit with the Temple of the Winds viewpoint as a fine turnaround for a hill walk.

• Black Hill

  ridge

  The 'Cat's Back' is a narrow rocky knife-edge ridge in the Black Mountains with steep drops either side and superb exposed walking above the Olchon Valley.

• Black Park Country Park

  country park

  530 acres of pine and heathland with ten miles of well-surfaced paths circling a lake, a fast flat favourite for runners.

• Black Rocks

  viewpoint

  A striking gritstone outcrop above the High Peak Trail with a short steep climb to breathtaking views over the Derwent Valley.

• Blackheath

  heath

  A vast 275-acre open windswept common on the edge of Greenwich Park, mostly flat grassland ideal for long uninterrupted runs and the start of the London Marathon.

• Blackstone Edge

  viewpoint

  A dramatic gritstone escarpment on the Pennine Way with a paved ancient packhorse road climbing past wild moorland and broad cross-Pennine views.

• Blackwater Arboretum

  wood

  A gentle circular gravel trail through an arboretum of trees from around the world, an easy and atmospheric New Forest woodland walk.

• Blaise Castle Estate

  country park

  A wooded estate where paths climb the limestone gorge of Hazel Brook past a folly castle, a varied mix of climbs and shaded river-valley trails.

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