Kate Bush ’ s famous song Wuthering Heights ; to the imposing halls that may have inspired Thorn�ield Hall in Charlotte Brontë ’ s Jane Eyre , and learn about brother Branwell ’ s affair with a real-life Mrs Robinson at Aldwark . It ’ s an excellent taster , but you ’ d need a pretty empty or spacious rucksack if you wanted to take it on these walks with you .
Peak District Gritstone
Graham Hoey Vertebrate Publishing £ 34.95 ( pb )
This splendid , if expensive , new book by Peak rock-climbing veteran Graham Hoey describes almost 2,200 classic and traditional climbing routes on the Eastern , Western and moorland gritstone crags of the Dark Peak . It is a superb addition to the rockclimbing literature of the Peak , and a �ine companion to Peak Rock ( 2013 ), the authoritative history of Peak District climbing to which Hoey was one of the leading contributors . Each featured crag includes detailed access and approach information , and over 400 excellent topographic colour photographs show the routes in detail . The one thing missing , for those who are not familiar with the Peak rock-climbing lingo , is a glossary which might explain to the uninitiated such esoteric terms as “ thrutch ,” “ nudging ”, “ grovelling ”, “ sloper ” and “ crimps ”. But perhaps the most stunning feature of this sumptuous book are the superb action photographs by Mike Hutton , Adam Long , Keith Sharples and others , which will get you as “ gripped ” as if you were there yourself , hanging on by your �ingertips to the Peak ’ s famously abrasive grit .
Slow Adventures
Tor McIntosh National Trust Books , £ 12.99 ( hb )
Most people will be aware of the global movement towards slowness . We already have had slow food , slow travel and slow cities . But you may wonder what the apparent paradox of a “ slow adventure ” might be ? According to the author , it is the opposite to adrenaline-fuelled outdoor sporting activity and the notion that faster is always better . And it ’ s not just about doing everything at a snail ’ s pace , either . McIntosh says she has recently been spending time outdoors practicing the Nordic idea of friluftsliv , literally “ free air life ”, a word coined in the 1850s by playwright Henrik Ibsen . Nan Shepherd ’ s spiritual exploration of her beloved Cairngorms in The Living Mountain ( 1977 ) is perhaps the most famous British example . The key elements of the slow adventure ethos are , according to the author , “ the simple pleasure and restorative value of being outdoors in wild , natural places and gently
coexisting with nature .” It ’ s also a concept which appears to have ever greater appeal as your own years roll by . So whether it ’ s willow weaving in the Somerset Levels ; rock pooling on the Sussex coast ; wild camping in Cambridgeshire or birdwatching on the Farne Islands , the author invites you to follow the Zen Master ’ s advice and “ smile , breathe and go slowly .”
111 Places in Newcastle that you shouldn ’ t miss
David Taylor Emons Verlag , £ 12.99 ( pb )
This was Outdoor Focus editor David Taylor ’ s major lockdown project , one he admits presented an “ interesting challenge ” but one , it has to be said , which he has triumphantly faced . There are so many quirky locations in this handsomely designed book ( apart from a rather boring cover ) from the respected German publisher which even the dyed-in-the-wool Geordie or the scantily clad lassies who traditionally throng the city centre
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