The National Trust's Walking Festival Highlights Some of Britain's Best Nature Walks

SWINDON, England, September 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

The National Trust has announced its first ever Walking Festival, which aims to encourage families and individuals to get active and explore some of the UK's most scenic areas

Between Saturday 22 and Sunday 30 October, 150 National Trust properties around Britain will offer guided walks and special events information and trail maps for visitors who prefer to take self-guided walks. There will also be a range of activities aimed at younger visitors.

These walks in many locations around the country have been chosen for their diversity and wide-reaching appeal - from areas abundant in wildlife, where visitors may have the chance to spot wild deer and other indigenous animals up close, to outdoor properties famed for their architecture and heritage. Other areas truly give visitors the chance to get away from it all, when heading into the wilderness, with holiday cottages close to most locations.

Self-guided walks could be the ideal option for adventurous families who are keen to see some of the country's most magnificent sights under their own steam, and the National Trust has compiled more than 250 trail maps that can be downloaded from its website to offer a helping hand. These nature trails include the Wonderful White Cliffs Walk, taking in Dover's iconic cliff-side scenery, and walks around the woodland and farmland of Wallington in Northumberland.

For people who prefer the prospect of taking walks in company, led by an expert guide, there are many options to choose from throughout the Walking Festival - from Nordic walking around Cornwall's Trelissick Garden to gondola cruises around Coniston and Tarn Hows in Cumbria.

Visitors with children will also be able to take custom walks designed for smaller legs, including a discovery walk around Cambridgeshire's Anglesey Abbey, welly walks in Warwickshire and a pumpkin hunt at Erddig, Wrexham, to help you get into the spirit of the Halloween season. The Walking Festival also includes various challenges for more adventurous trekkers, such as long distance walks and runs around the Shropshire countryside.

About The National Trust:

The National Trust is the largest non-governmental landowner in the UK, owning approximately 250,000 hectares (660,000 acres) of the great outdoors across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and offers many ideas for days out.

The National Trust also offers a number of self-catering holiday cottages and last minute cottages located across the country and near to three hundred of England, Wales and Northern Ireland's greatest historic houses and gardens, 1,000 km of coastline and vast swathes of the country's most beautiful countryside.

PR Contact:
Jeanette Heard
Assistant Press Officer
National Trust
Heelis
Kemble Drive
Swindon
SN2 2NA
+44(0)1793-817706
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk