Pocket Mountains – The Bell Bookshop

Buckinghamshire

Emma — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Of all the counties surrounding London, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire are most closely associated with the title 'home counties' and both contain large stretches of what is thought of as quintessential English countryside. The Chilterns dominate the south, a plateau-like maze of chalk hills covered with beechwoods, villages and fields rising from the Thames Valley to a steep northern escarpment, and at its foot the fertile farmland of the Vale of Aylesbury stretches northwards towards the River Great Ouse and the start of the Midlands beyond. Across the Thames lies the more densely populated East Berkshire, which nevertheless still boasts some wonderful countryside, including the landscaped parkland of Windsor Castle.

Oxfordshire and West Berkshire

Emma — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Packed with footpaths, bridleways and country lanes, and crossed by Britain’s oldest ridgeway, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire offer some of the most varied and interesting walking in southeast England. Famed for the city of Oxford’s dreaming spires and the Dukes of Marlboroughs’ magnificent Blenheim Palace, the region is also home to the infant River Thames (or Isis), the eastern Cotswold hills and the Vale of the White Horse in the Berkshire Downs, which form part of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape.The 40 walks in this volume take in all the most popular walking trails, as well as some less familiar hidden gems.

London

Emma — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Over 10 million people pound the pavements of England’s two-millennia-old capital most days, but zoom out from the gritty city streetscape a little, and London looks leafier and more verdant than many visitors and inhabitants realise. Boasting 3,000 public parks – ranging from big breathing spaces to secret little oases – London is Europe’s greenest major metropolis. This guide seeks out the serener side of the original Big Smoke. All set within the M25, these 30 routes ramble across commons, greens, parks, hills and heaths, wander along waterways and through woods, meeting London’s lively wildlife and unearthing endless surprises along the way.

Wiltshire

Emma — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The enigmatic Neolithic standing stones at Stonehenge and Avebury first drew footsore pilgrims to this landlocked area of Southern England more than 4000 years ago.

Cambridgeshire

Emma — Sat, 15 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

With its hallowed streets, glorious colleges and peaceful riverside walks along the Cam, Cambridge is the jewel in the crown of Cambridgeshire and a richly rewarding city to tour on foot. This is a big county, however, and it is well worth exploring the countryside beyond the glittering city. This guide takes you through the rich heritage of the county’s market towns and pretty thatched-roofed villages, along old hilltop tracks and into ancient woodlands, full of interest and beauty. Cambridgeshire is also the lowest and flattest place in England and the straight roads, endless network of dykes and isoloted windmills of the fenlands have a stange minimalist magnetism which is hard to resist.

The Peak District

Emma — Tue, 19 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

This new volume from Pocket Mountains includes 40 of the most popular walks in the Peak District. The stunning landscape accessed by an extensive network of public footpaths draws outdoors enthusiasts from far and wide.

Hampshire

Emma — Tue, 19 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Hampshire offers a myriad of adventures for walkers. This guide covers both the New Forest and South Downs National Parks and features many other superb walks across the county.

The Lake District

Emma — Wed, 01 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

These 40 walks in England's glorious Lake District will take you to a range of lakes, peaks, rivers, tarns and waterfalls and introduce you to the haunts of many of the writers and poets who have loved and celebrated the area and made such as strong cultural as well as natural attraction. Each walk has its own distinctive mood and character and is easily accomplished in an afternoon or in a long summer evening.

Dorset

Emma — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

From Old Harry Rocks, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, all along the shore of the Jurassic Coast to Lyme Regis, via the glowing summit of Golden Cap and the one-eyed winking lighthouse at Portland Bill, Dorset is a walkers' wonderland. The 40 routes in this book roam over hills and across heathland, go through forests and voluptuous valleys, trace ridgelines and precipitous cliffs, passing caves, castles, coves, country pubs and stunning viewpoints, to find vibrant villages and secret beaches.