Many of the walks we go on are stunning locations and with lockdown it got me thinking about how you can visit them from home. Re-reading the A-Z of Hip2trek had me reminiscing about my days of working in TV. Firstly, as an Editor for ITV and later as a film extra. So, here’s a few of our walks that you can see the locations of from the comfort of your own home.
Malham Cove – Malham is one of our favourite walks and the kids would go back there every week if they could. We often walk to Janet’s Foss, Gordale Scar and then across to the Cove. To see Malham Cove from the comfort of your own home you can watch The Harry Potter film The Deathly Hallows. Although it is Malham Cove that was used it is all TV magic and CGI, the actors are said to have not actually set foot there!
North Yorks Moors – We have some fabulous walks on the North Yorks Moors, including an Outdoor Bloggers Weekend, and whilst we haven’t visited Goathland itself, we’ve certainly been in Heartbeat country! Immerse yourself in the wonderful Yorks Moors scenery and tap your foot along to the swinging 60’s music. I’ve special affection for the Heartbeat series as it’s one of the first programmes I worked on at Yorkshire Television. Sadly, the series was axed but you can keep watching on ITV3 or via the ITV Hub.
The Calderdale Way – I’ve walked ‘most’ of the Calderdale Way with my friend. We’ve nearly finished it but and were on the last leg when a massive storm decided to stop us in our tracks. Life also keeps getting in the way. We might have planned to try again this year but well, Corona has had other ideas. Despite the downpours the location is beautiful. If you’d like a taste of it yourself then Gentleman Jack is the series for you! The series is available to buy on Amazon Prime video or DVD. The series featured Shibden Hall, although closed at the moment due to the pandemic, keep your eyes open for its reopening to visitors and explore the life of Anne Lister.
Castle Howard – We’ve had several visits to Castle Howard, including their Halloween event and a visit when Countryfile Life were there. The grounds and formal gardens are beautiful to wander around. It has recently reopened the gardens, but at the time of writing this the playground is still closed. Brideshead Revisited was filmed for both the 1981 version and later for the 2008 film at Castle Howard, there is even an exhibition all about it, inside the house. You’ll not only be able to see the stunning house from your armchair but also the wonderful Atlas fountain. The 2008 film Brideshead Revisited is available on DVD, whilst the 1981 series is available on Amazon prime.
Hadrian’s Wall – I walked some of Hadrian’s Wall with a group of ladies I met on an online fitness programme. The walk took in the Roman sites of Housesteads and Vindolanda, along with the famous sycamore tree. This tree, near Hadrian’s wall itself, became famous because of a scene in the film The Shawshank Redemption, starring Kevin Costner.
These are just a few places of stunning walk locations you can ‘visit’ from your armchair! Have you anymore for me? Let me know in the comments. As always we love to hear from you.