England's Longest Path

I have devised this as a practical walk along the line from east coast to west coast. What I mean by a practical route, is one which remains legal, but as close to the longest straight line that can be drawn across England as possible. The largest deviation on this iteration of the route is 1.9 miles or, point 015% of the total. The path as plotted is 480 miles long. You will inevitably walk further than this because the plot is made up of connected straight lines.

The largest deviation seems an unavoidable one at Acle Bridge in the Norfolk Broads. Most of the time the route stays within a mile of the drawn line. Railways, Motorways and major rivers all need to be crossed and so there are inevitable departures from the line. However, it is surprising how avoidance all these obstacles can be lined up within less than 2 miles of the straight line. The route passes through Norwich, Thetford, Mildenhall, Cambridge, Biggleswade, Flitwick, Oxford, Swindon, Chippenham, Bridgewater, Okehampton, Bodmin, Hayle and Penzance.

This does not make it the shortest possible route. It is meant to be pleasant to walk with minimal road traffic. The route meanders along the line. Sometimes it almost doubles back on itself in order to find a footpath as an alternative to a road. The path follows very few parts of national trails, often seeking out obscure local paths and alley ways. If you try to rush the walk you will become frustrated by the persistence needed to follow ancient rights of way, perhaps not frequented for years. I find secateurs useful.

Devising a walk like this means that the route goes through all sorts of obscure places that no person is likely to visit by any other means and that is part of the magic. The logic of the line draws you along through towns, cities, hamlets, farmyards and all manner of countryside from fens to heath and moorland, passing through woods, fields, parks and graveyards. Apart from Bodmin Moor there is nothing on the route that could be described as wild. It is all domestic urban and rural England.

Method: In the first instance the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 series has been used to draw the route. Where footpaths connect to roads that are visible on Streetview on Google Earth, each junction has been inspected. Where doubt exists over the existence of footpaths on OS maps (it's a thing), Google Earth has been consulted. A similar inspection process has been undertaken for Open Access land and Forestry lands for which public access has been granted. Known problems to the route are indicated at the bottom of this page.

The walk is described with a series of GPX files usually of about a day length for the fit and practiced hiker. However, it is recommended that the length of the day’s walk should be chosen by the availability of accommodation and re-supply, because the beginning and end of each GPX plot is arbitrary and dictated by file length not distance.

The GPX files below contains the line (Across England), 1 overview file (England Long Compiled) at the bottom of this list with all sections linked and 30 individual files which are small enough to be loaded by most GPS units. Hover over the list and select the list box then the output icon (rectangle with arrow) to see all the files. You can download these files and open them with any software that can read GPX files e.g. Garmin Basecamp, Memorymap, Simonlikesmaps, etc. They can also be copied direct into a GPS or phone loaded with suitable mapping software. When you select a file Google asks you to choose a programme or app to open them with. I strongly recommend you choose one of the above and not the 3rd party app Google suggests (even though that looks easier).

Problems

PROW = Public Right Of Way

Proceeding East to west.

Smee Lane, marked on the OS map as a rural Byway is fully tarmaced although signed as a cul de sac at 52°38'09.0"N, 1°23'02.3"E [ TG 29075 09609 ] is crossed by A 41270 dual carriageway with no provision for pedestrians. Google Earth image implies it is crossable on foot.

Croxton Heath. 52°27'34.8"N, 0°47'57.1"E. [ TL 90275 88321 ]This section to the Northeast of Thetford is woodland with forest tracks. It is not a PROW and neither is it open access land but is Forestry England land. However, the woodland tracks are straightforward walking and taking this route allows hikers to avoid the A1075 main road. “The Croxton forest plan area totals 714 hectares (ha) of Forestry England land, which is part of Thetford Forest, in the county of Norfolk. Public access is permitted on foot across the whole plan area.” All of the proposed route in this area has been examined on Google Earth and looks to be passable. Google Earth designates this as a parks and recreation area as far south as Dreadnought Wood.

As of 2024 it is noted that a construction site is in progress where the route accesses Maiden’s Walk (track) 52°25'56.1"N, 0°46'59.1"E. [ TL 89298 85230 ] This may either hinder or, ease access to this section. The heathland means that it looks possible on Google Earth to walk approx. 250 yards NE from the roundabout on the A11 and access Maiden’s Walk directly without using the track as plotted. Alternatively, if you wish to avoid access problems you could walk from this point south on the A1075 to re-join the plotted route at 52°25'27.5"N, 0°46'14.4"E [ TL 88487 84313 ]

Thetford (south). 52°24'12.8"N, 0°43'15.9"E [ TL 85204 81879 ] open unfenced woodland and heath not designated as open access to 52°23'47.2"N, 0°42'08.4"E [ TL 83958 81040 ].

Horn Heath. 52°21'59.9"N, 0°37'36.3"E. [ TL 78937 77536 ] Extensive development of the old London Road A11, means that the old road runs parallel to the newer dual carriageway here and then bridges it to a PROW running due North at 52°21'45.4"N, 0°36'25.5"E [ TL 77616 77038 ] Cross the bridge and turn down onto the A11 running southwest on the righthand side. At first you will be close to the road and this violates a principle of the route not to lead the walker down A roads. There does not seem to be any alternative nearby on publicly accessible land. However, as you proceed you will be able to walk about 50 yards away from the road for much of this section if you follow the tree line.

If you don’t want to walk beside the A11 and don’t want to risk trespassing on private land you can use the Thetford Mildenhall diversion GPX from 52°22'01.2"N, 0°37'36.5"E [ TL 78940 77576 ] at Horn Heath. This is all completely legal but follows a line which takes you 2.6 miles south of the direct line and would be by far the biggest deviation on the whole route.

Upper Barn Farm, Westcott, Bucks. 51°51'26.8"N, 0°57'27.6"W [ SP 71881 18166 ] Both OS and the Buckinghamshire Definitive maps (2024) show PROW crossing buildings here at what seems to have developed into an Auto workshop centre. I have routed the path around this site but don't know how accessible it is. Because of the Definitive Map, hikers have an absolute right of way across the site.

Puzey Furze, Oxon. 51°40'46.5"N, 1°29'00.5"W [ SU 35809 97997 ] The line of the PROW does not follow the farm track here but goes through a patch of woodland slightly to the south. It ends on the farm track after exiting the wood.

Swindon South, Hay Lane. 51°32'25.6"N, 1°50'39.1"W [ SU 10902 82408 ] 2024 Google Earth image indicates a builders yard here. Swindon Borough Council Definitive map confirms the PROW still exists as indicated on OS map. Hikers have an absolute right of way across the site.

Sunnybrook Farm, Puddington, Devon 50°52'38.3"N, 3°38'31.7"W [ SS 84565 09931 ] at this point the OS map and Devon Definitive map don't agree. I have plotted the definitive version because it looks like there is a historic diversion.

Lower Burston Farm, Burston, Devon 50°48'26.62" N 3°49'44.66" W [ SS 71207 02483 ] Both OS and Definitive map draw the path slightly south of where it actually is. There is a clear stile access from the road visible on Google Earth. I have plotted a path which is walkable here and is probably what the landowner intends.

Bodmin Moor

Smallacoombe Downs. 50°33'04.5"N, 4°29'24.9"W. [ SX 23682 75350 ] No PROW but woodland with track. Not designated Open Access Land. English Heritage Site. PROWs lead to and from this area.

Higher Langdon Farm. 50°31'51.0"N, 4°31'56.1"W. [ SX 20629 73181 ] Farm track with no PROW between two areas of Open Access Land. Alternatively, if you wish to avoid this area you can walk around via Dozmary Hill to the north adding about 5 miles to the route.

Coosewartha Farm, Mount Hawke, Cornwall. 50°16'44.4"N, 5°11'50.4"W [ SW 72296 47007 ] This short piece of track trending due south, seems regularly used and easily accessible from the road, but is not a PROW. It is a good shortcut.

Radnor, Cornwall. 50°15'20.6"N, 5°13'04.4"W [ SW 70720 44483 ] to 50°15'03.7"N, 5°13'58.1"W [SW 69635 44008 ] This piece of track crosses a disused mining area, is clearly accessible and used but is not marked as a PROW. Note: the grid ref above is the eastern entrance to the `Wheal Peevor Mine Site and Multi Use Trail`.

Solutions

Having had experience of walking a cross country route like this using little known PROWs I find it inevitable that there will be problems of path maintenance. I find it useful to carry lightweight secateurs because brambles and thorny bushes often overgrow paths and stiles. I also carry a piece of pipe insulating foam to enable me to climb barbed wire stock fences. The pipe insulating foam comes ready split and so all you need to do is open it up and lay it across the barbed wire. It is really useful, inexpensive and light weight. It prevents snagging of trousers on barbed wire and also insulates electric fences. Unfortunately, it is fairly common to find that landowners erect illegal obstructions without regard to PROWs. Occasionally, navigational difficulties mean you get the wrong side of a fence and makes climbing a fence the simplest solution to getting back on track. I have been painstaking when plotting this route to make sure the plot is always the correct side of fences. However, when resolving what you see on the ground and the route on the map, it is easy to make an incorrect assumption about where the path leads.