WALKING | Top 20 Walking Locations in Cumbria from Ordnance Survey

July 7, 2016 Shell Robshaw-Bryan

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We’re loving the new data visualisations and league tables of the most popular walking routes in the UK from Ordnance Survey.

The new league tables of favourite British routes are compiled from 10 years of routing data from Ordnance Survey’s digital outdoor products, and It’s not too surprising to learn that of the most popular walking routes in the UK, the Lake District is top of the list.

The analysis of over half a million routes reveals just how highly revered the Lake District is. Eighteen of the top twenty most popular places to create a route fall in the heart of the Lake District National Park, close to popular tourist locations Keswick, Ambleside, Grasmere, Helvellyn and Scafell Pike. The other two top twenty places are in Snowdonia.

OS has also produced a league table of the most popular towns and cities where people like to create routes. Again the Lake District prevails with Keswick and Ambleside topping the table, clearly ahead of nearest rivals Guildford and the City of Westminster. See below for the full tables.

Nick Giles, Managing Director of Ordnance Survey Leisure, says: “For centuries the Lakes have held a special place in people’s hearts, and we know the area is loved by map users, because the region frequently tops our bestselling paper maps. However, when we started examining this data and looking at the route-creating habits of people we weren’t expecting the Lake District to dominate so strongly. We live in such a spectacular and varied country, so if you can’t make it to the Lakes you could try exploring your own county. As in life the less well travelled paths can be the most rewarding.”

OS Route Data Visualisations

There are 500,000 plus routes that have been illustrated in a series of stunning data visualisations created by OS cartographer Charley Glynn. Also responsible for taking the look of digital mapping to the next level with his design for the recent app release OS Maps, Charley said: “What I find amazing is that the people who have created these routes for their outside adventures have logged almost every bit of British coastline, neatly framing the rest of the data and giving the illusion you are looking at a map of Great Britain. The darker, thicker areas illustrate the higher concentration of routes and reveal popularity.

Top 20 locations (by 1km grid square) and number of routes

OSGB GridRef: NY2107 – Scafell Pike Summit – 2172
OSGB GridRef: SH6054 – Snowdon Summit – 2111
OSGB GridRef: NY2308 – Allen Crags (Near Scafell Pike) – 1918
OSGB GridRef: NY2208 – Great End (Near Scafell Pike) – 1908
OSGB GridRef: NY2806 – Langdale Fell (Cumbria Way) – 1865
OSGB GridRef: NY3415 – Helvellyn Summit – 1793
OSGB GridRef: SD8072 – Horton in Ribblesdale – 1593
OSGB GridRef: NY2514 – Rosthwaite – 1576
OSGB GridRef: NY3308 – Grasmere (North) – 1558
OSGB GridRef: NY1807 – Wast Water (North) – 1551
OSGB GridRef: NY2623 – Keswick – 1539
OSGB GridRef: NY2407 – Rossett Pike (Near Scafell Pike) – 1531
OSGB GridRef: NY3414 – Nethermost Pike (Near Helvellyn) – 1527
OSGB GridRef: NY3704 – Ambleside – 1520
OSGB GridRef: NY3816 – Glenridding – 1519
OSGB GridRef: NY2209 – Great Slack (Near Scafell Pike) – 1515
OSGB GridRef: NY2906 – Langdale Fell (Cumbria Way) – 1491
OSGB GridRef: NY3511 – Fairfield Summit – 1487
OSGB GridRef: NY3307 – Grasmere (Centre) – 1467
OSGB GridRef: NY2109 – Sty Head (Near Scafell Pike) – 1431

Visit the Ordnance Survey website here.

Have you walked any of the top 20 routes or are you planning to? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!

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Shell Robshaw-Bryan

Editor & Owner at Camping with Style

Shell loves all things travel and outdoors and is a nature-loving, comfy-camping kinda girl. Shell started the Camping with Style blog after a serious snowboarding accident which left her with a broken back. Despite this she used the outdoors and healing power of nature to aid her recovery and she continues to spend time outdoors whenever she can.

From open water swimming, snowboarding and kayaking to hill walks and meditation, Shell shares her travels and microadventures here on the blog and in various publications she's written for, Shell has a particular interest in promoting wellbeing and the many benefits of nature therapy.

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