Wordsworth expressed similar concerns at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and the paradox of popularity has been a concern ever since, but it’s particularly powerful to hear it from the people who are most affected. WalkLakes recognises that hill walking, or walking in the mountains, is an activity with a danger of personal injury or death. The folk at Summersdale Publishers kindly sent us a copy of Lost in the Lakes, a new travel book by Tom Chesshyre which they thought might entertain us, and it did.

To Hull and Back: On Holiday in Unsung Britain was published by Summersdale in July 2010, followed by Tales from the Fast Trains: Europe at 186 mph is published in July 2011. Tom Chesshyre is no brash Wainwright-bagger, but instead a relaxed, affable guide who takes us on a 'big wobbly circle' of a stroll around all sixteen main lakes: an impressive 379 miles in all. His bagging of Scafell Pike for example was on a cold and windy day with clouds below so no views to speak of.

A good travelogue is the one that makes me open a map and check if I could visit those places and walk on those path.

Rides graded from easy to challenging, with best pubs and tea stops, wild swims, finest viewpoints and accommodation too. If you have never been to The Lake District take a look at the pictures Tom has taken to share with his readers, you will literally want to step into the book and be transported there. The map at the front of the book makes it easy to see where he is and where he is going and the chapters are broken down into the different places he visits. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. Ride traffic free paths along the River Wharfe and Swale stopping for river swims and picnics in sun-dappled woodlands.Tom takes us on a journey to The Lake District and shows us all the beautiful and magnificent hikes you can do. From Penrith and back, via Keswick, Cockermouth, Coniston, Grasmere and Windermere, plus many places in between, Tom Chesshyre puts on his walking boots and sets forth in a “big wobbly circle” around the Lakes, drawn onwards by the dramatic scenery that attracts more than 19 million visitors each year.

He freelanced for the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs, wrote a column for Conde Nast Traveller, and contributed to the Express, the Guardian, and the Independent, before working on the travel desk of the Times. Tom did his walk in April so he experienced the full range of Lake District weather and learned, like us, to respect the MWIS forecasts.This is post Storm Desmond, which is referred to several times; it's post Brexit, and there are many references to the effect of that on the lack of employees in the tourism industry as a result; it's also post Covid and that's talked about in some of his encounters; and finally it's written after the start of the Ukraine war, and Tom has reasons why that's very personal to him. Lyrical, witty and full of cheer, Lost in the Lakes avoids tales of heroic climbs in favour of the quieter – and oft-overlooked – story of everyday life in one of Britain’s rural honey-pots.

Explore towering mountains, wide-open valleys and magnificent lakes – stopping off at a cosy inn or two along the way – on a 379-mile hike around the Lake District. But while the author is not pretending to have surpassed recognisable logic with his mileage, and not claiming to have recognised the three-throated chiff-warbler by sound alone, this really is my kind of Lakes travel book. If you are interested in the lake district read it but if you aren't get another one of the millions that already exist. You will have gathered by now that this is not really a guide to the Lakes but you will still learn a lot about the place and especially about its people, and hopefully you will also be entertained. Yes, I find a lot of books about hikes where the author imposes her/him-self too much on proceedings, telling us how wonderfully they romped here, how drizzly the weather was there, and what they saw with their flawless bird-spotting eyes.Across landscape that so inspired the Romantic poets, he takes in remote parts of the parkland that many tourists miss – enjoying encounters aplenty with farmers, fell runners and fellow hikers, while staying in shepherds’ huts, bothies and old climbers’ hotels along the way, and even going for a (chilly) dip in Derwentwater. Whether this engages with the Insta crowd and the inappropriately-dressed selfie takers remains to be seen. Also felt bit repetitive by tje end - only so much many inns to drink in and hills to climb before you're looking longingly at the bookcase for your next read.