Three Points of the Compass has a glance at the National Trails Register maintained by the Long Distance Walkers Association, giving himself a pat on the back at the same time.
The Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) is an association for people with the common interest of walking long distances in primarily rural, mountainous or moorland areas. They are also a UK based body for long distance walking recognised by Sport England. Much of their activity is not of interest to me as they seem to concentrate on convivial group events and social activities while I am a taciturn solo backpacker with little interest in meeting others for any length of time, and I have no wish to hike with others either. I have met members of the LDWA that lament the organisation’s increasing fifth column that simply want cheaper long distance running events rather than following the initial premise of the organisation. That said, the LDWA is a first port of call when looking to complete any UK long distance path. They have an admirable online presence, providing a vast amount of information with links, and long may they continue to thrive.
The National Trails Register of walkers of the National Trails in England, Wales and Scotland is maintained on the LDWA website. There are (currently) four levels- Bronze (completion of five National Trails), Silver (completion of ten trails), Gold (completion of fifteen trails) and the ultimate prize, Diamond, for having completed all of the trails. There are presently nineteen trails, with a twentieth to be added in 2025 when the Coast to Coast formally receives National Trail status. LDWA inform us that at the beginning of 2022 there were over 500 people on the National Trails Register. Inclusion on the register is free and membership of the LDWA is not required, though commemorative certificates are a fiver each.
Four decent quality commemorative Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond Award Certificates are awarded for completion of, respectively, five, ten fifteen and ‘all’ National Trails (NTs). As the number of trails has slowly grown, those who had previously achieved Diamond status for a lesser number of trails retain that, they aren’t expected to return to the trail and knock off additions in order to remain on the register. That said, I did walk Wainwrights Coast to Coast in anticipation of its upcoming change in status and addition to the register. Some popular trails are not National Trails, such as the pretty Dales Way, tough Cape Wrath Trail and the yet-to-be-completed-by-me Wales Coast Path. The King Charles III England Coast Path is taking it’s own sweet time to be formally agreed and signed off throughout it’s length and will, of course then be a National Trail, albeit a 2700 mile long trail. That will have its own register maintained by the LDWA, probably spilt into four. I doubt I’ll walk its entirety, having only walked around 1000 miles of its length to date, but I continue to knock off sections occasionally.
In addition to many other walks, I have been slowly knocking off the National Trails over the years, always with the intention of completing them all. Something I finally realised this year when I completed Glyndŵr’s Way. I will try and get round to précising the relative merits on each of the nineteen at some point, as I very much have favourites amongst them. Their length varies. The shortest is the 79 mile Yorkshire Wolds Way while the South West Coast Path is a mighty 630 mile challenge that I walked as part of a longer hike in 2018. Various time commitments have had to be made over the years and this was sometimes difficult to balance with work and home life so I walked my nearest trail, the 125+ mile North Downs Way, as a series of day walks. This week I was delighted to receive my Diamond Award Certificate from the LDWA. Unlike my others that sit in a drawer, this one will probably go on a wall somewhere at some time.
The instigator of the National Trails Register was Alan Castle and it was he that signed my Silver certificate. His successor was Ray Wilkes, who signed my Gold certificate. The current Register Recorder is Heather Ingram, who signed my Diamond award. If I ever had a Bronze certificate, I have lost it.
If you have walked one or more of the National Trails, I do urge you to add yourself to the register. It cost nothing, and helps record the degree of interest in these marvellous walks in some small way. There are various rules and these can be read on the LDWA website. If you don’t want to add yourself, then fine. I am well aware that there are many people uninterested in such things. But seeking to push yourself can only be a good thing. Even Mrs Three Points of the Compass is inspired, working toward her Bronze award and planning on achieving this next year.
The LDWA and their tireless volunteer workers are to be congratulated on providing and maintaining such registers. There are 84 names beside myself on the LDWA Diamond Register and I know at least two people aren’t on there. Paddy Dillon, author of numerous guidebooks has walked all the trails three times over and isn’t included. On my final day on my final trail last month, I met dutchman Henk Zomer, who has walked all the national trails and is likewise disinclined to add his name to the register. No doubt there are others. But as for me, just for once. I’m allowing myself a congratulatory pat on the back. Now, what’s next?
Three Points of the Compass 
congratulations
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Thanks
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Congratulations! I originally joined LDWA just to download GPX files, but now and then, I also receive Strider magazines.
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Thanks. As a current member, have you any thoughts on the organisation as it is now?
I have heard a couple of complaints this year as to a changing ethos
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Thanks for asking! I’ve only been a member for about a year, so I don’t really have anything to compare it with. I haven’t interacted much with other members since, like you, I’m a solo hiker. I mainly joined for the GPX files, but I did notice they offer a navigation course, which I thought might be worth checking out.
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Good to hear you are getting something useful from your membership. Decently run navigation courses are not that difficult to find however. But may not be in the part of the country you prefer and will take a bit of travelling to attend
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Well done.
Like Modestas, I joined the LDWA for the GPX files. Like you, I’m not much of a trophy hunter but last year I finally added myself to the National Trails Register with a nine-year backlog of NTs in credit. Up to Gold level so far but should complete the final two next year.
I look forward to the write-up of Glyndŵr’s Way.
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Thanks Curlew. Which two national trails are you walking next year? Coast to Coast gets added in 2025
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Southern Upland Way (late April – if the weather / temperatures are decent enough – or May) and then, to finish, the South Downs Way.
I did the C2C back in 2018: 11 days of very hot, sunny weather. Hard going! Beforehand, I had read a couple of blog accounts where both stated that if they did it again, they would do it east-to-west because they thought the Lake District would make a better ending. So that’s what I did. If I repeated the walk, I’d be conventional and go west-to-east.
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Despite my falling ill on trail and battling through it, I found the Southern Upland Way the best of the Scottish options. Seriously thinking about doing it again. Strange that it gets so little attention. Everyone cruises past the Southern Uplands heading to the Highlands
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Thanks for posting this Jools, really interesting and although I was aware of the LDWA I didn’t know about the website or the register/certificates, etc, I’ll give it a good read. I’ve had a look at the trails and seen that I’ve done three of them, Pennine Way, CtoC and WHW. pity the Dales Way isn’t one as I’ve also done that and I’ve actually done the WHW and CtoC twice!
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Sadly, no extra points for doing trails twice Jim! I have hiked West Highland Way twice myself, and a very changed creature it was between those two hikes too. Truly an international trail these days with a lot more on-trail provision now. I suggest you wait until LDWA add the Coast to Coast to the register next year when it gains National Trail status and will count toward your total
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Thanks Jools, I’ll take your advice. 1998 and 2014 were WHW years for me, sun shone all week in 2014 and finished with a great ascent of Ben Nevis which to be honest, I think should be the natural end for the trail.
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You did well there Jim. The first time I hiked WHW I had a 16 year old daughter with me who had walked more than enough miles and adamantly refused to climb Ben Nevis. The second time I hiked it I was on a longer hike, setting off on the Cape Wrath Trail a day or so later and was replenishing supplies etc in the time I had, combined with absolutely foul weather and a top hidden in rain clouds
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I was a member in its very early days, seems – and was – like a different world.
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Congratulations on your Diamond Award! I’m still on Bronze.
Worth saying you don’t need to be interested in social walks or challenge events to join the LDWA, it’s the organisation for everyone interested in Long Distance Walking with the magazine Strider, access to gpx files etc. coming with the membership.
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Thanks John
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