Reflections on a truly remarkable year for Railwalks
As 2024 draws to a close, I have been looking back on what has been an extraordinary first year for us at Railwalks. Thanks to the support of our growing community and the dedication of the steering committee, of which I am a proud member, we’ve achieved so much together in our first year of existence. With this blog post I’d like to celebrate some of our highlights.
Launching a new adventure
Back in March, we officially launched Railwalks at the Hive in Worcester with an inspiring event that welcomed 35 walk and rail enthusiasts from across the country. It was a day filled with ideas, connection and shared passion for our key objective: creating a national network of walks from and between railway stations.
Building our community
Let’s not forget that Railwalks is a volunteer-led initiative and so far has not received any funding or sponsorship. So we rely on the work of our steering committee members, who have done an amazing job, and the incredible support of our growing community. Our social media channels have seen a significant uptick in followers and contributors, especially our Facebook group which now counts 793 members. Our mailing list is buzzing with new subscribers (2800 at the time of writing) who share our vision of combining sustainable travel with outdoor adventure. If you are reading this and you’re not one of our members, please join us! Every new member strengthens our mission and broadens our reach.
Running our first Railwalks Festival
September brought another milestone - our first ever Railwalks Festival from Bristol Temple Meads. The event welcomed over 50 participants, with a balanced mix of genders and ages ranging from early twenties to over 70. Several attendees travelled from across the UK and as far as Sweden, which was a really nice surprise for us. We had our share of rail disruption on one of the days, but that did not faze us, as we came up with a plan B and walked anyway!
Feedback from 20 participants, gathered through a post-event survey, revealed overwhelmingly positive experiences. Most attendees highlighted their enjoyment of both the walks and the accompanying social activities. Key aspects they valued included:
Engaging in walking and physical activity.
Socialising and meeting new people, both on the walks and at the social activities.
Using sustainable transport to access the walks.
Discovering new places.
Enhancing their mental wellbeing.
Avoiding the need to drive.
While most attendees reported walking at least once a week, there were others who walked less frequently. The walking distances varied significantly, but routes of 5–7 miles emerged as the most popular. Beyond the walks themselves, the festival offered participants the chance to explore local towns and cities, dine at pubs and restaurants, visit museums, and enjoy other cultural attractions.
For me it was a joy to witness the spirit of exploration and connection during the festival, and we’re already thinking about similar future events - stay tuned to discover what we are preparing!
Welcoming lovely Charlotte Herlingshaw to the Steering Committee
It’s been great to expand our Steering Committee team to include Charlie, whose superb organisational skills and enthusiasm made a huge positive impact on the running of the Festival. Her expertise and fresh ideas are already shaping our next plans.
Expanding our directory of walks
Our website is now hosting a greater, and growing, variety of walks, including new routes along the coast, thanks to the indefatigable work of our Andy Stevenson, who has also designed beautiful maps for each area. But that's not all - Hugh Hudson, a volunteer member, has identified all the station-to-station walks created by Slow Ways, adding nearly 2000 more. We have reorganised the page to show the different sources more clearly - this is a truly amazing resource! The expanded collection makes it easier than ever to plan your next rail-connected adventure along a coastal path or in the countryside, whether it is a short walk or a longer hike.
None of this would have been possible without the support of our members, volunteers, and followers. Whether you’ve contributed to our walk directory, led a walk at the Festival, supported us financially by making a donation, shared a post, or simply cheered us on from afar, you’ve been an essential part of this journey: thank you!
As we look ahead to 2025, we’re brimming with ideas and plans that we can’t wait to share with you. The new year is shaping up to be full of exciting new routes, collaborations and opportunities to explore the UK’s rail and walking network like never before. If you have ideas on what we could do in 2025 and would like to help, please get in touch - we are always looking for more volunteers. You can:
- Email us at mail@railwalks.co.uk
- Join our mailing list
- Join our FB group
Wishing you all a joyful and restful holiday season. Here’s to more adventures, more connections, and more rail walks in the year ahead!
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