Paths along railbeds are generally flat, making them attractive for walkers with constraints on steep ascents, but it must be noted that they are not necessarily without steps and/or stiles. There will also be some variation where wayleave no longer applies to the railbed. This may mean that those walkers with the above-mentioned constraints will resort to a bus to cover the problematic bits — the Deeside Way is one route on which these variations may need to be activated.
Note that walks which follow rail routes as their raison d’être (such as the Heart of Wales Line Trail) are not included in this list.
Routes
- Alban Way
This 10.5km stile-free route takes the railbed of the former line between Hatfield and St Albans Abbey stations. - Auckland Way
A 7km railbed walk between Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor. - Brampton Valley Way
A 23km route on the trackbed of the railway between Chapel Brampton and Little Bowden. - Brandon to Bishop Auckland Way
A 15km railbed route between Brandon and Bishop Auckland. - Bure Valley Path
A walk of 14km beside the narrow-gauge Bure Valley Railway between Hoveton and Aylsham. - Camel Trail
A 28km railbed walk from Wenford Bridge to Padstow. - Cinder Track
A 34km railbed walk between Scarborough and Whitby. - Cuckoo Trail (East Sussex)
A 22km walk on the trackbed of the former railway between Heathfield and Hampden Park (not Glasgow, but Eastbourne). - Deeside Way
A 71km walk in the river valley between Ballater and Aberdeen. - Derwent Walk
A 19km railbed walk between Consett and Swalwell, near Blaydon. - Devon Way
A walk of 11km, almost entirely on railbed, between Alloa and Dollar. - Downs Link
A 59km walk from the North Downs Way at St Martha’s Hill (near Guildford) and Shoreham-by-Sea. - Flitch Way
A 26km railbed walk (with a street detour through Great Dumnow) between Bishop’s Stortford and Braintree. - Forest Way
A 17km railbed walk between East Grinstead and Groombridge. - Formartine and Buchan Way
A railbed walk in three spokes from Maud, with the other termini at Dyce (40km), Peterhead (21km) and Fraserburgh (26km). - Keswick to Threlkeld Railway Path
A railbed walk of 8km between Keswick and Threlkeld. - Lanchester Valley Way
A 19km railbed walk between Consett and Broompark. - Llwybr Mawddach / Mawddach Trail
A 15km railbed walk between Barmouth and Dolgellau. - Meon Valley Trail
A 14km walk along the trackbed of a former railway line between West Meon and Wickham. - Middlewood Way
A 16km walk on the trackbed of a former railway between Marple and Macclesfield. - Strawberry Line
A 16km walk between Yatton station and Cheddar. - Wirral Way
A 20km railbed walk between West Kirby and Hooton. - Worth Way (West Sussex)
A walk of 11km between stations at Three Bridges and East Grinstead, following the trackbed of a former railway.
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