By Linda Tancs

In an increasingly fast-paced world, it’s a luxury to slow down. That’s one reason why the slow travel movement is so appealing. Walking routes are a big part of the movement. In Britain, an ambitious plan is afoot (no pun intended) to establish a national network of walking routes connecting all of the nation’s towns, villages and cities. Known as Slow Ways, the idea is to use existing paths, ways, trails and roads to walk between settlements and combine them to create longer distance trips. Many existing footpaths follow ancient Roman and Anglo-Saxon treks, but there are thousands more paths and rights of way that risk being lost to history. Thanks to hundreds of volunteers, those lesser-known routes are being documented and road-tested. As of this writing, there are over 7,000 Slow Ways stretching more than 62,000 miles.

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