Explore towering mountains, wide-open valleys and magnificent lakes – stopping off at a cosy inn or two along the way – on a. What is impressive though is that he had a plan and he stuck to it - so all his accommodation was pre-booked and he arrived everywhere when he planned to, doing it all on foot. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions.

Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). 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. A lovely gentle, slow paced meander around the peaks, lakes and valleys of the Lake District - an impressive 379 miles of them. A charming book, brimming with tender affection for this ‘magnificent… dreamy patchwork’ of peaks, tarns and ‘serpentine valleys… between soaring slopes’.

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.

all the people who he spoke to say the same things, too many holiday homes, not enough people to work there and hardly anyone who is born there can afford to live in the lakes. Not for him the chocolate box guide, but a grittier account of his travails, and his travels, on a journey of self-discovery. Pay in 4 is a form of credit, so consider whether you can afford the repayments as use of the product may impact your credit score. Neither travel guide nor gushing panegyric, Lost in the Lakes is a book for the everyday ambler: gentle, slow-paced and sweetly uplifting at every turn.

In the Lake District, there are a mere five bothies (bothies really being a more common Scottish phenomenon). The best travel writing is about people as much as places, and the best way to meet the people who inhabit or visit a place is on foot. In his amiable and relaxed company we climb the fells and skirt the lakes; just as engagingly, we meet a carnival of characters whose personalities and opinions are the real focus of Chesshyre’s tale.