Revealed: best cities in England and Wales for walks for the elderly
How was the list compiled?
Following lockdown, a recent study has revealed that walking is now the most popular leisure activity amongst Brits. National Walking Month is coming up in May and a recent study by Lottie.org has looked at which cities offer the best walks for the elderly.
To do this they analysed each region by factors such as number of routes, gradient, sunshine, distance to care homes, air quality and amenities, to identify where seniors can easily avail of this secret to longevity.
Which cities make the top five?
The full list published details 13 cities and all have been scored using the matrix above, however, here are the top five:
1. Lincoln
Taking first position is Lincoln with an average rating of 6.72 out of 10. This cathedral city in the East Midlands has the best score for average steepness in the study (10/10), meaning seniors should have a relatively level path while taking in the city’s impressive historical architecture.
2. London
London occupies second place with an overall score of 6.61. The sprawling capital of the United Kingdom boasts high appraisals in a number of categories, including average care home proximity (9.17/10) and amenities/accessibility (9.72/10).
3. St Albans
Completing the top three, we venture north of the capital slightly to St. Albans. With a rating of 6.28/10, this Hertfordshire location owes its high placement to its fantastic care home proximity (10/10); combined with high sunshine hours and relatively forgiving gradients.
4. Coventry
Located in the heart of England, Coventry ranked fourth, with a score of 5.67. Surrounded by lush forests, rivers and lakes, the city offers many paths for walkers to bask in nature. It also rates highly when it comes to care home proximity (7.50) and route incline (8.33).
5. Southampton
The next city takes us to the south coast – Southampton (home of the Spitfire), which scored 5.33. For seniors who wish to explore the historical parts of the city on foot, the Old Town has over 90 listed buildings, more than 30 ancient monuments and an array of medieval churches. Just making it to the top five, the city had a relatively low score (4.17) for proximity to a care home.
The rest of the list includes Birmingham, Bath, Brighton & Hove, Leeds, Worcester, Sheffield, Leicester and Plymouth.
Plan trips for elderly relatives
“Exercise protects physical health and boosts mental wellbeing, making it important to leading a happy life says Lottie co-founder and one of the UK’s leading later living experts Will Donnelly.
“If being surrounded by nature may help to engage elderly relatives, you could plan trips with them to experience some of Britain’s iconic walks.”
