Out on the footpaths we’re all just people with fresh air in our lungs and boots on our feet. But if some of those faces you’ve passed seem familiar…
Kate Winslet
“The countryside, particularly, is very good for my head. I love that I can go for a walk, pick blackberries and feed them to the baby as I go along. I love that, as I’m doing this, I get to notice that the ones growing closer to the sea taste slightly saltier than the ones on the other side of the hedge. That’s a pretty gorgeous thing to observe of an afternoon, wouldn't you say?”
Nick Offerman
“The world wants us to consume stuff, and walking is a great way to disobey. If I’m walking, I’m not buying anything. I’m not destroying anything. I’m just providing myself with an incredibly rich and nourishing pastime, and at no cost to the planet.”
Stephen Fry
“The mixture of elation and sheer pleasure that comes with rhythmical striding, and the achievement, come rain or shine, of a good distance walked at a good pace, seems to set me up for the day (my walks are early morning affairs).”
Brian Blessed
“The trouble with me is, everyone thinks I’m a loud person… The reality is, I need quiet and stillness, and that is what I get from going walking. Honestly – I’ve walked out of rehearsals to go for a walk, many times. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pond in a wood or a mountain in the Alps: I find the same peace at either.”
Audrey Hepburn
‘I’m an introvert... I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk with my dogs and looking at the trees, flowers, the sky.’
Oprah Winfrey
“I’ve been hiking every day. Literally hiking my butt off… And here’s one of the things I learned. It’s a great metaphor for life, this hiking, it’s that when you have the steepest hill on the mountain, you don’t look at the mountain or what’s ahead. You just concentrate on one foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. And when you really want to make yourself feel good about where you’re going, look at how far you've come and not how far you have to go.”
Jean Marsh
“I am crazy about walking. I do not want to go to a gym for exercise. I like walking alone - you see more. The other day I actually stroked a wild rabbit. I approached it slowly, slowly and it didn’t run away. I want people to get out of the English countryside what I get out of it. I remember once lying on top of a hill and shouting into the grass “I love you”.”
Emilia Clarke
“I long for the countryside. That’s where I get my calm and tranquillity – from being able to come and find a spot of green.”
Harrison Ford
“I’ve always loved the quiet and the solace of nature. I’ve been fascinated by the complication of nature and in a way… although I was raised without a formal religion, I’ve found an ethical reality in nature and the preservation of it and I think that informs me in every way.”
Bill Bailey
“I prefer the simple things and I love walking in the countryside, or going camping... but simplicity is hard. It’s easier to over-complicate things.”
Benedict Cumberbatch
“I love hiking. It's great to get away in nature. It's grounding. I go up to the country a lot, but I also love the coasts…shooting 'Richard III' [was] the most amazing heritage tour in the English countryside, with all the castles and manor houses and nunneries. It's stunning.”
Natalie Dormer
“What makes me really happy is a walk in the English countryside. A nice sunset, that British countryside - it means I’m home.”
Rami Malek
“I usually find myself hiking in a place that not a lot of people go hiking, just trying to find some solitude. I like being out in the middle of nowhere. Not always, but it's a good place to go to just reflect and think, and it’s something I really enjoy.”
Ben Fogle
“The wilderness rescued me. I have been shaped by my experiences in the great outdoors. Feeling comfortable in the wild gave me the confidence to be who I am, not who others want me to be.”
Lily Collins
“Growing up in the English countryside, I feel like I’m in a Jane Austen novel when I walk. I just feel comfortable and confident in those surroundings.”
