Walking - How well do you know your town?

[paddyhasneeds]

I've lived in my current town for a little over 20 years. As with most people I'm afraid I've been a "drive everywhere" person, which for work is understandable as it's 20 miles away, the town centre less so as it's only a couple of miles away, however...

Recently with the nice weather I've started walking an awful lot. Not as in the open countryside, as in just picking a direction and exploring the town I live in, and fk me I've realised I've lived in a place 20 years and until three months ago I couldn't tell you what was at the end of the road I live on, much to my shame.

Today I've covered about 9 miles just walking the parks/borders and picking my way through all sorts of footpaths through the various estates.

I feel a little ashamed that I know so little of the place, just wondering if I'm the only one to find myself 500 yards from my front door in a random direction and thinking "Christ I never knew this was even here"?

[captainmatt]

I know my area reasonably well, still a few grey areas in my mind. Growing up round here, you tend to get taken only in one direction via car (other way out of my village is just literally a longer way round), so you tend not to know what's there. Recently though i've explored it quite a bit and it's good fun, found all sorts of new roads and routes.

Try to get off the roads etc when walking, go down footpaths and tracks as much as possible. I find there is much more fun to be had doing that.

[ewenm]

I run miles every week so end up knowing my local area very well. I find it's a great way of getting to know a new place too. Plus I like maps so tend to get the local OS and explore.

[Jerwatt]

I do a lot of walking around the place and it's great for getting to see new stuff. Even if you drive then you see so much more walking, as you have more time to look around/ don't have to pay as much attention to the road etc. Even if you've walked a route quite a lot you will notice new things - such as things near the roofs etc where you wouldn't normally look. Also can learn shortcuts or interesting roads which are out of the way.

[Mojooo]

Because I grew up here I know my immediate area fairly well.

Since I drive I hardly ever go to most of those places I used to as a child. I have been meaning to get a pushbike and have a scout around for a while now actually!

[paddyhasneeds]

Mojooo said:

Since I drive I hardly ever go to most of those places I used to as a child. I have been meaning to get a pushbike and have a scout around for a while now actually!

It's scary. My old school used to have playing fields that faced a (then) new housing estate and you could walk across the fields in pretty much any direction and at the edge there was a footpath that ran parallell with the playing fields, you'd join the footpath and it would have various "breakouts" onto roads on the estate.

Now the entire school is behind iron railings with spikes on the top. I don't know if it's to keep the kids in or thieves/paedo's out but it's turned the place into a prison as you now have to go in/out of the grounds the way they intend.

[TheEnd]

I've actually had a good look round on google earth, that gives you a good idea of some of the strange and wonderful things nearby that you might not know of.

[Heathwood]

I thought I knew my home town / city pretty well. However, not so long ago I decided to walk home after a few beers and an hour later I arrived back where I'd started.

[killsta]

I try not to visit my town too often. I must have been there about twice in the past year.

It's full of fkwits.

[cazzer]

Having dogs helps.

[Cotty]

A few months back I realised that the London Loop http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/walking/localr... ran close to my house so I have done a couple of sections. Bought some walking shoes and looked at doing Hadians Wall http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrianswall/ but not got round to it

[fido]

I sometimes go on night walks especially if i'm visiting my parents who live quite near me. a) to check out the cool cars (quite a few classics about) b) feels good in nice trainers c) pretend i'm on a covert operation in my Michael Weston outfit ala Burn Notice.

[Cock Womble 7]

cazzer said:

Having dogs helps.

Having a stab vest helps.

[Original Poster]

Mojooo said:

Because I grew up here I know my immediate area fairly well.

Since I drive I hardly ever go to most of those places I used to as a child. I have been meaning to get a pushbike and have a scout around for a while now actually!

Same here, I've lived where I live for over 23 years and grew up here so used to do a lot of walking the streets as a kid, although I do not know that many road names around me.

[Cogcog]

When I lived in London work was about 2 miles away and I walked most days. In the summer I used a different route every day through back streets etc. to breal the monotony of the walk.

I now have a completely useless knowledge of that part of London but if anyone wants to know the quickest/most interesting/most dangerous/most pubs/least beggars/chuggers, best tottie, or smelliest route from Sloane Sq to Whitehall I am the man.

[rs1952]

paddyhasneeds said:

Now the entire school is behind iron railings with spikes on the top. I don't know if it's to keep the kids in or thieves/paedo's out but it's turned the place into a prison as you now have to go in/out of the grounds the way they intend.

Par for the course these days after 13 years of labour, making sure that the one-in-a-billion chance of a paedophile going into school grounds and starts fiddling never happens.

Perhaps they don't realise that kids also walk the streets

Overkill

[anonymous-user]

What, walk round doncaster??? Are you mad???? Not for all the money in the world, especially at night time

[ShadownINja]

paddyhasneeds said:

I couldn't tell you what was at the end of the road I live on, much to my shame.

The estate I live on has various roads that I wouldn't necessarily ever have to drive down to get to the main road...











... but one day I decided to drive down each of them just to see what the rest of the place was like.

[paddyhasneeds]

rs1952 said:

paddyhasneeds said:

Now the entire school is behind iron railings with spikes on the top. I don't know if it's to keep the kids in or thieves/paedo's out but it's turned the place into a prison as you now have to go in/out of the grounds the way they intend.

Par for the course these days after 13 years of labour, making sure that the one-in-a-billion chance of a paedophile going into school grounds and starts fiddling never happens.

Perhaps they don't realise that kids also walk the streets

Overkill

Well it's not a small school, I'd guess there's a good 3 or so miles of field boundaries so I'd love to know how much it cost vs. the benefit.

[bazking69]

I've always known my immediate area very well from growing up as a kid in the area, but since I've had a dog I've had the excuse to go exploring my town alot more.