We’re starting Good Ways – a new app and project to make it easier for everyone to find and enjoy good routes for walking, running, cycling, wheeling, horse-riding, skating, swimming, paddling, pushchairs and wheelchairs – whatever your needs, abilities or interests.
We’re growing, but Slow Ways is continuing and this website is staying here!
As well as Slow Ways routes, we’ll be inviting people, groups, charities and organisations from across the UK and Ireland to share their own routes and networks on the new Good Ways app.
As part of that move, Slow Ways CIC has become Good Ways Network CIC. Same nonprofit Community Interest Company, same team, same mission, same care for trusted routes – the name now simply reflects the wider work, helping us go further, include more people and allow for more types of routes.
Please excuse us as we make this transition and metamorphose into something bigger and better.
Find out more and join Good Ways as a Founder Member here.
Slow Ways is our citizen-made national walking network, connecting all of Britain’s towns, cities and national landscapes.
It is enjoyed and made by people like you.
Use Slow Ways for the everyday and the epic: to discover local walks, create challenges and plan long-distance journeys.
We are a not-for-profit initiative created by thousands of citizens. Together we are making it easier to walk from A to B because we believe that if people know they can walk somewhere, they will!
Here you’ll find over 10,000 walks that have been shared by people across the country, including thousands of reviews with practical advice and friendly guidance to support your adventures.
We are a community initiative. If you need help, please ask us. We’re at [email protected], on Discord, on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, X, and LinkedIn.
Ready? Get started here.
Events
We would love to see you at one of our meetings or events. Here’s what’s coming up!
Slow Ways Forum – All welcome! A monthly forum to hear updates, discover opportunities, meet others, share news or ideas, give feedback, be inspired and dream-up adventures, challenges or volunteering projects.
Slow Ways Surgery – Need help getting started? Got questions? Come along to one of our monthly 30-minute online surgeries. Can’t wait? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll see if you can add an earlier date.
Our routes
Slow Ways are routes for the nation.
You can explore them on this website, our iOS and Android apps, in our printed maps and atlas and out and about around the country.
Slow Ways began in 2020 as an initiative led by geographer Dan Raven-Ellison, aiming to connect every town, city and national landscape in Britain through thoughtfully designed walking routes. Volunteers drafted routes between 2,500 settlements using existing rights of way.
Slow Ways routes aim to:
- Be safe, direct, and accessible
- Avoid roads where possible
- Include resting places every 5–10 km
- Pass through public transport hubs
- Be enjoyable and easy to navigate
You can see all ten of the design principles here.
Not all routes are accessible to everyone, but we are working to let people know which paths and routes are good for them.
Routes are tested by walkers and wheelers (wheelchair and scooter users) who share reviews with star ratings. A route with three or more positive reviews is verified – a tried-and-tested pathway for others to enjoy.
People can also survey routes for surface quality, gradients, and potential obstacles, such as stiles or mud. Routes are graded using a system developed by Experience Community, helping people choose paths that suit their needs.
With clear information, Slow Ways empowers everyone to explore Britain confidently, creating pathways for joy, wellbeing, connection, and adventure.
By sharing your experiences, you contribute to a growing network that benefits individuals, communities, and the planet. Let’s walk this journey together.
Our mission
We are co-creating an easy-to-use, extensive walking network. Walking enriches lives, connecting people to nature, communities, and each other.
This website shows thousands of possible walking routes that make use of existing footpaths and rights of way. These successfully connect thousands of places, but we also believe we deserve a much better footpath network.
While Britain has an abundance of paths and rights of way, many are underused, inaccessible, or poorly maintained.
As well as showing people good ways to go, we want new and better paths that make it easier for everyone to walk or wheel places.
Our long-term vision is for everyone to enjoy walking everywhere, every day.
- Everyone: Routes must be safe, inclusive, and welcoming, benefiting people of all abilities
- Everywhere: A network where walking or wheeling to any address in Britain is as straightforward as driving
- Every day: Walking and wheeling should be natural parts of daily life – whether you’re visiting friends, shopping, commuting, immersing yourself in nature or going on a big adventure
- Every time: Paths and routes should be reliable, with data available to give people confidence to use them
We’re not waiting for governments to take action. Thousands of people are helping to bring this vision to life through citizen-powered collaboration.
However, we encourage local and national governments to invest in and support this effort – it’s a practical, popular, and impactful step for the future.
What if there was always a safe and easy-to-follow way to walk?
The Slow Ways Team
Thousands of people have contributed to Slow Ways. Some have invested massive amounts of time and energy creating, sharing and checking routes. Without this incredible effort Slow Ways would not exist. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far. Every walk counts.
The main organising and delivery team is spread across Great Britain.
Team-members who have played a key role in developing the project include Dan Raven-Ellison (founder and CEO), Julian Lipton (Chief Operating Officer), Hannah Engelkamp (stories lead), Saira Niazi (community stories), Darren Moore (web developer), Lara Kramer (partnerships), Joao Soares (software engineer), Jane Taylor (network-making coordination), Andrew Mackay (network-making coordination), Cristie Moore (community support), Toney Calvert at Colourform (design), and Gary Ismay (iOS app), Dan Barron (community), Eva Outram (social media), Charlie Peel of Urban Good CIC (cartography).
Former members of the sounding board are David Lintern, Claire-Jane Carter, Kelly Tourle, Cherelle Harding, Kamalpreet Badasha, Tim Simons, Rosie Watson, Yetunde Kehinde, Mohammed Dhalech, Debbie North, Yusra Motin and Nia Lloyd Knott.
Slow Ways has had additional Geographical Information Systems support from volunteers at Costain, including Sophie Stouki, Georgia Roberts, James Cunningham and Monika Swiderska.
Good Ways Network CIC
Slow Ways is a flagship project of Good Ways Network CIC.
We’re a nonprofit Community Interest Company that is focussed on making it easier for everyone to enjoy Good Ways for walking, running, cycling, wheeling, horse-riding, skating, swimming, paddling, pushchairs and wheelchairs – whatever their ability, interests or needs.
We started Slow Ways in 2020 and have recently changed out business name to Good Ways so that we can deliver a wider range of work while protecting the purposes and principles of this brilliant project.
The Good Ways delivery team are growing and serving our community, developing the app and making the project a success.
Founding Members
Our Founding Members are what make Good Ways possible. Thanks to the support of this growing group of individuals and nonprofit organisations, we’re able to bring the project to life. The more this community grows, the faster and further our impact can reach.
Some Founding Members support us through financial contributions. Others help by testing the app, sharing feedback and routes, representing their communities, or introducing Good Ways to a wider audience.
We can’t make Good Ways work for you without your involvement. We’d love you to become a Founding Member and join us.
Community Advisory Team
Our community advisors provide leadership and advocacy for people, groups and communities that will be using Good Ways. These are all funded or supported super-fractional positions. Interested to fund or support a position? Please contact us.
Handbiking – Rowena Macaulay is an inclusive design advisor, handbike user, map lover, trail rider and passionate advocate for equality of access to the countryside. Founder of Walk Colchester and Sunshine Coast Greenway team member.
Walking – Sophia Brown is the founder of Bristol Steppin Sistas, a grassroots group of black women and women of colour who are passionate about walking and enthusing who identify with our lived experience to do so.
Cycling, Swimming, Running – Kelly Smith, founder of the Black Tri Tribe and a construction assurance engineer. She works to improve access to outdoor sport and movement for under-represented communities. Kelly’s happiest when swimming, hiking or exploring outside.
Horse riding, Hiking, and Climbing – Sophie Sadler is a data scientist and AI researcher focused on bringing clarity to complex data. When she’s not working, she’s usually horse riding, rock climbing or hiking, and sometimes shares her outdoor adventures on her YouTube channel.
Thru-hiking – Ingrina Shieh is a programme manager, writer, and community volunteer who works on climate action and supporting people to get outdoors. She loves walking, trail running, and exploring how movement inspires creativity.
Delivery Team
Chief Exploration Officer – Dan Raven-Ellison is a parent, geographer, social innovator and National Geographic Explorer. Dan is responsible for kick-starting Good Ways, Slow Ways and the National Park City movement. Dan lives in Exeter in Devon and loves walking places.
Chief Operations Officer – Julian Lipton is a parent of two girls, radio presenter, and football fan in Hertfordshire. Passionate about teamwork, Julian has founded market-leading start-ups in sport and finance. When he isn’t working, he keeps sheep and chickens in his suburban back garden.
Lead Developer – Toby Twigger is a software engineer, and can generally be found either exploring outdoors or building websites and gadgets. He is passionate about sharing his love of walking, cycling and self-propelled adventures with everyone.
Apps – Richard Fairhurst is creator and editor of cycle.travel. Perpetually curious about exactly how cyclable that bridleway is. Thinks bike rides are better when they involve a pub stop. Inveterate NCN explorer and Sustrans group co-ordinator for North & West Oxfordshire.
Design – Anton Wade is a brand and digital designer, dad of two, nature lover and tech nerd. Founder of Make Do Design Studio, Design Calendar and slowsprint.com. When he’s not vibe coding apps, he’s out getting active with him family and cocker-poo, Molly.
Design – Manon Prost is an art director and brand designer, founder of Prost Studio. Drawn to thoughtful concepts and well-crafted execution. Detail-oriented by nature. When she’s not designing, she’s out walking her dog, June.
Support – Jasmine Pasha supports our community by responding to questions and listening to feedback. Jasmine is a mum, photographer and loves dogs.
Join in or support us
Like what we are doing? We would love your support. Please donate.
Want to join our new project to make it easier everyone to enjoy Good Ways for walking, running, cycling, wheeling, horse-riding, skating, swimming, paddling, pushchairs and wheelchairs? Click here.
Contact us
Got a question? Need some help? Don’t hesitate to get in touch, we’d love to hear from you. We’re a small team, but we’ll reply as soon as we can.
Got an idea or feedback? Good Ways Members can share share thoughts via our plan page.
WhatsApp: +44 7513 437207
Email us: [email protected]
Write to our London mailbox: Good Ways Network CIC, c/o Slow Ways, 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London, England, EC2A 4NE.
Don’t try and visit us at that address. It’s a virtual mailbox! Our team is actually spread out across the UK and led from Exeter in Devon.
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook, Threads or Linkedin.
Share your good ways and journeys on social media using #SlowWays or #GoodWays
Good Ways, Good Ways Network CIC, Company number 12800558
The Slow Ways project has kindly received funding from:
We would also like to thank our friends at Costain, ESRI and Ordnance Survey for advice and support
