Famous
Walkers/Hikers
On a quiet, wet day, I got to
wondering how
many famous people went walking/hiking. I don't mean a one off spectacular
for charity or a TV programme but who just enjoyed walking in the countryside
like the rest of us. To my surprise, there seemed no one reference point so
I thought I would create one. Listed below are the ones I have come up with,
based on a bit of perfunctory research.
I have restricted the list to UK
individuals or residents (past or present), as there will be thousands elsewhere who, frankly, I am not
concerned about and who might mean little to people in the UK.
There is not the space to give a detailed biography, just enough to clarify why they are well known.
You can look them up if desired.
I apologise in advance for
anyone I have missed or for inadequate details.
If anyone knows of any others
who should be added to the list, please let me know. It would be appreciated
if you could include why they are famous and add any internet references
which confirm their walking status in case, for instance, they appear in some
obscure soap, or on an obscure TV channel, where they may be famous to thousands
but many (including me!) may not have heard of them. I want to be sure
inclusion is relevant.
If you are well known and
feel you would like to be included or if you are mistakenly included but are
not a walker, please let me know.
The list is in alphabetical
order by surname.
First Name(s)
|
Surname
|
Reason Known
|
Simon
|
Armitage
|
Poet. Walked Pennine way
|
Steve
|
Backshall
|
TV wildlife presenter and naturalist, rock
climber and mountaineer.
|
Claire
|
Balding
|
Broadcaster, journalist and author. Presents the
walking programme "Ramblings" on radio.
|
Floella
|
Benjamin
|
Now Baroness Floella Benjamin, OBE. Actress,
presenter, broadcaster, parliamentarian and charity worker. Former President
of the Ramblers.
|
Phil
|
Bodmer
|
BBC TV broadcaster, best known as regular anchor
on Look North.
|
Chris
|
Bonnington
|
Famous climber author and lecturer.
|
Julia
|
Bradbury
|
TV personality and presenter famous for
popularising hiking with various programmes such as "Britain's Best
Walks".
Former president of The Ramblers.
|
Bill
|
Bryson
|
Travel author. American but lives in UK.
Probably best
known for his book "Notes from a Small Island".
|
Toby
|
Buckland
|
TV presenter known from gardening programmes.
|
Ed
|
Byrne
|
Comedian.
|
Hermione
|
Cockburn
|
Earth scientist and presenter of BBC programme
"Coast".
|
Cheryl
|
Cole
|
Singer, judge on Britains Got Talent.
|
Samuel Taylor
|
Coleridge
|
Poet.
|
Fearne
|
Cotton
|
Radio and TV presenter.
|
Nicholas
|
Crane
|
Geographer, writer and explorer, best known for
being a presenter on the BBC programme "Coast".
|
Charles
|
Dickens (deceased)
|
Famous 19C author.
|
Alesha
|
Dixon
|
Singer. TV personality.
|
Muriel
|
Gray
|
TV presenter Had series "The Munro Show".
|
Mike
|
Harding
|
Musician, author, poet and photographer.
|
Alan
|
Hinkes
|
Only British moutaineer to have conquered all
the Himalayan mountains over 8000 metres. The current "go to" media choice
for expert opinions on mountaineering issues.
|
Anthony
|
Hopkins
|
Actor, director and producer.
|
Kate
|
Humble
|
TV presenter most notably nature and science
programmes.
|
Alex
|
Jones
|
TV presenter. Best known as presenter of The One
Show.
|
Gryff Rhys
|
Jones
|
Comedian, presenter.
|
Stuart
|
Maconie
|
TV/Radio presenter and journalist. Has been
president of The Ramblers.
|
Teresa
|
May
|
MP and Prime Minister 2016 to 2019. Well known
for spending holidays hiking.
|
Cameron
|
McNeish
|
Scottish wilderness hiker, backpacker and
mountain walker who is an authority on outdoor pursuits. TV presenter.
|
John
|
Mitchell
|
Meteorologist working as a weather presenter for
ITV on the Yorkshire regional Calendar programme.
|
John
|
Noakes (Deceased)
|
TV presenter and personality best known for
presenting "Blue Peter" in the 1960s and 1970s. Has walked Pennine Way and
Coast to Coast.
|
Mary-Anna
|
Ochota
|
TV presenter and anthropologist.
|
George
|
Orwell (Deceased)
|
Born Eric Arthur Blair. Famous author best known
for "Animal Farm" and "1984".
|
Mark
|
Radcliffe
|
Radio/TV presenter. Has done Coast to Coast.
|
Sophie
|
Raworth
|
BBC news reader.
|
Tony
|
Robinson
|
Actor, TV presenter and writer.
|
Eric
|
Robson
|
TV broadcaster, author and documentary film
maker. Chairman of the Wainwright Society.
|
Gaby
|
Roslin
|
TV and radio presenter. Actress. Presented
Children in Need with Terry Wogan for several years.
|
Frank
|
Skinner
|
Born Christopher Graham Collins. Comedian,
TV/radio presenter.
|
Chris
|
Smith
|
Lord Smith of Finsbury.
|
Christopher Robert
|
Smith
|
Now Baron Smith of Finsbury. Former president of
The Ramblers. First MP to finish a round of the Munros.
|
John
|
Smith (Deceased)
|
MP. Former Leader of Labour party.
|
Janet
|
Street-Porter
|
Media personality, broadcaster and journalist.
Former president of The Ramblers. President of the Burley Bridge
Association, which campaigns to build a bridge across the river there.
|
Carol
|
Vorderman
|
Media personality, journalist and broadcaster
best known for being the mathematical brains on the ITV show "Countdown".
|
Alfred W
|
Wainwright (Deceased)
|
Probably the most famous British walker, author
of many guide books and remarkable illustrator. Devised the Coast to Coast
walk from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood's Bay in Yorkshire.
|
Tom
|
Weir (Deceased)
|
Scottish climber, author and broadcaster. Best
known for TV programme Weir's Way.
|
Virginia
|
Woolf (deceased)
|
Famous writer from the "Bloomsbury
Group", a group of intellectuals, writers artists etc who lived/worked
in Bloomsbury in the first half of the 20th Century. A regular walker on the
South Downs.
|
William
|
Wordsworth (deceased)
|
Famous 18th/19th Century poet most famous for
the poem which begins "I wandered lonely as a cloud".
|
All information on this
site is given in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of any
damage, loss or injury which might result from acting on it.
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