We're always adding to our links page. Please feel free to suggest a site that we could usefully link to. Thank you.

• Travel Insurance
• Women's outdoor sites
• Lake District sites
• Walking websites - Dales, Peaks, Tyne Valley...
• Gear - mail order/online
• Women's sites
• Lesbian & Gay sites
• Other interesting sites
• Bookshops - alternative, radical, women's, lesbian & gay
  (Sources other than the big chains for books to bring on holiday!)
• How to save trees and stop junk mail being delivered to your door!

Travel insurance

http://www.columbusdirect.com
Columbus Direct Insurance is a direct insurance company that offers very reasonable rates - even for short UK breaks - and if you say you heard about them from WalkingWomen, they will take a further 10% off!
Alternatively you can ring Columbus Direct on: 0800 980 1030

http://insurance.essentialtravel.co.uk/
Essential Travel is another direct insurance company who's annual insurance is particularly competitive. Alternatively you can ring them on: 0870 343 3014

http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern
Age Concern offers the most competitive rates we've found if you are over 65 years. Alternatively you can ring them on: 0845 601 2234

Women's outdoor sites

http://www.womenintune.co.uk
Women in Tune (WIT) is a women only music festival that has been going in West Wales since 1997. It takes place 20-26th August – 6 days of camping, great bands, daily workshop programme, open stage, huge log fires and wonderful scenery (even if it’s raining).

http://www.hillwalkersgallery.co.uk
A great site belonging to Muriel Jessop with photos and maps of different walks in the Lake District and elsewhere in the UK.

http://wowgroup.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/
A voluntary women-only group that gets together to walk in and around Cleveland, North Yorks, Middlesbrough. They welcome new participants at any of their planned walks - for more details see their website.

http://www.diversetraveller.com
Every woman's guide to travelling: 'A diverse community of women travellers sharing real and diverse travel experiences, insider knowledge and practical travel tips'.

http://www.keswick.u-net.com/home.htm
An abosolutely fabulous photo site - mainly of the Lake District - created by Ann Bowker. From her Wainrights list you can see large photos of different walks though all seasons to one fell after another. I have borrowed a Blencathra photo from her for the 2005 high level Threlkeld w/e's. Thank you Ann!

http://www.blackwomanwalking.com
Black Woman Walking is a book about travel that is not a travel book. Written by Maureen Stone, it is "about today's world as seen through the eyes of a woman who is black, who is interested in people from all corners of the globe and who enjoys travelling and walking and talking and listening". Her site tells you about herself, the book, the reviews, and where you can obtain it.

http://www.davenhill.co.uk
A site for contacting other Mancester/Lancashire women who are interested in outdoor events - from walking to climbing, from sailing to camping and cycling.

http://www.girlsplaysporttoo.com
A website called  which helps women find a sports/exercise partner from across the country.  We hope that it will help get more women active!

Lake District sites of interest!

http://www.lakedistrictnow.net
Run by Lake District lovers for Lake District lovers providing a daily fix with webcams, news, ever changing photos...

http://www.cumbrialocal.co.uk/Recreation_and_Sports/
Cumbrialocal.co.uk - a large directory of resources and classifieds in the Cumbria area.

http://www.keswick.u-net.com/home.htm
An abosolutely fabulous photo site - mainly of the Lake District - created by Ann Bowker. From her Wainrights list you can see large photos of different walks though all seasons to one fell after another. I have borrowed a Blencathra photo from her for the 2005 high level Threlkeld w/e's. Thank you Ann!

http://www.stridingedge.net
A site with many large photos of different high level walks in the Lake District, by Sean McMahon.

http://www.lakedistrict.tv
A beautiful photography site for the Lake District - set up by Dominic Kerridge. Just makes you want to go there!

http://www.virtual-lakes.co.uk/
Another wonderful photo site, showing Lake District walks and driving tours described and illustrated by Ken Rotheram.

http://www.thelangstrath.com
A really nice site about one of the places we stay! The Langstrath Inn is in Borrowdale in the northern Lakes. On their site you can see the bedrooms, bar, resident's lounge, & dining room.

http://www.glaramara.co.uk
The website for the Glaramara Centre in Borrowdale - a new venue for WalkingWomen in 2003. Includes a panoramic picture from the front lawn!

http://www.heatoncooper.co.uk
This is the site of the Heaton Cooper Studios in Grasmere. William Heaton Cooper's pictures are here, and also other members of the family alive and painting today.

http://www.thejumbleroom.co.uk
The Jumble Room Cafe is for sure one of the nicest tea rooms in the Lake District! Chrissy and Andy use organic ingredients wherever possible, the food is delicious, and the cafe is full of wonderful things to look at or buy. 30 seconds walk from the centre of Grasmere in Langdale Rd (Walk past the Red Lion with it on your left, then turn left just after.)

http://www.grasmeregingerbread.co.uk
Possibly the best gingerbread in the country is to be found in Grasmere! This site tells you about the history of Sarah Nelson's Grasmere Gingerbread, how to order without going there - and more!

http://www.plattyplus.co.uk
A lovely friendly site for Plattyplus water sports in Borrowdale. Plattyplus offers canoeing, kayaking, sailing and a dragon boat - all for hire or with kindly, highly qualified instruction.

http://www.keswick.net
Contains tourist information and great photographs for the Keswick region (Northern Lakes). Other useful information includes the weather forecast on the Home Page!

http://www.thisisthelakedistrict.co.uk
A site linked to the West Moreland Gazette with local news as well as lots of tourist information, local businesses etc.

Other walking sites - Yorkshire Dales, Peaks, Snowdonia....

http://www.suffolktouristguide.com
Suffolk Tourist Guide - great guide for things to do in Suffolk.

www.countrywalking.co.uk
The website of Britain's biggest-selling walking magazine.

http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/
Walking Forum is a forum for discussing all aspects of country walking & hiking in the UK with boards for general chat, gear, photography, and all the popular UK walking destinations.

http://www.yorkshiredales.org
This is the official Yorkshire Dales website - with photos, maps, weather, accommodation ....

http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk
This is the Yorkshire Dales National Park website - with walks, visitor information, and information points....

http://www.traveldales.org.uk/
This is a very useful travel website for the Yorkshire Dales with information about buses, taxis, bike buses, walks using buses etc

http://www.transpeakwalks.co.uk/
Transpeak Walks organise "free to the public" guided walks in and around the Peak District National Park. Their walks are easily accessed by using public transport and they have a variety of grades to suit everyone, from families to experienced walkers.

http://www.tynevalleywalking.co.uk
This site is a free resource for walkers who wish to explore the beautiful Tyne Valley in south Northumberland. The site contains suggestions for walks from all the Tyne Valley towns with full route descriptions, which are free to download.

http://www.walkingandhiking.co.uk
A public interest website focused on safe trekking, rambling and strolling...

http://www.virtualbookcompany.co.uk
Suppliers of the South West Coast Path Interactive DVD

www.landscape-nature-photography-uk.com
Daren Williams' beautiful commercial photography site with mountain & coastal photographs...

http://www.landscapephotographyuk.com
Simon Kitchin's stunning Snowdonia photography website....

Outdoor gear & books - mail order & online shopping

http://www.ultimateoutdoors.co.uk
At site with plenty of outdoor clothing, but also lots of items that are sometimes hard to find on purely clothing websites - from altimetres to waterproofing.

http://www.freedomoutdoors.co.uk
Freedom Outdoors specialises in all outdoor gear from clothing to tents: brands such as AKU, Big Agnes, Brasher, Coleman, Craft, Dermatone, Helly Hansen, Honey Stinger, Inov8, Keen, Keela Rab, Regatta, Vaude and Snugbug, Sprayway, Trangia, Montane and many more...

http://www.snowuniverse.com/
A very useful site if you love the white stuff: a French ski gear site in English with a good range of skis, ski boots, bindings, ski poles, ski helmets, snowshoes and other ski equipment all at a very good price. And there's a quick and helpful, English-speaking response to your enquiry...

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk
With some of the country's biggest stores in Coventry, Oxford, Wigan, Haversage, Loughborough, Sheffield, Stockport & Wakefield. Very good seach facility on their website if you're looking for something in particular. Good reductions.

http://www.girlstravelclub.co.uk/catalog/index.php
Online shop providing natural, organic and fairtrade travel accessories and remedies, tips, blogs and survival/bushcraft courses for independant female travellers.

http://www.shewee.com
The website for this neat little invention that allows women to pee privately and easily in a standing position - great for outdoors or for less than inviting public toilets.

http://www.snowandrock.com
Hiking and skiing gear of all kinds, and a dedicated team of staff who all have expert knowledge in these fields.

http://www.newoxygen.co.uk
A women's gear site selling activewear and accessories, and promoting a healthy outdoors lifestyle for girls and women.

http://www.softshells.co.uk/
A site selling different makes of soft shell clothing - including how it works, and its advantages over traditional waterproof clothing.

http://www.cicerone.co.uk
This is Cicerone's own website - selling their award-winning walking and trekking guide books.

http://www.lasseswotwalk.com
Another new gear site for women - with lots of great prices...

http://www.coolthermal.co.uk
A thermal online shop that includes hats and scarves, silk underlayers and gloves...

http://www.thermalshop.co.uk/
A website selling only thermals, including warm balaclavas, base layers of various descriptions etc.

http://www.wool-underwear.com 
Merino wool tops, thermals, socks and more - from New Zealand. Great for a wicking layer that doesn't need washing everytime you wear it (eg. for treks).

http://www.gearforgirls.co.uk
One of the first UK stores to concentrate on outdoor clothing for women only. They stock good women's brands like PrAna & Thaw. Fast friendly service with a no-quibble guarantee and secure online shopping....

http://www.sheactive.co.uk/
SheActive markets sportwear, walking and climbing gear for women via their 2 stores (Covent Garden and Brighton) and their website. They have a SheVentures section which has loads of walking gear - boots, fleeces, socks, towels......

http://www.itchyfeet.com
A great range of gear and travel essentials, including lots of handy items for when you're away.

http://www.chocolatefish.co.uk
Pure Merino wool outdoor activity clothing from New Zealand - wicking base layers that don't smell as quickly as synthetic gear, easy washing, great for trekking.

http://www.purbeck-walkers.co.uk
A website that endeavour to introduce some new up and coming brands as well as the most popular brands.

http://www.spikeoutdoors.co.uk
A shropshire-based independent outdoor shop with, amongst other things, some great online deals especially for tents.

http://www.neoutdoor.co.uk/
A new online outdoor gear retailer - and they also have a showroom near Saltburn a stones throw from the North York Moors National Park.

http://www.mountain-equipment.co.uk/
Excellent mountain and hill walking gear - from waterproofs and sleeping bags to thermals and fleeces....

http://www.thawonline.co.uk/
A women's outdoor gear site - attractive and functional walking and climbing gear designed for women by women designers. 10% discount on Thaw clothing purchased via direct mail order when you quote your WW booking number. Phone 01668 283300 to get your free catalogue. Stuart Cunningham in Ambleside also stocks their clothing. This enterprise is owned by Tracy Harrison and Alison Wright - who are themselves walkers and climbers.

http://www.winwood-outdoor.co.uk/
Winwood is an online outdoor gear shop (based in the Lake District) and offering all WalkingWomen users 10% off any non-sale items!!
To get your discount, click on 'Discount - Clubs/ Societies/ Websites' under 'Quick Links' on the right side of their Home Page.

http://www.girlgear.co.uk
Ann & Jan's website selling women's cycling gear. You could use lots of it for walking too!

http://www.paramo.co.uk/UK/p500.html
A competition that could win you £500 of Paramo clothing each month (involves study of Paramo website to answer the questions - but the gear is worth it!).

http://www.trekhireuk.com
A useful site where you can hire outdoor gear - from rucksacks to waterproofs - at very modest prices!

http://www.outdoor-solutions.co.uk
A database of information for outdoor people containing listings of current job vacancies, courses, freelance instructors, shops, events, clubs and gear.

http://www.upandunder.co.uk
A great site that also has a lot of information about different bits of ourdoor gear, layers, and different makes. You can then click on each make to see UpandUnder's current prices.

http://www.escape2.co.uk
A midlands based outdoor shop with a mail order service - a small and helpful company.

http://www.cotswold-outdoor.com
An online shopping site is still being built and does not yet offer a range equivalent to the Cotswold Outdoor shop.

http://www.blacks.co.uk
Online shopping with a fairly wide range of outdoor brands similar to the Blacks outdoor shops.

http://www.george-fisher.co.uk
George Fisher is fairly expensive, but has a wide range and a post-free mail order service. If you're holidaying in the northern lakes, the George Fisher is based in Keswick.

http://www.pennineoutdoor.co.uk
From here you can order the fabrics that outdoor clothes are made of - and the patterns to make different garments from them. Fabrics range from fully breathable waterproof material (but not Gortex) to fleece, thermal, and stretch fabrics.

Women's sites

http://www.findmeagoodread.com/holiday.htm
Weekend break at the Women's Holiday Centre - 29 June to 1 July 2007 A Good Read will shortly be running another of their positive reading weekends. Led by reading specialist Janet Swan and poet Clare Shaw, the theme of the weekend is about reading for mental well-being. The emphasis is on sharing understanding of books or poems read together.

http://www.bluechamomile.co.uk/
Aromatherapy and Holistic Body Massage for Women given by Jan James. Treatments are given at The Studio, in Canterbury, which has been created with care to provide a calm, soothing and peaceful environment for women.

http://www.visiblewomen.co.uk/
A website for women over 50 - with sections ranging from fashion to courses, workshops and travel....

http://www.merrywidow.me.uk/
A discussion forum for women recently widowed in which women can air all views, however unsettling they might be to the outside world. The object of the site is to be positive & uplifting, give support, and provide a discussion board.

http://www.silverweedforwomen.com
A site with lovely jewellery: women's symbols, necklaces, earings, rings; also mobiles and mirrors, and information about jewellery making courses.

www.womenstand.com
Ever wanted one of those funny Loose Knits women's postcards or Women with Altitude mugs or T-shirts to give as a present? Take a visit to the Women's Stand - they've lots of women's cards, T-shirts, mugs and calenders - and you can order safely online.

http://www.kvindelejren.dk
"Femø-Women’s Camp has existing since 1971 and has changed a lot during all these years.   Every year women from many different countries join the camp - but until now - unfortunately -  not that many women from Great Britain or Ireland, whom we would love to welcome to the camp".

www.ywca-gb.org.uk
The YWCA is a force for change for women facing discrimination and inequalities of all kinds and the website gives details of all their projects in England and Wales, as well as their campaigining work on women's issues and rights.

http://www.madrina.com
Madrina.com is a great bilingual English / Spanish web guide for women offering sources for enhancing life. It is a women's site with interesting links in a wide range of subjects: psychology, philosophy, history, art, literature, wisdom traditions, online education, financial education, financial resources, philanthropy, sexuality, health and socially oriented issues, plus a variety of interesting web pages created by women for women.

http://www.quine.org.uk
Quine is a site that highlights the activities, interests and concerns of women in Scotland.

http://www.about-face.org
'About-Face provides a place where all women count, from the tiniest among us to the very largest'. It is a refreshing site challenging mainstream media images of women. It includes sections on 'Top 10 offenders', empowering yourself and others, t-shirts.....

http://www.herspace.com
A women's site promoting and supporting female artists. Includes reviews, creativity exercises & 'juicy ideas', a showcase of women art, music, & writing.....

http://www.aviva.org
A packed site where you can see what events, courses, workshops, conferences etc of feminist interest are coming up this year - in the UK, in Europe - anywhere in the world. You can also place a free women's event advertisment here.

http://www.wowwomen.com
Women Online Worldwide. A site for discussions, chats, women's writing, web links...

http://www.feminist.org
A large feminist site packed with articles on a very wide range of women's issues (US based).

http://www.feminist.com
Another large US site - with a feminist bookshop, inspiring quotes, links to 'the best of the feminist web', articles & speeches, activism section....

http://womenbusinessdirectory.com
US based directory with lots of businesses catering for women (not necessarily women-run or owned).

http://www.engender.org.uk
A great Scottish information, research and networking organisation - and now has an easy to use, informative and attractive website too!

http://www.annapurna-therapies.co.uk
Joannie Marion's holistic healing website offering aromatherapy, detoxing, nutritional advice, meditation...

http://www.womensbits.co.uk
A website for women with everything from fashion to travel, women's health to women in technology...

http://www.womentravel.co.nz
Women Travel New Zealand - offering over 60 women's places to stay and tours as well as lots of local information to make your New Zealand trip memorable.  Everything from camping on women's land to 5 star accommodation and everything in between.

Lesbian & gay sites

http://www.hikingdykes.co.uk
The Hikingdykes website - with links and email contact addresses for the various lesbian walking groups in the UK (London, Sheffield, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham).

http://www.gayswitchboard.org.uk
Bradford Lesbian & Gay Switchboard: an informative site about the work of the Switchboard - and lots of links.

More lesbian & gay links?

Other interesting sites

http://www.kindlyconsumer.com/
A site that helps you shop ethically category by category by linking to ethical shopping sites, enabling you to shop for the planet...

http://whatplug.info
A useful website telling you what plug adaptor you will need when you travel to different countries.

http://www.healingoils.org/
Jane Marshall's site selling unusual essential oils, however most of her business involves Gels for runners, walkers, cyclists and those with arthritic joints or muscle aches....

http://www.nGoAbroad.com?
nGoAbroad custom-fits people's skills, interests and goals to international humanitarian need.

http://www.lifespansystems.co.uk
Creators of The Lifestyle Companion an interactive CD ROM With over 5 hours of interactive content. The Lifestyle Companion will entertain, guide and encourage you towards optimum health and spiritual growth.

http://www.odyssey.org.uk/sahara.php
Odessey is arranging a charity trek in the Sahara to raise money for their cancer recovery programme. Visit their website for more details.

http://www.isysoutdoors.com
ISYS OUTDOORS - an interesting site selling digital mapping and walking guides on CD. Their products are called MapWise, Hillwalker & Alpiniste.

Euro Talk language CD ROMs
Excellent language CD ROMs: a wide range of different languages at beginner level, and a narrower range of very useful intermediate CD ROMs.

http://www.gallery-worldwide.com - A lot of artworks in different styles and media. Website offers a wide variety of features and services that enable customers to buy and sell their art.

http://www.hampshirecam.co.uk: A wonderful site if you want to see photos of Hampshire in particular is David Packman's Hampshire Cam. Many thanks David for letting us use one of your photos on our site!

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/europe/uk/ukforecast.html
The excellent Met Office site where you can read the forecast for each part of the UK, or see the weather charts and satelite images for the UK, for Europe, for Africa, Asia, Australasia....

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com  
This is an extremely handy site for anyone - recommended by a walkingwoman.  It has a really useful chat forum where members swap lots of money saving tips - some really easy, some intricate.

The-Insight.com - A Spirituality Web Directory.

http://www.youcanlifecoaching.co.uk
Ruth Rosselson's life coaching site - a walking woman who also offers life coaching.

http://www.coaching4growth.co.uk
Maggie Don's life coaching site (details about Maggie can be found on her website).

http://travel.guardian.co.uk/saturdaysection/story/0,8922,836230,00.html
A Travel Guardian article about a WalkingWomen holiday in 2002 written by journalist Alison Harvey.

http://www.ordsvy.gov.uk
The very useful Ordnance Survey site. As well as maps of various scales, they offer information and education on Ordnance Survey.

http://www.mountain-images.co.uk
This is a delightfully clear site packed with wonderful mountain images, including some stunning ones of the Lake District. It also has an informative section on mountain photography - in case you sadly cannot make one of our Landscape Photography breaks!

http://www.countrylovers.co.uk
An interesting site "Connecting People with Britain's Countryside, and full of contacts and information about people working in the country - "sourcing suppliers of homemade products or country crafts, accommodation or a location for business lunches, book reviews, 'profiles' of people working from the countryside, even car and bicycle rental".

http://www.webdirectory.com
'The Earth's Biggest Environmental Search Engine!' From earthquakes to endangered species, or from solar energy to animal rights - this is a directory site of research, information, services, agencies.... A great resource! (US based)

http://www.walking.about.com
A North American site with lots of interesting tips and information about walking - includes articles on injury prevention, choosing shoes, first aid, stretching, walking poles, hot weather tips. Some of the site is about power walking, marathons and the like - but plenty is relevant to fell walking. Easy to use.

http://www.metta.co.uk
Metta is a refreshing new web site covering most things considered alternative in the UK - from alternative therapists to yoga workshops, and from words of wisdom to 'fun stuff'. Worth a visit!

http://www.great-walk.org
A big charity fund raising walk organised by Kellogs Corn Flakes from Lands End to John O Groats between April and September 2005. You are invited to join for one of the many 10k sections, and raise money for your favourite charity....

http://www.photooncanvas.org.uk
Have your favourite walking photo made into a canvas you can hang on your wall? This commercial site makes this possible.

Urlaub-Reise-Wegweiser
A German travel guide site (for German speakers).

Alternative Bookshops - Contact list

Radical/Alternative, Women's, Lesbian/Gay
Small independent bookshops are under such pressure from the big chains and Amazon etc that several have had to close recently. So here is the fullest list we can find currently. Do support them!

Silvermoon Women's bookshop
Now in Foyles in Charing Cross Rd, London.
020 7836 7906
Mail Order: 020 78366848

Libertas Women's bookshop
Mail order: 01904 679 796
Web site: www.libertas.co.uk

Word Power
43 West Nicholson St, Edinburgh, EH8 9DB
0131 662 9112
Email: books@word-power.co.uk
www.word-power.co.uk

News from Nowhere
96 Bold St, Liverpool, L1 4HY
0151 708 7270

Littlethorn
73, Humberstone Gate, Leicester, LE1 1WB
0116 251 2002

Gay's The Word
66 Marchmont St, London, WC1N 1AB
020 7278 7654

Prowler
3-7 Brewer St, London, W1R 3EN
020 7734 4031

Housmans
5 Caledonian Rd, Kings Cross, London, N1 9DX
020 7837 4473

Owl Bookshop
209 Kentish Town Rd, London, NW5 2JU
020 7485 7793

Out Bookshop
4-7 Dorset St, Brighton, BN2 1WA
01273 623 356

October Books
243 Portswood Road, Southampton.
023 8058 1030.
http://www.octoberbooks.org/

Stop junk mail - save trees!

100 million trees a year are used for junk mail - 40% of which goes in the bin unread. This year you could receive over 400 pieces of junk mail! If you too are fed up with Junk mail, you can remove your name & address from the direct mail mailing lists: phone 020 7766 4410 to request a form from the Mailing Preference Service - or write to them at Mailing Preference Service, Freepost 22, London W1E 7EZ.

More pages & WW contact details:

Tel/Fax: 08456 445335 (Local call rate) From outside UK: +44 (0) 1926 313321 Email: queries@walkingwomen.com URL: http://www.walkingwomen.com		Address: WalkingWomen 22 Duke St Leamington Spa Warwicks CV32 4TR, UK
The paintings on this site are Rosie Jeffries or Sarah Burt. The Lake District Map is Autoroute. The photos are and curtesy of whoever they are attributed to. The rest of the contents and photos areWalkingWomen.