When is the best time to go walking in England?

England has a temperate-maritime climate with wet winters and warm(er) summers, but the weather here is famously fickle. I’ve regretted being in shorts with a freezing wind biting my knees in midsummer in the Lake District, and have been left carrying surplus layers on a bright sunny winter’s day in Oxfordshire.

Although summer heatwaves are now becoming more frequent and severe, it remains the rule of thumb that summer is rarely too hot to walk, and is mostly dry. Those affected by pollen might want to watch out for hayfever season(s). Note that accommodations over the peak summer months are often booked out months in advance.

Winters in England are cold although, thanks to the Gulf Stream, not as cold as our northerly latitudes imply. But cold is compounded by the damp and the wind, which, along with short daylight hours, can make winter walking a bit of a chore. There are few things as glorious as a crisp winter’s morning, but they’re an infrequent pleasure and I wouldn’t plan an entire walking holiday around it.

My advice is to aim for the “shoulder seasons” of late spring and early autumn, which offer the best balance of fewer crowds, greater availability, and a decent chance of agreeable weather.