Book Review: AZ Hidden Walks Series

As a dog owner, I walk every day with my spaniels Poppy and Coco. I’m always on the look out for new places to walk near me as we get bored of the same walks each day. Today sees the publication of the AZ hidden walks book series and I was kindly sent a couple of digital copies by Netgalley and Harper Collins publishers to review.

There are several cities covered in the AZ hidden walks series, all published today (3rd March 2022). I chose Oxford as well as Bristol & Bath as I’d like to explore these areas more this spring and summer. Before I share my thoughts on these two books, here’s the publisher’s background info about the series.

Book Cover Notes – AZ Bristol & Bath Hidden Walks & AZ Oxford Hidden Walks

Featuring 20 walks, including lesser-known circuits and details on popular walks. Accompanied by guided walking instructions and written by a local expert, A-Z Bristol & Bath Hidden Walks & AZ Oxford Hidden Walks are the perfect way to explore the city in a new light.

Small enough to fit in a bag or pocket, this handy guidebook is ideal for tourists or locals looking to discover more about the city. Each route varies in length from 1 to 6 miles, and is clearly outlined on detailed A-Z street mapping.
• 20 walking routes with instructions and maps
• Full-colour photographs of hidden gems and city attractions
• Key sights and locations clearly marked on map
• Information such as start/finish points, nearest postcodes, distance and terrain included

AZ hidden walks book series — AZ hidden walks

My Thoughts

I live within a short drive from the cities of Oxford, Bristol and Bath so these walking guides will be fun to use this year. I can’t wait to explore some of the different walks on offer. Both books have 20 chapters each providing a hidden walk in or around the city.

What do you like to see on your walks? With these books you can choose from historical buildings, green spaces, canals, rivers and more. Each chapter is set out in a similar way, making it easy to jump to different chapters to see what catches your eye before heading off on your walk.

At the beginning of each chapter there’s a brief description of the walk and it’s location. I liked the information panel at the start of each chapter, which provides the walk distance, a suggested starting point and an estimate of how long the walk might take. This all helps decide which walk to follow depending on how much time you have available and how much exercise you’d like to do.

Once you’ve decided which walk to follow there is a route map and detailed point-to-point directions. As you follow the walk the book also provides notes on what you might see during the walk, what to look out for and useful photographs of interesting places. The author has also shared options for you to divert from your walk temporarily for added sights of interest or for a pitstop for refreshments.

The digital versions of these books were reviewed on my Kindle, which I don’t think will be practical whilst out walking. So I’d recommend either finding a way to view the digital version on your phone or buy the print version. All of the paperbacks in this series have been designed as handy pocket sized walking guides.

Summary

These handy pocket sized walking guides offer 20 hidden walks around some of the UK’s most beautiful cities. Let’s hope there are more cities added to this compelling travel book series soon.

About AZ Maps

Geographers’ Map Company Ltd. (A-Z Maps) was established in London on 25 August 1936. The company’s most famous publication, the iconic A-Z Atlas and Guide to London, was created by Phyllis Pearsall, the founder of A-Z, who explored every street in London to create the first edition. Since then, A-Z has become the trusted source for street maps and atlases, as well as developing Visitors’ Guides, Road Atlases and the Adventure Map series for walkers.

Where To Buy

AZ Oxford Hidden

AZ Bristol & Bath

More books in the series

I hope you’ve enjoyed my review of AZ Hidden Walks for Bristol, Bath and Oxford. There are several other AZ city walking guides that may be right up your street: