CODDIWOMPLE ‘To travel purposefully towards a vague destination’ (verb, English)
While striding out to reach a charming village, castle or pub certainly has its pleasures, setting off with nothing particular in mind invites spontaneity; it frees us up to follow an intriguing path or climb a hill simply to see a new view.
A ‘coddiwomple’ might be a wholly unstructured walk or perhaps a moment of drifting away from the path to explore on a whim. If aimlessly wandering feels like a recipe for getting lost (and not in a good way), then why not apply the same principle to exploring a rambling country estate where you can’t go too far astray?
Seek out places that invite wonder such as Hawkstone Park Follies, Shropshire, where you can meander through 100 acres of labyrinthine tunnels, sandstone caves and rhododendron jungles. Or Puzzlewood, Gloucestershire, a maze of enticing pathways between mossy rock formations – with no set trails, when you reach a fork in the path, simply choose your route and walk purposefully ahead.
The extract above is just one of the words for walks in our feature ‘Talk the Walk’ from our May issue. Enjoy a Solivagant, a Dauwtrappen or a Passeggiatta from page 52.
Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe
