Founding Story & Commitment to Honest Trails
Bracken & Byway started after one too many weekends ruined by a route guide written by someone who'd clearly never left their desk, let alone walked the stile they described. The founder had spent years walking the Peaks and the Dales on weekends off from an ordinary job, getting frustrated at how much outdoor writing was recycled from press releases and old tourist leaflets.
So the guide became strict about one thing: nobody writes about a route they haven't walked. Writers are recruited from the regions they cover, notes are taken on site, and a second person checks every route against current mapping before it goes anywhere near publication.
The reader-first part matters just as much. There's no paid placement, no sponsored route recommendations, and if something changes or we get a detail wrong, we say so openly on the article rather than quietly editing it away.
How We Keep Standards Up
Every route gets walked again each season because paths, gates and stiles change more than people expect. We'd rather delay a guide by a week than publish something that's already out of date.
What We Stand By
Local, Not Generic
Our writers live and walk the ground they write about, from the Peaks to the Pennines.
Independent Editorial Line
We turn down sponsored placements so recommendations stay honest.
Named Writers, Always
Every article carries a real byline, so you know who did the walking.
Open Correction Policy
When a route changes or we get something wrong, we say so publicly and fix it.
Seasonal, Not Static
Guides are revisited each season because British weather changes what actually works underfoot.
Reader-Suggested Topics
Many of our best guides started as a question sent in by a reader.
Independence
We don't take payment to recommend a route or a piece of kit, so what we publish is what we'd actually tell you ourselves.
Local Knowledge
Our writers live near the ground they cover, from the Cairngorms to the Cotswolds, so the detail comes from actually being there.
Honest Correction
When something changes or we get it wrong, we say so in the open rather than quietly editing it away.
We started this journal because too many outdoor guides are written from a desk, not a doorstep. Every route, review and seasonal note here is checked against what actually happens on the ground before we let it go to print.
Contacts