■Distance: 7 miles/11.5km ■Time: 4½ hours ■Grade: Moderate

■Distance: 7½ miles/12km ■ Time: 4 hours ■ Grade: Moderate

Although it regularly ranks among the best places to live in the UK, the pretty market town of Stamford, in Lincolnshire, is also a great place to visit. Thanks to its idyllic scenery and charming Geo

■Distance: 5 miles/8km ■Time: 3 hours ■Grade: Moderate

Proper preparation prevents poor performance

“ I met Charles Dickens today, except he had clearly been so busy working on The Mystery of Edwin Drood that he had fallen asleep, so I didn’t get to speak to him!” I laughingly proclaimed to Ro when