Embracing the great outdoors in the dead of winter is a lot easier in a group and with a knowledgeable leader for motivation. We pick the best guided walks around Britain

Festival of Winter Walks, various

The Ramblers Festival of Winter Walks has been running for more than 25 years. Last year, thousands of people joined hundreds of free, group, guided walks, ranging from a two-mile stroll suitable for children to a strenuous 15-mile hike on the Isle of Wight that included the option to join the Ventnor Boxing Day swim. Other highlights are a solstice walk in Wiltshire as the sun rises over Stonehenge and a Liverpool city stroll. There are also walks to download from the Ramblers Routes online walking library.

• 17 December-8 January, free, ramblers.org.uk

National Trust walks, various

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Lyme Park, Cheshire. Photograph: Don McPhee/The Guardian

Lots of National Trust properties run guided walks aimed at blowing away the cobwebs after Christmas. Boxing Day events include strolls around the estates at Lyme, Cheshire; Knole, Kent; and Hinton Ampner, Hampshire. There are also New Year’s Day rambles at Lyvedon, Northamptonshire; Hardwick, Derbyshire; and Standen House, West Sussex. On other dates there are winter solstice walks, wildlife walks (birds, seals and deer), Nordic walking, dog walks and archaeology walks. In short: something for almost every walker.

• Some free, some ticketed, nationaltrust.org.uk

Winter wanders, London

Facebook Twitter Pinterest View of St Paul’s Cathedral and the City of London skyline. Photograph: JLImages/Alamy

Walk London has been running city walking weekends three times a year since 2007, and more than 45,000 people have so far taken part. The next one is at the end of January, with 45 free guided walks of between 1½ and eight miles. Some are designed for young children, such as animal I Spy and quiz walks. There are short central London routes, such as a Spooky City stroll or a City of London history walk. Others are longer and more scenic, including a Parks and Palaces walk and a Thames ramble, all guided by trained leaders. The schedule will be online at the end of December.

• 28-29 January, free but booking required, walklondon.org.uk

Guided walks, Bradford

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The path to Brontë waterfall, near Haworth, Bradford, Yorkshire. Photograph: Alamy

Bradford Council runs regular walks all year round to introduce people to walking in the local area. All are guided by a leader assisted by a volunteer, and are free. Most are of about five miles, with none longer than 7½. Remaining walks this month are a moorland ramble, a solstice climb to Druid’s Altar in Bingley, and a Boxing Day walk around the Brontes’ Haworth. There are six walks in January and eight in February, including woodland walks to spot the first primroses and a stroll around Silsden reservoir.

• 18/21/26 December, then dates in Jan and Feb, free, bradford.gov.uk

Winter walking festival, Norfolk

The Marriott’s Way. Photograph: Alamy

Norfolk Council’s family-friendly winter walking and cycling festival starts straight after Christmas. The Boxing Day event is a one-mile treasure hunt starting in Wensum Park, Norwich. On 27 December, a four-mile walk along Marriott’s Way, a disused railway line, will take in the lost stations of Norwich City and Helleson. The following day there’ll be a morning patrol at Caistor Roman Town (3½ miles), a stroll through Great Yarmouth in Nelson’s footsteps (2 miles), and city walk exploring Norwich’s hidden alleyways (2 miles).

• 26-28 December, free but booking required, norfolk.gov.uk

Crickhowell walking festival, Brecon Beacons

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Crug Hywel, above the village of Llanbedr, Powys. Photograph: Alamy

This annual festival in the eastern Brecon Beacons kicks off in late February, with a whopping 89 guided walks over nine days around the town and surrounding Black Mountains. Walks are graded from one boot (easy half-days) to four boots (all-day treks of up to 20 miles for experienced hill walkers). Unusual events include Nordic walking tasters, night walks and an introduction to mountain running. It’s not just walks: there are talks, courses in map-reading and navigation, pilates classes for walkers, live music and a torchlit procession up Crug Hywel (Wales’s Table Mountain) for a rousing singsong.

• 25 February-5 March, walks from £6.50, crickhowellfestival.com

RSPB walks, various

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sunrise over Clumber park, Nottinghamshire. Photograph: Alamy

A number of RSPB reserves run guided walks, with leaders to help walkers spot and identify birds. On 3 January, there’s a chance to squeeze the last drop out of the Christmas holidays with an 8am walk at Batford Springs, Harpenden, before work starts later that day. Other walks in January include a stroll around Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire, where there is a chance of seeing hawfinches, and a ramble around Wraysbury gravel pits, Berkshire, looking for overwintering smew, goosander and thrushes.

• Most walks free but donations welcome, rspb.org.uk

Fresh Start Walking Weekend, Isle of Wight

The island’s walking weekend aims to help people get the year off to a healthy start. Ten guided walks around the island range from short fossil hunts and a stroll around the Garlic Farm, to an 18-mile crossing of the island from north to south, taking in Parkhurst Forest.

• 7-8 January, some walks free, others £5, visitisleofwight.co.uk

Woodland walks, Buckinghamshire

David Willis is a bushcraft instructor, teaching outdoor living skills, campfire cooking and whittling. Once a month he runs free, family-friendly woodland walks near Chalfont St Giles. The 1½-hour walks teach children to be nature detectives, identifying trees and plants, hunting for animal trails and foraging.

• 1 January-5 February, free but online registration required, davidwillis.info

Winter walks, East Anglia

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Winter walks with Curlydog

Curlydog is a Lincolnshire-based company that specialises in walks and outdoor adventures in East Anglia. Its series of winter walks for a fiver includes a 10-miler 11 December, starting in Elton, near Peterborough. Next up are a nine-mile Grantham canal walk and an 8½-mile Top of Lincolnshire walk. More walks will be added.

• 18 December, 8 January and 5 February, £5, booking essential, curlydogltd.com

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