Under my feet : walk markers

I’ve been looking down again, and this time I’ve been seeing the markers that are set in city pavements to guide people through various walking routes. I saw the first of these when I was in London last October, which alerted me to keep an eye out for others. I’ve since found two more and I’m sure there will be others in my future.

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk

I spotted this walk marker just outside the boundary fence of Buckingham Palace, one of ‘three palaces and two mansions which figured in the life of the Princess’ (the others being Kensington Palace, St James’s Palace, Clarence House and Spencer House), according to the information about the walk on the Royal Parks website.

The website explains that ‘The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk is a seven-mile-long walk, charted by 90 plaques set in the ground, that takes you within sight of famous buildings and locations associated with the Princess during her life.’ To be honest, the concept doesn’t particularly appeal to me, though I do like the idea that the walk takes you through ‘four of the eight Royal Parks ... St James's Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens’ and, if you were a tourist short on time to explore London, the walk is a nice mix of splendid architecture and refreshing green spaces.

The website also explains that ‘The plaques are the work of sculptor Alec Peever. They have a rose emblem at the centre and are etched in aluminium, which appears like a precious metal. The rose is heraldic in design, and while symbolising the Princess's enduring image, also symbolises Britain's traditions and heritage.’

2005 Cardiff Centenary Walk

Despite having pounded many a pavement in my four and a half years in south Wales (especially in Cardiff), I hadn’t noticed any of these walk markers until a few days ago (though I have seen/visited/walked past all the sites on the walk’s route).

The walk, covering an impressive 41 landmarks and sites of historic interest, was established 15 years ago in recognition of Cardiff’s 100 years as a city. 

Despite that long list of places to see, the walk is only 2.2 miles (3.6 kilometres) long, so it’s easily do-able for any visitor to the Welsh capital.

You can download a route map and a guide book from the Outdoor Cardiff website here.

Wales Coastal Path

You would expect the signage for a coastal path walk to be on wooden posts along the route, marking junctions perhaps or pointing the way forward – and it usually is – but, where that coastal path passes through built-up areas, markers can sometimes be found set into the concrete under your feet. Such is the case here in south Wales, in towns and cities like Penarth and Cardiff, where the markers can be found along the promenade and the barrage respectively.

I’ve only walked an infinitesimal part of the 870-mile-long Wales Coastal path and have no ambition to walk all of it, even if I had the time, energy and money – judging by the route through Cardiff, some sections are pretty dire – but the true coastal sections, which make up the majority of this trail, take in some spectacular, breath-taking scenery that rivals anything you might enjoy and experience anywhere in the world. You can see what I mean and check out the full details on the dedicated website here.