Where would you wake up on your perfect day?
I’d wake up at home in Highbury, London, have a walk on Hampstead Heath, and then have an agreeable lunch with a dozen friends. In the evening, we’d go to the Emirates Stadium and watch football.

Who’s the perfect walking companion?
My wife and children are great companions, but there’s always a delay in getting started with them. Whereas my dogs, a West Highland white and terrier cross, are always raring to go – they’re such enthusiasts.

You’ve been president of the Woodland Trust since 2004. How did that happen?
I made some enthusiastic remarks about trees and supported the charity on TV, so the chief executive asked me to come on board in a more regular way. Making me president bound me with hoops of steel, but I’ve no great formal powers: I plant a tree and speak at the odd occasion.

I went to last year’s opening of Heartwood Forest near St Albans – the largest new forest of broadleaf trees in England. And there’s nothing better than five minutes of TV ribbing to raise the Trust’s profile, such as when Jo Brand announced on QI that she was president of ‘Shut Up About the Woodland Trust Trust’. Being made fun of – that’s my contribution.

Could conservation organisations do more to harness celebrity support?
Really, the issue should speak for itself, but you do need someone people have heard of to get media attention. Having Princess Anne as the patron of the Trust’s Jubilee Woods project means the proposed 60 woods get into the local papers.

What should happen to England’s publicly owned woodland?
I think the proposed sell-off was a rush job for the Government, with a broad brush of gain, but rather more to it in the details. If the Forestry Commission estate was a drain on the Government’s resources, then it will be a drain on whoever acquires it. The Woodland Trust took a balanced line. You can’t just double the woods a charity owns – you have to account for it – so we’re not chaining ourselves to every wood in the country. No doubt the Forestry Commission estates of quick-growing conifers drew protests at the time they were planted, and now there’s protest at change. The Woodland Trust champions native species, not conifers planted in inappropriate places.

Should Britain be planting 20 million trees a year, as the Trust suggests?
With figures above a million, nobody can really hold the numbers in their head. Doubling tree cover in Britain is a spectacularly high aim, but it would bring us up to the European average. It wouldn’t make the country overwhelmed by trees – it would be restoring the country to what it would be like if there wasn’t so much human activity.

What’s your favourite tree?
Our two native species of oak trees: Quercus robur and Quercus petraea. The Anderson clan has a badge with an oak tree on it, and our motto is ‘Stand sure’.

In the 1980s, how did you combine the day job as a criminal barrister with performing stand-up comedy?
I like having a balance. At first comedy was just a hobby – it took up no more time than playing golf. There was only really three years of juggling TV and a legal career. But then TV took off in a bigger way than I expected. I did think I would resume my legal career after five years, but it’s too late now!

You’ve had some memorable spats on your chat show with Jeffrey Archer, Piers Morgan and the Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb. What makes for a perfect interviewee?
I like responsive interviewees, so it’s like a tennis match, back and forth. Politicians are good because they’re combative. Ben Elton is good because he’s quite sharp and the audience has a mixed attitude to him. By offering interviewees criticism, I let them meet that criticism, so it’s not just: “Tell us about your manor house property.” But I want it to be a discussion; not too aggressive. And I do plenty of preparation: I always want to convey that I’ve read their book, done my homework. It’s treating them with respect.

Are you ever lost for words?
Yes – in interviews like this.

For more on the work of the Woodland Trust, visit www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

Click here to listen to extracts of this interview as a Podcast Click on the play button to listen to extracts of Julia’s interview with Jean

If I had to pick the point when I fell in love with walking, I’d say it was at the summit of Long Mynd in Shropshire. I was in my teens on a youth hostelling weekend, getting my first experience of proper hill walking. The views were just spectacular; from that moment I was hooked on the outdoors. Even so, I wouldn’t have guessed what a big part walking would come to play in my working life.

Originally, I started working for the mental health charity BITA Pathways (Birmingham Industrial Therapy Association) as a cookery tutor. At the time they were operating a healthy living project. I offered to help out on the eating side of things and soon got involved with the activities too. That’s when I started walking with our service users, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I’m now a project manager and, as a result of seeing what a positive impact walking has on people, I’ve made it an integral part of what we do.

I lead two groups of around 18 people on walks twice a week. Their problems range from stress and anxiety to longer-term issues such as schizophrenia. Over a period of 16 weeks we measure improvements in their mental and physical health. We start from our centre in Digbeth and walk along the canals and footpaths nearby. After a few weeks, we venture further afield to the 2km Walking for Health routes in the parks of Birmingham. Then, when we really start building up our distances, we move even further out into the local countryside. By doing this, people get a taste of inner-city, suburban and rural walking.

Another walking activity we offer is lap walking. Three lunchtimes a week, groups of service users walk to a nearby park or green space to complete as many circuits as possible in the given time. This often sees huge crocodiles of people making their way along the streets of Digbeth – it’s great fun. A few years ago, we also linked up with the Ramblers’ own programme of short walks on their Get Walking Keep Walking project.

One of the first changes I notice in people will often be that they gain self-confidence. The groups usually haven’t met before, but by the second session they’ll be talking and getting to know each other as they’re walking. This mixing and socialising is really important because mental health problems can leave people very isolated.

One lady who came along was in her fifties and was suffering enduring depression. She said she normally found it difficult to talk to strangers; she’d never even spoken to people who’d been her neighbours for 20 years. The walking group helped her to relax and find her confidence in a supportive environment.

Some of our service users may not have been very active either, so these hour-long walks can really help their physical wellbeing. Over the 16 weeks, I see people moving more easily, walking at a faster pace and even their posture improving. And the benefits carry over into the rest of their lives, too. Success breeds success, as they say.

For me, it’s a pleasure to be able to pass on my love of the outdoors and show people what a big difference walking can make to them. The feedback I get from our service users makes it worthwhile. Take Bill, for example. He’s in his forties and has a condition through which he is losing the ability to see, hear and move. He needs treatment that involves prolonged stays in hospital and is very invasive, which has had an effect on his mental health, so he attends BITA twice a week. He told me going for walks brings him some normality: it gives him a glimpse of what it’s like to be normal again, feeling how fit and healthy people feel and doing what they do. It has given him the motivation he needs to keep going.

What could be more satisfying than that?

As told to Julia Buckley.

Your walk of life
Do you have a story to tell about a life-changing walk or how walking has transformed your world? Contact us at walkmag@ramblers.org.uk

What were your highs and lows during the whole expedition?
The leg on Carstensz Pyramid in New Guinea (pictured below) was my lowest point. We trekked through the jungle rather than helicopter to base camp, and it was the most amazing environment, but tough. The humidity was 90 per cent, so I was either soaking from sweat or the torrential rain. But I was lucky to meet tribes completely removed from Western experience. My high point was summiting Denali in Alaska, having suffered frostbite and falling into a crevasse on the first day. I worked hard with my climbing partner, and we reached the summit in nine days. It usually takes twice as long.

You’ve said trekking in Antarctica is as much a mental game as a physical one. Does being in extreme terrain make the brain sharper?
Antarctica is not an environment for everybody: you have to be on it every minute of every day. But it is an opportunity to be in your own thoughts all day, and it’s rare to get that peace.

Do the world’s highest mountains and poles still retain a sense of wildness, or did you see evidence of them being degraded by too many expeditions?
There’s still a sense of wilderness. The expedition companies respect the environments they’re in: our Antarctica guides made us carry our waste with us. And after the horror stories I’d heard about Everest, there’s been a massive clean-up, with eight tonnes of rubbish taken off the mountain. I did see a few dead bodies on Everest, but they’re respectfully managed in body bags and kept away from the track. I think there’s a consciousness now to keep these parts of the world beautiful.

How important was access to the British countryside for your pre-expedition training?
It made me appreciate everything we have in Wales. I ran along the canals of Newport every day, and went to the Brecon Beacons every weekend, hiking for 24 hours non-stop.

You took on your first mountain in 2009 with the expedition company Jagged Globe. How did you learn so fast?
The company had a clear idea about what needed to be done to keep me safe on the 737 Challenge, and devised an 18-month programme for me. I never gave up on training because I wanted to give myself the best chance. There are no shortcuts to getting to that level, so even in the depths of ice-water immersion it was always a privilege.

You say success on a mountain isn’t black and white, and that climbing is a ‘soul sport’. Can you explain?
Planning and preparation can be meticulous, but accidents still happen, because next to Mother Nature we’re all very small. And the outdoors is simply spiritual, whether you’re on Wales’ Ogmore beach or Everest.

The 737 Challenge came from wanting to fill the void left by your professional rugby career, after being forced to retire with a shoulder injury. How did you cope with that life change and how important were outdoor activities in maintaining a sense of wellbeing?
I didn’t handle the end of rugby-playing well: my world collapsed. Then I read Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know and challenged myself to learn new skills. I’ve raced motorbikes since I was six and have always been into the outdoors. I basically grew up in a tent, so the outdoors has played a huge part in my wellbeing.

After your death-defying experiences, does anything still scare you?
My biggest fear is not being able to capitalise on what we’ve achieved with 737 in terms of fundraising for Marie Curie Cancer Care. We’re still some way off our £1 million target.

Why is there such a strong link between outdoor challenges and charitable giving?
Against the gloom and doom of the news, there’s a conscious shift of people wanting to do more and be more. We want to help the less fortunate and get more out of life. I’ve been blown away by the support the 737 Challenge has received, ranging from letters from schoolkids sending in their pocket money, to small cheques from people who have very little.

For those of us without the fitness of a former rugby international player, what tips would you give for getting in shape for an outdoor trek or challenge?
Make fitness and the outdoors a way of life, not a chore, and involve your friends.

Britain has an incredible heritage of explorers, including one of your backers, Sir Ranulph Fiennes. What advice would you give to young people who want to follow in your adventurous footsteps?
Sir Ranulph’s challenges captivated me. He’s the first to admit he’s not a mountaineer and he gave me the courage to channel my energies into an expedition. I learned the concept of the seven challenges from him. Young people just need to get out there. The UK has so many amazing places. So long as you have the right gear to be safe, it doesn’t cost a penny. Get an OS map and have fun.

The 737 Challenge has left you skint, but you’ve also said your backers’ leap of faith in you is more valuable than any of their financial contributions. Does the natural environment reshape our priorities?
To fund the challenge I used my savings and my insurance policy from rugby, and sold my possessions. In this economic climate, how can I expect people to donate and invest if I won’t? The people I’ve met during the challenge have altered my perceptions. I really miss the simplicity of life on expedition, where you only need to worry about your lifeline, food, shelter and tent. It hasn’t turned me into a hippy, but it does make you realise what’s important.

What challenges would you still like to take on?
The 737 Challenge has opened my eyes to environmental issues, so perhaps something involving conservation. But I don’t see this one as over until the £1 million fundraising target is reached.

Are you excited about your home country’s All-Wales Coast Path opening next year? How about taking that on as your next challenge?
I am excited! Wales has some of the most beautiful coastline on the planet. I’ve cycled some of it, and will attempt it in the future. Ben, my dog, will love it.

Scroll down for a slideshow from Richard’s 737 expedition or click here to visit the website.

What’s your favourite…

…urban walk?
My favourite has to be Cardiff: from Pontcanna Fields to St David’s 2 shopping centre, via Cardiff Castle and the Millennium Stadium.

…country walk?
Ogmore beach, near Bridgend, with my dog, Ben.

…view?
The reflection of the sun in ice crystals at the South Pole.

…piece of walking kit?
I love my Scarpa Cristallo boots – I had no blisters during the whole seven-month challenge.

…post-walk tipple?
Beer.

Click here to listen to Dom’s interview with Ray Mears Click here to listen to Dom’s interview with Ray Mears

Where’s your perfect place to wake up?
Outdoors, woken by birdsong, with the smell of my campfire embers still burning, and a canoe pulled up on a nearby shore.

Do you have a favourite walk?
I do, but I can’t tell you or everyone would go there. Each person should find a special place and keep it to themselves.

What’s your ideal bushtucker meal and tipple?
The Arctic bramble, one of the rarest berries. It’s like a miniature raspberry but with the flavour intensity of a blackcurrant. And you can’t beat water from a natural spring.

Where do you feel most out of your comfort zone?
Crowded places. But I’m comfortable in all wild environments. It has taken a while to learn that, particularly the stoicism necessary to survive the Arctic.

What’s the closest to death that you’ve come?
I was in a helicopter crash in Wyoming, USA, in 2005. I didn’t think I was going to survive: I adopted the brace position and realised I didn’t have any regrets. But I ended up with no injuries. I pulled my cameraman out of the wreckage. He’d broken his legs and is still recovering now.

You recently filmed a series called Wild Britain – are there any true wildernesses left in Britain?
Not in the same way as the Canadian bush or Australian Outback; the closest we get is the Scottish Highlands. But, in terms of where wildlife lives, there are quiet pockets of roadside teeming with wildlife.

How accessible should Britain’s wild spaces be?
You have to allow people to touch the dirt and damp of the countryside. If you keep people looking at a distance, you don’t really get across the force of nature. That’s why going hiking and camping is important, because you touch nature in a tangible way and it touches you. But, saying that, I don’t like too many dressed paths. I don’t like fences or stone walls, either – they’re an imposition on the landscape.

The Government has proposed selling off Forestry Commission woodland to save money. How important is it to look after Britain’s remaining forest?
Tremendously important. Britons should fight to maintain and improve their natural environment as a legacy for future generations. Selling off Forestry Commission land doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll lose it – that’s in the hands of the people who buy it. But there’s a propensity to tidy up woodland. Sometimes leaving it is good for wildlife – nature will sort itself out – but that’s an unpopular view.

What’s the best piece of survival advice you’ve been given?
Choose your campsite well. When eventually you’re only able to hike in your mind, it’s by the campsites that you’ll recall your journeys.

Are there any bushcraft techniques that would benefit walkers?
All of them! Taught properly, bushcraft makes you feel at home in the wild.

Is there a piece of kit you always carry with you?
A sense of humour.

Is a health and safety culture inhibiting walkers’ enjoyment of the outdoors?
I don’t have a problem with it. A health and safety mindset is part and parcel of my job.

Is it true Northumbria Police asked you to help in their search for the killer Raoul Moat last year?
Yes, but I can’t talk about it.

You tracked bear, leopard and wolves in the recent Survival series. Any species you’d still like to hunt for?
The tiger. I’ve been tracking animals for 40 years. The first was a fox, when I was seven. The courses at your Woodlore School of Wilderness Bushcraft are getting more popular.

Does it make you hopeful for the natural world’s future?
Yes. But I worry that the demand for bushcraft skills means it won’t always be taught properly. Lots of teachers aren’t practising enough. I’m still a student of bushcraft – I don’t believe I’m an expert.

Interview by Dominic Bates. Image by lwpkommunikacio.

Click here to listen to extracts of this interview as a Podcast Click on the play button to listen to extracts of Julia’s interview with Alec

One of the various compensations of being blind when you’re a rambler is a handy stick. I find this comes in particularly useful when encountering electric fences. My technique is to plant the stick on the opposite side of the obstruction and pivot over in a sort of Western roll movement. This works a treat, most of the time… There was one incident where I accidentally felled the rambler behind me in the process, but luckily he survived and we’re still friends. And there’s another plus point: the camaraderie. When you’re visually impaired, you’re a lot more reliant on your fellow ramblers. I walk with a guide walker, lightly holding their arm as we go. On, say, a 12-mile walk I’ll probably switch guides anything up to half a dozen times, which means I get to know the people in the group very well.

I was lucky, because I was only 10 years old when I lost my sight due to a congenital condition. Some people might think that sounds strange, but at that age you adapt to things easily. I was sporty at school and had a particular passion for rowing; rambling would have been too slow for me back then. But in 1995, after 30 years of working at a desk, I was starting to get pretty out of shape. So when a group of friends came up with the idea of going out on a few walks together, I decided to join them. I haven’t looked back since. Our original group still walks together once a month and as well as regularly covering nearby trails, we’ve done the whole of the Cotswold Way, Wye Valley Way and Yorkshire Dales Way. We’ve also circumnavigated the Isle of Wight and been over to France – to Normandy and Brittany. You need your wits about you on some of the coastal routes over there. I remember one point where the path had fallen away, leaving us with about 18 inches of trail beside a 300ft drop. I wasn’t the only person in our group walking with my eyes shut that day!

I’m now chair of my local Ramblers group here in Rutland and have been involved in several charity walks, including the Macmillan Way in 2004, from Abbotsbury in Dorset up to Leicester, to raise money for the Vista Society for the Blind. I covered about 260 miles over 19 days and helped to raise £8,332. Then in 2006 I walked a 109-mile route, passing through all 54 villages in Rutland and raising another £5,275 for Vista. And in 2008 I covered a 92-mile Round Rutland route, raising £3,920 for Leicestershire and Rutland Crimebeat. My favourite walk is Swaledale, from Keld to Reeth. The river and rocky topography provide an incredible audible landscape. Scenic views are important to me, too: my guides describe them, which helps me create a picture in my mind of where I’ve been.

Landmarks act as a sort of punctuation in my mental map. I don’t need my guides to explain every inch of what’s coming up along the trail for me, but they do tend to get very good at describing stiles. As any walker knows, no two stiles are exactly the same, so I need to know the configuration to ensure I don’t hold anyone up while negotiating them. It can be hard to meet new people when you’re blind and some visually impaired people spend a lot of their lives indoors – often in staggering isolation – when they’re more than capable of getting out and appreciating the countryside if given the opportunity. Ramblers groups provide an invaluable link to help people with disabilities access the countryside, but someone has to make the first move. So, I’d like to urge people to think about visually impaired people they know and invite them along on their walks. You could be making a huge difference to someone’s life. My life has been enriched immeasurably by walking and my involvement with the Ramblers.

As told to Julia Buckley.

Your walk of life
Do you have a story to tell about a life-changing walk or how walking has transformed your world? Contact us at walkmag@ramblers.org.uk

You’re campaigning with the Ramblers and other organisations for a rethink on the high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham (HS2). What are the flaws?
The consultation on a defined route, drawn up by engineers, is flawed. Going for maximum speed is unnecessary for an island the size of ours. HS2 is a prestige project, a showcase for speeds. Lower speeds give scope to change alignment and work with the contours of the landscape.

How much more public consultation over HS2 would you like the Government to do than it already is?
There should be serious consultation at parish council level for every segment of the line.

Do you think many people who object to HS2 are essentially nimbys?
Some are. We’ve had a debate about whether CPRE should reclaim the word ‘nimby’, but the problem is that saying “not in my backyard” can mean it’s OK in someone else’s. It still puzzles me that campaigners for local hospitals, schools and libraries are local heroes, but somebody who campaigns to save a green space is a nimby.

The proposed route could affect around 150 paths in the Chilterns and London and Birmingham’s green belts. What should walkers be doing now to help to prevent this?
Walkers should engage with the consultation, and press for mitigation. For instance, some of the route could be underground – like the Eurostar – or pylons could be put underground to make up for paths. The question for walkers is, who would gain if HS2 fails? The air and road lobby. With HS2, there will be some loss of countryside, but not as much as there would be with new roads.

Is objecting to the speed (400kph) of the proposed HS2 service going to win your charter challenging the scheme any friends among regular rail users?
The line can still be high speed, but less speedy. That means less carbon emissions and noise. And looking out of the window at the countryside, rather than it going by in a blur, is one of the pleasures of rail travel.

Now you’ve got the Right Lines Charter, what do you plan to do with it?
Karen Gardham, who previously worked on our local food campaign, will develop our HS2 campaign strategy. And we’ve got a blue-chip alliance of civic amenity and environmental groups, including the Ramblers, working on the charter. The charter group is looking at the high-speed link in an intelligent and high-minded way.

Considering HS2 has cross-party support, is there much chance of mobilising any political opposition to the scheme?
I’m optimistic that powerful arguments can carry the day.

Are CPRE’s members more concerned with an old-fashioned notion of the countryside being pretty-looking as opposed to a vibrant and functional place to live, work and enjoy?
We don’t want to moan constantly. It’s difficult for a protectionist organisation because people join us to stop things, but then stay for positive reasons. And people like pretty villages: they’re one
of the joys of the countryside. But if that were all we were about, it would be pretty sterile.

CPRE is a relatively small charity with a huge remit. How do you, in your leadership role, decide on priorities?
We have a strategic plan, so issues such as local food, litter and tranquillity have become more of a focus over the past three years. Planning is at our core, and some issues invite themselves, such as energy and wind farms. The big issue for me is the tone of CPRE campaigns. Just how confrontational should we be, especially when dealing with thin-skinned ministers? I’m getting calls from the most surprising people in branches, probably Conservative supporters, who say we need to take the gloves off over planning: to get down in the trenches and go in front of the bulldozers. If the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Treasury attempt to take over the planning system, in a way that Nicholas Ridley never managed, then CPRE will engage in some feisty campaigning because we’re bloody angry.

How do you balance protecting England’s countryside from wind turbines and public transport schemes with a need to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment globally?
Onshore wind is a subject of deep debate. If you’re serious about cutting carbon then you must also take account of the landscape. How that’s interpreted is down to the local branches. Some say local wind farms are tolerable for combating climate change, others don’t. Currently, communities feel disempowered compared to wind-farm developers, because the subsidies are now so skewed for onshore wind. When it comes to transport, the Government must be more consultative.

With 15 years to go until CPRE’s centenary, what’s your future vision of the country?
My nightmare would be to see six super-dairies serving all the country’s milk needs, and the countryside covered in Thanet Earth-style, giant greenhouse complexes. I have set out my ideal in CPRE’s 2026 – A Vision for the Countryside, which stresses beauty, tranquillity, diversity and better farming practices. I’d like to see a stronger steer to farmers not to be narrowly productivist and to encourage more set aside, wider field margins and beetle banks, with a subsidy system that supports this. Farmers receive a fair amount of public money and they need to deliver. Greenbelts are one of CPRE’s historic legacies, and it would be much easier to defend them if they are well used and well cared for, so local people could see their value. I’d also like to see limited rewilding, such as returning overgrazed upland to wood cover and the flooding of some land. I don’t believe anyone should be in denial about the need for more housing, either. Most of it should be in the city but some of it has to be in rural areas, as long as it’s well built and fits in with the local vernacular.

What’s your favourite…

…countryside walk?
The North Cornwall coast. I walked it with my brother, and then did little stretches with my children.

…city walk?
Clerkenwell and Bankside for the history. London has improved so much since 1984, when I first came here.

…piece of walking kit?
A large bottle of water.

…view?
The Weald of Kent from Chartwell or Mariners Hill, particularly in the spring.

…post-walk tipple?
Local real ale. Theakston’s Old Peculier brings back happy memories of walking in the Lake District.

Where’s your perfect place to wake up?
On a cliff above the ocean, pretty much anywhere in the British Isles – perhaps along the dramatic north coast of Cornwall or Devon.

Do you have a favourite walk?
The South West Coast Path is pretty phenomenal. As is the walking in St Kilda.

Who would be your ideal companion?
My black labrador, Inca, my wife, Marina, and my son, Ludo. Or a good group of friends mixed with a few strangers – walking is a fantastic opportunity to get to know people.

You’re president of the Campaign for National Parks – why are national parks so important to you?
I grew up in and around the New Forest, South Downs and Lake District, and I’m really excited about the South Downs becoming a national park. Having travelled the world, I know that we really do have parks we should be, and are, very proud of.

Are you worried about the spending cuts to national parks’ budgets?
Yes. Their budgets weren’t large in the first place, so the cuts will have a dramatic effect.

You support the Mosaic project to encourage more black and minority ethnic visitors to national parks. Does more need to be done?
Mosaic has been a success in opening up the countryside to a broader cross-section of society, but there’s still a lot of work to do. What a lot of people forget is that, for many ethnic minorities, the countryside can be a scary place. Mosaic helps to make the parks accessible to everyone, no matter what your ethnicity, religion or race.

Did you always want to be a presenter, like your TV vet dad Bruce Fogle?
No, not really. My mother’s an actress as well, so I grew up with both my parents appearing on television. I applied to be on BBC’s Castaway 2000 for the experience, not to be on telly or become a media figure. If anything, I wanted to be an actor rather than a presenter. I applied to all the drama schools but they rejected me. I’ve had bit parts, in things like Hotel Babylon, but I don’t think an Oscar is around the corner.

On Countryfile, you participated in some of Britain’s more bizarre countryside events. Any favourites?
The World Nettle Eating Championships in Dorset stands out. As does the World Coal Carrying Championships in West Yorkshire, and Staffordshire’s Tough Guy competition. Sadly, I didn’t break any records but it made me feel proud of Britain’s quirky traditions.

You’ve travelled the globe. What’s been your favourite place abroad?
If I was pushed, I’d say Papua New Guinea. It’s the most extraordinary place, like stepping back in time. There’s very little tourism, so it’s still unexploited. There are amazing trails, too, such as the Black Cat and Kokoda Tracks.

In your book Offshore you go in search of a British island you can buy. Which ones came closest to winning your heart?
I actually put in an offer for one of the Summer Isles, off Ullapool, in Scotland. But I was outbid by only about £10, which was a bit annoying. I like the Isles of Scilly – they’re pretty special. And the Outer Hebrides will always have a place in my heart because of my time on Taransay [in Castaway 2000].

Doesn’t Bear Grylls own an island off the coast of north Wales? Are you two in competition?
I’m envious of Bear in many respects. But he does things like sucking eyeballs, doesn’t he? I don’t do that. I probably need to work harder and make it big in America like Bear before I can afford another stab at my own island.

Any more adventures planned for you and James Cracknell?
We were training for the Tour Divide event [the world’s longest off-road bike race] but that’s been postponed indefinitely after James’ crash [a truck hit him while cycle training in the US last year]. It’s going to take a long time for him to make a full recovery; many years, really. I’d love to see the event through. If James wants to do it next year or the year afterwards, that would be great.

Win footwear from CÀRN’s ‘Inspired by Ben Fogle’ range at www.carn-uk.com/competitions

What do you think the recent impassioned protests over the Government’s plans for forest ownership say about the English public’s relationship with its woodlands?
The Government underestimated how people felt. It’s a shame the debate became so politicised, but people do feel strongly about a state-owned industry.

What is the Woodland Trust’s position on the sell-off of Forestry Commission (FC) woodland in England? Should it remain in public hands?
We want to see enhanced protection, we don’t want to get involved in the political debate about ownership. In the end, I don’t think ownership is the critical factor on whether woods are enjoyed or well managed. For me, the resources available for improving access and designation is the big issue. By avoiding political debate, I’ve been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism. I feel there are wider issues than the forestry estate – that’s why I’ve tried to keep to the debate on having good woodland heritage. There’s no one black-and-white answer. People assume that as a green organisation you’ll be involved in whatever political debates are going on. But we’re a ‘doing’ organisation and are coming to the question of whether the Forestry Commission estate stays in public ownership with a blank sheet of paper.

If the sell-off were eventually to go ahead, how much of the FC estate could the Woodland Trust realistically afford or want to purchase?
We don’t want to buy lots of woods. As a practical organisation, our impact is through increasing the enjoyment of woods and planting trees. I don’t want ownership to be a distraction on key issues such as the FC’s work on tree diseases and forest research.

Would you encourage more community ownership of forests?
Community ownership is a good aspiration, but you need a lot of help to build capability and resources. It would be wonderful if every community – along with every school and every hospital – had accessible woodland on its doorstep.

Should we be less concerned about ownership of woodland and more about its conservation, improvement and accessibility?
Absolutely.

You’re now part of the Government’s expert panel reviewing the future of the FC in England, along with the Ramblers, National Trust, Country Land & Business Association, two forestry industry bodies and one independent expert. Are you looking forward to serving on the panel?
Yes. It will be an opportunity to talk about issues the Trust feels passionately about. There’s not a lot of time, though: we have to produce an interim report by November, so we’ll be working hard this summer.

What do you think of the balance of the panel? Should the Government have allowed a place on the panel for the Forest Campaigns’ Network, for example?
It’s good to see the commercial and conservation sectors being well represented. The panel needs to consult really widely, so there will be plenty of opportunities to engage with us.

The Woodland Trust began in 1972, at the Devon kitchen table of retired farmer Kenneth Watkins. How does this homely history inform your work today?
The Trust stays at the practical end of things. We’re about doing it – not just talking about it – which is what Kenneth Watkins wanted. Our roots are in creating, protecting and visiting woods.

What ambitions do you have for the Woodland Trust in the long-term?
Protection and access are the key issues from our point of view. Planning reform is a big part of protection: some of the 850 planning applications we’ve fought were in state-owned forests and it’s the major political question we’re lobbying about. My long-term ambitions are to make sure ancient woodland is protected, to double woodland cover in the UK, and make sure every child has a chance to plant a tree.

Just 3% of the UK is ancient forest. Why are these pockets of land so precious?
Ancient woodland is our most biodiverse habitat. The species who live there are fragile and immobile, and like particular conditions. Ancient woodland has been there for 400 years or more, with no ploughing or pesticide use, so the soil is pristine. The ecosystem is a complex web of fungus and lichen, and very fragile. This undisturbed soil gives us the likes of bluebells, wild garlic and wood anemones.

Britain has the lowest percentage of forest cover in Europe (less than 5%, compared to almost a third of France and Germany). What kind of forestry cover would you like to see here?
France and Germany have stronger cultural associations with woods. Ideally, I’d like to see Britain with 1 million hectares of forestry cover, so we need to plant thousands of hectares of new native woodland every year. Planting has declined in the past five years because grants have been reduced; we aim to persuade the Government that grants are needed.

Woodlands can be magical to walk through, but at their worst walkers are corralled into wire tunnels, with ditches and ‘Keep Out’ notices on each side. How can forest owners be more walker-friendly?
Owners need to be shown that walkers don’t damage woodland. Equally, subsidies for providing and enhancing access need to be more extensive for woodland owners. But access isn’t just about linear rights of way: it’s about volunteering and education, too.

And how do you think walkers can be more forest-friendly?
Walkers need to be careful where they walk, because some species are fragile – especially ground flora. With game cover, landowners can be nervous of people wandering around. Always respect the owner’s activity, whether it’s game cover or coppicing.

The Woodland Trust is keen to protect public access in its woodlands, but decided not to dedicate its woods as open access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Why?
All our woods are open anyway, so why go through the administrative and cost burden of dedicating them? We’re not suddenly going to close access to them, so we’d rather put our efforts into opening woods up and educating the public to visit them.

What’s coming up for the Trust in the next 12 months?
We’re trying to get different datasets together from the National Trust, Forestry Commission and ourselves, so we can put them on the www.VisitWoods.org.uk website. We also want the public to put woods on themselves and send updates. Our major campaign is the Jubilee Woods – we want to plant 6 million trees in a year, and find 60 diamond-shaped woods of 60 acres. The Country Land & Business Association, county Lord-Lieutenants and Crown Estate are seeking landowners to host the diamond woods. There will also be community woods and individuals who plant trees; many people have happy memories of the tree they planted back in 1976 for the Silver Jubilee.

What’s your favourite…

…city walk?
Hainault Forest on the edge of London, for the pollarded hornbeam trees.

…countryside walk?
Forest of Dean, where a string of woods – Bigsweir, Cadora and Highbury – make for the most amazing walking.

…piece of walking kit?
Merino base layer, warm scarf and boots.

…view?
Borrowdale – there are so many stunning trees.

…post-walk tipple?
A real ale: Black Sheep, Jennings, Batemans… there are too many to choose from.

Click here to listen to extracts of this interview as a Podcast Click on the play button to listen to extracts of Julia’s interview with Colin

You might say I was something of a poacher-turned-gamekeeper. In 1974, after 10 years as an active member of the Ramblers, I had to resign from my post as area secretary for West Riding when I was appointed field services officer for the Yorkshire Dales National Park. I still passionately believed in the right to roam, however, and took full advantage of the opportunity to campaign for public rights of way from my position within the park authority. I was considered quite subversive. Several Ramblers members were on the National Park committee, and between us we changed their policies on rights of way quite radically. I feel very proud that the Yorkshire Dales is probably the most accessible National Park in Britain today.

When I first joined the Ramblers in the 1960s, the right to roam was a hot topic. I was a teacher, and in those days we had the holidays free for our own interests, without the pressures today’s teachers are under. I was inspired by many of the great activists who were campaigning for the access rights we take for granted now – in particular, by Tom Stephenson, one of the Ramblers’ founders. His speeches and articles were very moving, and locally we had Arthur Raistrick who cared deeply about the Dales. By the late 1960s, local authorities were finally getting around to officially mapping rights of way and the Ramblers was heavily involved. A lot of people today don’t realise that every footpath in Britain was created for a purpose – be it a parishioner’s way, a pack-horse route, a Roman road, or even a modern path leading out of town. They are such a marvellous link with our cultural heritage.

We’d go out knocking on doors to gather evidence that people had walked a particular route, collecting names, addresses and statements. It was great doing that kind of work on the ground – all very exciting. We felt like real pioneers. Then there was the long-distance walking. A group of us had this vision, based on the 1968 Countryside Act, of a continuous riverside path through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales to the Lake District. The Countryside Commission had neither the funds nor any real compulsion to do anything about it, so we created the Dales Way ourselves. We publicised it and published a walking guide. Today it is one of the most popular long-distance paths in the UK. I’ve just published the 10th edition of my original guide book, 42 years later, which is a bit frightening! It’s very exciting to think we did our bit to promote walking as a form of sustainable tourism all those years ago.

I’ve written more than 50 walking guides now, but my latest book, Walk! [£15.99, Great Northern Books], is a bit different. I start with the roots of walking, talking about Wordsworth, Coleridge, Thomas Hardy and others who inspired many generations to appreciate the countryside, and work up to present-day issues. England and Wales have the best national network of rights of way in the world, and that is something that we really need to protect. Public spending cuts are going to affect National Park budgets and there could be battles to come reminiscent of those we faced in the 1960s and 1970s. I think we have to reinvent our cities and get back to what things were like in the pre-car age. The car has become a substitute for walking even very short distances, and we’re starting to see the damage to health and mind that this lack of physical activity causes. But, happily, urban walking does seem to be growing, and recent events show how people are embracing walking as a form of protest – almost like it was during the Industrial Revolution. It will be interesting to see how things pan out.

I’ll keep campaigning as long as there’s fire in my belly. I have a big birthday coming up, one that starts with a seven, but I won’t be ready to hang up my boots for a while yet.

As told to Julia Buckley.

Your walk of life
Do you have a story to tell about a life-changing walk or how walking has transformed your world? Contact us at walkmag@ramblers.org.uk

Click on the play button to listen to Julia’s interview with Stuart Click on the play button to listen to Julia’s interview with Stuart

I’ve travelled a long way since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder four years ago – both literally and metaphorically. I started having problems with depression and stress during my teens, so I knew there was something different about me. But it wasn’t until I saw a programme about manic depression presented by Stephen Fry, who has the condition himself, that I realised what was going on. I saw the doctor soon after and was prescribed various medications. I was 27 at the time and it was quite a blow at first because I knew then that this was something I’d have to deal with for the rest of my life and, for a while, I sunk into a deep low. I lost my job, my long-term girlfriend, ended up thousands of pounds in debt and, worse of all, I almost lost all hope of a better future.

I’m lucky to have the support of some really great friends, and one of them said something to me that really helped. “Stuart,” he said, “I know you can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel right now but, trust me, it is there.” His words struck a chord and from then on I clung to the hope that things would turn around for me, however bleak and hopeless it all seemed. Then I had a call from another friend. He was just finishing volunteer service in the Philippines and was planning a 4,000-mile cycling tour across Southeast Asia. He mentioned he was looking for someone to join him. I was totally out of shape at the time but something made me volunteer and a few weeks later I was out there on my bike.

It was tough, but I did it. What’s more, I really enjoyed it. Since then I haven’t stopped. I’ve taken on many challenges including a 170-mile canoe race in Belize and cycling the 1,200 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End. I’ve learned that being active in the open air improves my confidence, and my health, makes me more sociable, and is a massive help in managing my illness. From March to April last year, I took on my longest journey so far. I walked the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in the US: from Georgia’s Springer Mountain to Mount Katahdin in Maine – 2,178 miles in total. It was amazing. I had everything I needed with me on my back and that gave me a tremendous sense of freedom and independence. I met so many friendly, interesting, inspiring people along the way and received so many kindnesses, from shared snacks to people putting me up in hotels overnight. An experience like that really makes you feel glad to be alive.

Another thing I’ve gained over the last few years is a great appreciation of the British countryside. When I was younger, I used to give Britain a bit of a hard time. But travelling has made me realise how beautiful the countryside is, as well as how many fantastic trails we have access to. I’ve had life-changing adventures overseas but, I have to say, in terms of scenery nothing’s come close to the trails I know along the South West coast, near my home in Weymouth.

Since I got back from the Appalachian Trail, I’ve been taking courses to learn bushcraft and survival skills. In the future I hope to set up a centre for young people with mental health problems, where they can learn about how exercise in the outdoors can help them like it’s helped me. I try to go out for a walk every day. Sometimes it’s just for a short stroll, but enough to kick in those feel-good chemicals your brain produces when you exercise, and it always makes me feel better. I’m also starting up a walking group for people with mental health problems in South Dorset. Going out with a group is great because it makes it more social and you can sort the logistics together with carpooling and things like that. Plus it makes it a lot easier for people who haven’t walked much before. I’d recommend it to anyone.

Your walk of life
Do you have a story to tell about a life-changing walk or how walking has transformed your world? Contact us at walkmag@ramblers.org.uk

Interview by Julia Buckley.