My favourite places to walk and paint in English landscapes

There’s something about walking in nature that untangles my thoughts, softens the edges of a hard day, and fills me with a quiet kind of wonder.

As a painter, I often go out into the landscape looking for inspiration. Over time, I've realised I keep returning to the same places. Not because I’m short on ideas, but because these landscapes never stop offering something new. A different season, a change in light, a sudden silence in the air... each one is a new experience to be captured.

In this blog, I’m sharing some of my favourite places to walk in the UK. These beautiful places have become a kind of second home for my heart and my sketchbook. You don’t need to be an artist to appreciate them. All you need is a bit of curiosity and some good walking shoes.

Haddon Hall, Derbyshire – A Walk Through Time

Nestled in the Derbyshire Dales, Haddon Hall is one of the oldest houses in the country, over 900 years old. Its Victorian and Georgian styles are everywhere. It feels like stepping into a medieval storybook. The hall itself is beautiful, but it’s the surrounding countryside that calls me back again and again. Rose-filled fragrances, climbing wildflowers, rolling fields, secret pathways, and that soft golden light the Peak District does so well.

Mixed media painting inspired by the roses

Whether I’m wandering through the quiet woodland trails or setting up my paints in the grounds, there’s a sense of timelessness here. In spring, the wild garlic carpets the ground. In summer, the roses take over the exterior walls in cascades of petals and shades of pink.

Bradgate Park, Leicestershire – Wild and Windswept

Just a short drive from Leicester, Bradgate Park is one of those places where the landscape feels both grand and intimate, lonely and complete. With some of the UK's oldest and gnarliest oaks, rugged hilltops, and surprisingly tolerant wild deer grazing among the bracken, it’s a treasure for walkers and daydreamers of any kind.

It’s one of my favourite places to paint plein air. The patchwork of fields and copses of trees dot the landscape, so there's never a lack of things to paint. In fact, just choosing a spot is the hardest bit. I also get distracted following the deer, so I don't always get as much painting done as I'd like.

With a mix of little rivulets, ancient Precambrian rocks (some of the oldest on earth), and open scrubland, this place is endlessly inspiring, whatever the season.

The Trent River & Stapenhill Gardens, Burton-on-Trent – My Local Escape

You don’t always have to travel far to find beauty. The River Trent and Stapenhill Gardens are literally around the corner. I've explored them unchanging since my early childhood. But they’ve taught me to look more closely and to slow down. The gentle flow of the river embraced by the dropping willows, the burst of colour from the flowers planted in spring, and the ebb and flow of the shimmering floodwaters: this place has become my creative sanctuary.

There’s a quiet kind of poetry in familiar paths. I’ve walked this route in fog, in frost, in high summer, and always found something new to love.

Bourton-on-the-Water & The Norfolk Broads – Water and Light

These two spots aren’t exactly neighbours, but they share something special: light on water. Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds is postcard-perfect, with its low stone bridges and the River Windrush weaving through the village. I love sketching early in the morning before the day-trippers arrive, when the world feels hushed and full of promise.

And then there’s the Norfolk Broads, so open and so still. The skies seem bigger there. The waterways are a dream to walk beside (or boat through), and the ever-changing cloudscapes are a painter’s dream. I haven't been here for nearly 20 years, but it's on my long list of places to return to.

Elan Valley, Wales – Wild Beauty and Solitude

The Elan Valley in mid-Wales is a bit off the beaten track, and that’s part of its charm. It’s dramatic, vast, and quiet in a way that soothes the soul.

I’ve driven for miles here without seeing another soul, except maybe a sheep or a kite overhead. The reservoirs glint like silver in the sunlight, and the hills roll on into the mist. The weather here can change in an instant: leave the sunlit coast of Aberystwyth, and a few miles into the valleys, you're surrounded by thick fog and penetrating drizzle.

What I love about this place is the history scratched into the valley sides. Apart from the dams, there are plenty of old metal mines that have been in use for over 1,000 years. The slate grey ruins shine almost purple under overcast skies and complement the deep greens and browns of the hills beyond.

Brecon Beacons, Wales – Big Skies, Big Feelings

Now officially part of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, the Brecon Beacons hold some of the most breathtaking views in the UK. Craggy ridges, wide valleys, and sudden bursts of heather—this is a place where nature feels bold and alive.

I especially love walking here in late summer when the hills are purple with bloom. The sense of scale always resets my perspective. It’s impossible not to feel small here.

Llangorse Lake, Wales – Gentle Reflections

Just a short drive from the Brecon Beacons, Llangorse Lake offers a completely different energy—gentler, quieter, almost meditative.

It’s the largest natural lake in South Wales. Its calm waters and reed-filled shores are a haven for birds and birdwatchers (and painters!). We visited early in the morning for some slow sketching, slow walking, and, of course, a picnic.

Glencoe, Scotland – The Heart of the Sublime

No list of inspiring UK landscapes would be complete without Glencoe. Raw, elemental, and emotionally powerful, Glencoe isn’t just a place—it’s an experience.

Every time I walked in the Scotland landscape, I felt humbled. The mountains rise like guardians, the weather shifts in seconds, and the colours—soft purples, slate greys, and mossy greens—seep into my imagination. It’s impossible not to feel creatively stirred by this place. It’s the definition of the sublime.

The characters of English landscapes as well as those of Wales and Scotland are all unique, both in terms of colour, mood, and the feelings they evoke. Which is your favourite?

Final Thoughts: English Landscapes as Companions

Whether I’m walking through the rolling hills of Derbyshire, the brooding glens of Scotland, or the watery beauty of the Broads, these places feel like old friends. They’ve witnessed my sketches, my thoughts, and my quiet moments—and they always welcome me back.

You don’t need to be an artist to feel the magic. Just go for a walk, look closely, and let the land do the talking. You might be surprised by what you discover—not just out there, but in yourself.

Explore the Landscape Paintings Inspired by Walking

Click the button below to browse through my collections of paintings in acrylic, mixed media, and collage. Some were painted en plein air, while others were worked in the studio from earlier sketches and reference photos. You can browse by collection and see how the unique characteristics of each landscape show through in the artworks.

Explore Landscapes

I haven't been to Northern Ireland (yet), and visited Dublin only briefly as a youngster.