Last updated 19th August 2024
How do I find a list of the National Trails?
Do I have to be a member of the LDWA to enter the Register?
May I submit my claim in the form of a letter or email, or simply written on my own sheet of paper?
Is there a time limit on entry into the Register and can claims be made retrospectively?
Is there a fee for entry into the Register?
What personal details will appear on the Online Register?
How do I find my National Trails completion data on the online LDWA NT Register?
My full names appear on the Register and on my certificate, but I didn’t want that,
Do I have to walk the NTs “in one go” to qualify for entry into the Register?
Can I walk the trails in either direction and in any order?
I have walked the Cleveland Way (for example) twice. Can I count this as two completions for the purposes of entry into the Register?
Have we answered your question?
Q. How do I find a list of the National Trails?
A. A full list of the 19 National Trails can be found in the National Trails Register page, and are also listed on the NT Claim Form. Please ensure that the trails that you have walked are National Trails before making a claim (some very popular walking trails, such as the Dales Way and the Wales Coast Path, are often thought to be National Trails, though we by no means wish to discourage people from walking them!)
Q. Do I have to be a member of the LDWA to enter the Register?
A. No. There is no requirement to take out membership of the LDWA in order to enter the National Trail Register. Only current LDWA members will receive the magazine Strider, three times a year; the April edition contains a full Annual Report of the Register, together with Register statistics and lists of those walkers who have gained Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond awards since the previous April.
Q. How do I obtain a Claim Form?
A. You can download a NT Register Claim Form from this website. Alternatively, please send an SAE to the Recorder with a request for an NT Register Claim Form.
Q. May I submit my claim in the form of a letter or email, or simply written on my own sheet of paper?
A. Claims will only be accepted on an official Claim Form. The main reason for this is to keep details of all claimants in the same format, and stored in one place, in order to reduce the chance of errors occurring.
Q. I have no proof that I have walked these Trails. Am I therefore ineligible for entry into the Register?
A. Certainly not! Very few people will have proof that they have walked the trails. Your honesty is assumed.
Q. My friend (or spouse/partner) and I have completed the trails whilst walking together. Do we need to fill in separate Claim Forms?
A. Yes please. Claim forms from two or more different claimants may be sent in one email or together by post.
Q. I cannot remember the exact dates on which I finished some or all of my National Trails. Does this exclude me from making a Claim?
A. It is preferable to give the exact completion date if possible, otherwise "month/year" will be accepted. If it was more than five years ago, the year of completion will suffice.
Q. Is there a time limit on entry into the Register, and can claims be made retrospectively?
A. There is no time limit on walking any of the trails. Even if you completed a trail forty or more years ago it can still be counted for purposes of entry into the Register.
Q. Is there a fee for entry into the Register?
A. Entry to the NT Register is free of charge, but those wishing to receive a commemorative Certificate of their achievement can purchase one from the LDWA Shop.
Q. When will I receive my Certificate(s) and when will my name and trail walking achievements be entered on the Register on the LDWA website?
A. Often within a couple of weeks or less, but sometimes, depending on the circumstances of the Recorder, some time later. The Recorder guarantees that all claims will be fully dealt with within three months.
Q. What personal details will appear on the Online Register?
A. The Register of National Trail Walkers contains only the names of those who have walked the various trails together with their completion details. No contact or other personal details appear on the Register.
Q. How do I find my National Trails completion data on the online LDWA NT Register?
A. Select your level of award on the relevant web page (Bronze, Silver, Gold or Diamond). The names are listed firstly by the number of qualifying trails completed, e.g. the Bronze level list starts with those who have completed 9 different trails, then those who have walked 8 trails, then 7, 6 and finally the minimum of 5 different trails. Within each of these categories, the names are then listed alphabetically by surname; if there are two people with the same surname, these are sorted alphabetically by first name. Data given here include the mileage walked on the different trails (multiple completions of the same trail are not included here - but see below) plus the dates when the first and last trails were completed.
Click on your name: all of the National Trails that you have completed will then be displayed, together with the combined mileage of each of your different completed National Trails. Multiple completions of any of these National Trails are also recorded, if appropriate, together with your total mileage walked on the trails, including multiple completions.
Q. My full names appear on the Register and on my certificate, but I didn’t want that.
A. The third box on the Claim Form states: “Name as you wish to be recorded on Register and Certificate (please complete this box)”. If you do not fill in this box then you will be recorded with your full names on both the Online Register and NT Certificate (but do please also fill in your full names in the first and second boxes on the Claim Form, in order to prevent errors). Provided that the third box on the form is completed, then only the name(s) given there will appear on the Register and Certificate.
Q. Will I see my name in print?
A. The National Trails Register Annual Report is included in the April edition of Strider. In this Report the names are published of all new entrants to the Register during the previous year, and those who have proceeded to a higher level (e.g. bronze to silver) during the same period.
Q. Do I have to walk the NTs “in one go” to qualify for entry into the Register?
A. No. Please read Rule No. 4 in “Rules for Entry into the National Trails Register” in the National Trails Register page. The only requirement is that you go on foot every step of the way over as long a period as you wish.
Q. Can I walk the trails in either direction and in any order?
A. Yes. See Rules Nos. 3 and 4 in “Rules for Entry into the National Trails Register” in the National Trails Register page,
Q. I have mountain biked the South Downs Way / Pennine Bridleway. Can I include these completions for entry into the Register?
A. Sorry, no.
Q. I have walked the Cleveland Way (for example) twice. Can I count this as two completions for the purposes of entry into the Register?
A. Sorry, no. One of the main reasons behind the NT Register scheme is to encourage people to walk the lesser-known NTs such as Glyndwr’s Way in mid-Wales and the Southern Upland Way in Scotland. It is necessary to walk five different NTs as a minimum entry into the Register, and repeats of trails do not count towards higher levels.
Q. I have walked the Cornish Coastal Path (for example). Can I include this in my list of National Trails?
A. The South West Way Association have always maintained that the South West Coast Path is a continuous trail, and that lengths of the path such as those in Cornwall, North Devon and Somerset, Dorset, etc, are merely sections of this one long trail.
Q. When I walked the South West Coast Path (for example) I took the alternative route inland from Weymouth, not the route that goes through this coastal town; when I hiked the Pennine Way (for example) I did not make the official detour to the summit of The Cheviot. Can I therefore count these trails in my claim for entry into the Register?
A. Yes. Where there is an official alternative route in a National Trail, then doing either path is acceptable for entry into the Register. Official alternatives on NTs are not essential for purposes of the Register, though there is no reason not to do such options if time and circumstances permit. See Rule No. 11 in “Rules for Entry into the National Trails Register” in the National Trails Register page.
Q. I walked the Cotswold Way, for example, before it was officially designated as a National Trail. Can I count this for Register entry?
A. Yes. See Rule No. 6 in “Rules for Entry into the National Trails Register” in the National Trails Register page.
Q. I am on the Bronze Register (for example), which I qualified for when I had completed 5 National Trails. I have just completed another NT: although this is not sufficient for me to proceed to the next level (Silver in this case), do I need to need to inform the Recorder?
A. No. It is not necessary to let the Recorder know each time that you complete a new trail (or do a second and subsequent round of a previously walked NT), until you have walked a sufficient number to proceed to the next level (Silver, Gold or Diamond).
Q. I have completed (for example) 15 National Trails, so qualify for a Gold Certificate. Can I also claim Certificates for Silver and Bronze?
A. Yes. Silver level walkers are entitled to purchase both a Silver and a Bronze Certificate, Gold level walkers can also claim the Silver and Bronze Certificates, whilst those who have completed all of the National Trails qualify for all four Certificates. It is your choice, though you will have to pay for additional Certificates.
Q. I am just back from walking Glyndwr’s Way (for example) on which I had a marvellous time and enjoyed the landscape and the experience so very much, that I would like to share it with others. Can I submit some photographs and a short report of my trip?
A. Short accounts (absolute maximum 400 words please) can be included in the annual report of the National Trail Register that is published in the April edition of Strider. If you have a special story to tell (to give just one possible example, you walked your first NT whilst still a young child and completed your latest at a grand age of 85) then this would be particularly appreciated. If possible please send your contribution as a Word document attached to an email. Digital photos can also be sent as email attachments.
Q. Have we answered your question?
A. Each section of this website contains separate Frequently Asked Questions pages, so if you haven't found what you want here please try one of the following:
If you still cannot find the answer to your question then please contact the National Trails Registrar at trailwalker@ldwa.org.uk
