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A new walking book has been launched as part of a campaign encouraging visitors and residents to leave their cars at home and walk or cycle as often as possible.

The free summer holiday activity book forms part of Northumberland County Council’s ‘The Big Northumberland Gear Change’ campaign

It is inspired by ‘The Walkbook’ created by the Walking Publics/Walking Arts project and led by the University of Glasgow’s Professor Dee Heddon.

Cllr Jeff Watson, portfolio holder for promoting healthy lives, said: “We have such a beautiful county that can and should be explored on foot.

Edward Clark, Senior Programme Transport Officer at Northumberland County Council with the Big Northumberland Gear Change’s new Creative Walking Book (Photo by Kaleidoscope CFA).

"The new Creative Walking Book is jam-packed full of free activities, suitable for people of all ages and levels of mobility, everyone can get involved with.

“Swapping your car for a stroll once in a while is not only great for the environment, but is also shown to have an incredible positive impact on both physical and mental health and best of all, it’s completely free.”

A third of all trips made in Northumberland are less than 5km.

Rachael Bateman, principle transport manager at Northumberland County Council explained: “We’re delighted to launch the free Creative Walking Book for families to enjoy while exploring the county over the summer months.“This campaign is about the small changes we can all make to support our wellbeing and the environment at the same time.

Father and son, Iain and Kai Petrie taking part in The Big Northumberland Gear Change (Photo by Kaleidoscope CFA).

"We hope the new walking book inspires visitors to travel sustainably and take the first steps towards lasting lifestyle changes.”

To download the free Big Northumberland Gear Change’s creative walking book, visit this website, or residents can pick up a copy from community hubs, libraries and leisure centres.

A new 'walkbook' has launched to encourage people in Northumberland to swap their car for a stroll