People who enjoy walking don’t always want to set off on a long yomp or make a full day of it. Particularly with the shorter days of winter coming along, briefer outings are useful.

Dalesman’s “Walks Around…” series caters nicely for those who want walks of six miles or under.

There are two new additions to this useful series of pocket guides, each containing ten walks. One volume features Ilkley and Otley and is written by Ramblers Association stalwart Colin Speakman, who lives in Ilkley.

He says: “Thankfully, despite the many changes over the last century, Lower Wharfedale has retained its magnificent, unspoiled countryside. Two of the region’s most remarkable open spaces, Otley Chevin and Ilkley Moor, remain a paradise for walkers. An excellent network of rights of way – including the popular Dales Way and Ebor Way recreational paths – links the valley’s towns and villages with their adjacent countryside.”

And he points out that unlike many other areas of Britain, Lower Wharfedale enjoys good public transport with a fast electric train service and frequent buses along major routes.

The walks are all well-described and accompanied by detailed maps. Christine Isherwood has contributed some delightful black-and-white illustrations – as she has also for Walks Around the Yorkshire Coast, written by Malcolm Boyes, another ten walks strung out along the eastern edge of the county between Flamborough and Saltburn.

This area, declares Mr Boyes, contains some of the finest coastal scenery in England. Not many Yorkshire people would disagree with that, surely. The circular walks in this excellent little book, which also outlines much of the history of the area, provide opportunities to explore it on foot in manageable short bites.

Each of these volumes is priced at a sensible £2.99.

For the more ambitious walkers, Tony and Chris Grogan have devised A Dales High Way, a 90-miles walk across the high country of the Dales. In their introduction they describe how the project came about.

“In September, 2007, we set off to walk from our home in Saltaire to Appleby-in-Westmorland, following ancient trade routes, green lanes and packhorse trails wherever possible. Each day brought new excitement as we explored the spectacular landscapes of the high country, until finally, in the lush Eden Valley, the red sandstone of Appleby Castle came into view….”

Their description of the route makes you want to pull your boots on and set off immediately.

“It covers some of the most beautiful scenery in the Yorkshire Dales from the darkly mysterious Rombalds Moor, with its Stone Age rock art, to the dramatic limestone scars of Malhamdale. It meanders along the banks of the River Ribble, where in autumn, salmon can be seen leaping up the waterfalls of Stainforth Force, and passes the isolated splendour of Sunbiggin Tarn. It climbs mighty Ingleborough and in a breathtaking six-mile ridge walk crosses the velvety folds of the Howgill Fells.” It does all this (or encourages walkers to do all this) in eight day-long stages, the shortest and first being 7.5 miles and the longest (Chapel-le-Dale to Sedbergh) 15.7 miles. The geographical and historical points of interest are outlines for each section, with the route details being covered by the splendidly-detailed maps.

At £6.99 this is an excellently-produced, pocket-sized publication, printed in full colour on quality paper. It comes in a protective wallet and is available from local bookshops (including Saltaire Bookshop) or via the website daleshighway.org.uk