It's easy on a rainy Sunday to choose to lie in bed rather than head outdoors. But a walk in the rain is one of life's most beautiful and simple pleasures - particularly if you do it alone. I guarantee that you will return home feeling better than before you went out. Here's how to make it magical:

Keep it simple
Put on a raincoat and a pair of boots. Make sure you're warm enough. But that's about all the preparation you need. No-one cares what you look like in the rain. And that is part of the joy of it. Return looking like.a drowned rat, soaked through with a smile on your face.

Choose a soundtrack
On rainy days, despite loving the sound of nature, I like to walk with gentle classical music playing in my headphones. The volume is soft enough for me to hear the beautiful sounds around me but the music adds a soundtrack that allows me to connect to my emotions more - like having a first glass of wine, everything just goes a little bit softer, gentler and more out of body. I recommend Ludovico Einaudi as the perfect musical score.

Take a closer look
Notice things. Don't just walk blindly. Take your time. Slow your pace. Look at the different shades of green, the contrast of textures underfoot, the symbiotic relationship between plants. Stop and watch the birds, bunnies, squirrels and slugs, all going about their business. 

Touch things.
There are so many amazing textures in a wood - from beautifully striated bark, to downy soft moss, to tickling grasses or prickly conker pods. Stop, take a moment and touch them. Notice what real feels like, not man made, not manufactured. Just beautiful items handcrafted by nature. Revel in how beautiful this planet is. 

Tune in to nature's changing seasons. Spot life's lessons in them
Depending on the time of year you walk, there will always be something that nature is busy doing. Even in the bleak winter months where trees are bare, you'll spot snowdrops fighting their way through. As it is mid summer, I saw the last of the elderflowers, a life lesson right there for any late bloomers amongst us. While the rest of the elderflowers have already fallen away, transforming into berries, those late bloomers now stand out shining brightly against the green. No-one's judging them for being late to the party, they're still just as beautiful having blossomed a bit later than the rest. Let that be a reminder to you that everyone fulfils their potential in their own time.

Or Conkers, those prickly playthings that always hark the impending sense of back to school. Not exactly attractive on the outside, but beneath their gnarly exterior, they are shiny and smooth and provide hours of fun to kids. Don't be too quick to judge. 

Honour the passing of time
Whether it's a 450 year old stately home harking back to a different era, or the magnificence of an oak tree that has clearly been standing tall for a very long time, it's worth reflecting that while seasons come and go, together they add up to years of history. I like to pause and think about that, not just the changes that might have happened since that Oak was a mere acorn, but all the changes that have made me, me. 

I have walked this particularly walk on so many occasions - with my kids when they were little, going swimming in the river, walking and chatting with friends, walking alone - crying -  during very challenging times in my life, power walking to train for an event, walking hand in hand with the person I love. I sometimes wonder if each version of myself left a memory shadow on these paths and they quietly whisper hello as I walk past. If I listen closely enough, I can hear them voice their memories.

Free your mind
Allow your mind to follow free flowing thoughts about everything and nothing. There is no right or wrong way to think. It's simply about being really present in this moment. My imagination comes alive. Instead of trees, I see a cathedral of leaves more spiritual than any church. I see a woodland throne and wonder who might sit on it when the woods come alive at night. I picture fairies dancing on moss. And I ponder why the patterns on the outside of tree bark run up and down while inside its concentric circles.

​When do we ever get time to think such frivolous thoughts? And yet this is how we thought as children, not about mortgages or jobs or relationships, just about the potential for magic all around us. 

Lift your face to the rain, close your eyes and feel the tiny caresses of each drop as it drums on your face. Embrace the wind as it tousles your hair and breathe in gulps of its freshness. This is what it feels like to be alive. To be happy. To be human. To be completely yourself. 

If you haven't taken yourself for a walk recently, do. You'll be so glad you did. 

If you're a woman who loves to walk and want company (on the days you're not taking a rainy walk in solitude), join Glamoraks. Get the app and make new friends.

This walk was at Beningbrough Hall, outside York, a National Trust property and all credit to the grounds team for constantly maintaining the paths and creating gorgeous wooden seating. 

Start point: YO30 1DB
Distance: 3 miles circular or 8 miles linear (ending in York)
Terrain: Paths, some overgrown in summer, very muddy in winter

Last week I had the privilege of taking a Sunday Telegraph journalist and photographer for a walk around Beningbrough Hall. It always amazes me how many people in York aren't aware of what a gem we have right on our doorstep. 

Beningbrough Hall is a National Trust property. Surrounding the hall is a stunning 3-mile loop walk and as it's outside the grounds of the Hall itself, you don't need to pay to walk it. You can park in Newton-on-Ouse and follow the footpath signs as you head toward the river. Or you can park at the opposite entrance at a small carpark that asks for a donation to the Air Ambulance. Option three is to park outside Home Farm, a lovely farm shop and cafe, as long as you return as a customer after your walk (an excellent idea by the way as it have fabulous cakes.)

Simply follow the path along the river, getting glimpses of the Hall as you go. Roughly half-way along the loop you will find a secret beach and wild swimming spot. On hot sunny days, it is an idyllic setting. You can even catch a ferry on the weekends over to Nun Monkton, where after a short stroll, you will find a pub - The Alice Hawthorn. 

You continue the loop, depending where you started from and then follow the track around the back of the estate, through woods for a section before ending up back where you started. You can't really get lost and you can vary the loop direction. There is also a pub - The Dawnay Arms - in Newton-on-Ouse if you started out there and want to have a drink in a beer garden that goes down to the river.

The route:

Follow the footpath that runs alongside the woods, heading towards the river. When you reach a gate, go through it and instead of following the path ahead (the loop walk mentioned above),  turn to your left. There will be an indistinct footpath that leads to a raised path alongside the river. Now you simply follow that, keeping the river on your right all the way. You will go past a row of houses at the village of Beningbrough and a few more as you near Overton. Poppleton will start to be seen on the opposite bank. As you go underneath the railway bridge, you will have a bit of an overgrown path to navigate before crossing a small footbridge. Just after the bridge, your path will intercept the cycle path (route 65). Turn right onto the cycle path and follow it.

Here's the piece that the Sunday Telegraph did on the walk:

Distance: 4 miles or 6 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Type of terrain: grassland, paths, road
Starting point: Knutsford town centre
Resources: 100 walks in Cheshire

Knutsford, a picturesque Cheshire town, known for its staggering choice of restaurants and cafes, is the perfect setting to top and tail a gentle Glamoraks walk. Just a few minutes drive from junction 19 on the M6 or by train direct from Manchester Piccadilly, it’s very easy to find this attractive historic town.  It’s also great for celeb spotting. One of Take That recently helped someone back into a parking space and it’s not uncommon to see a Coronation Street star walking down the street.
 
Park up in the town centre car park, opposite the art deco Belle Époque restaurant, once the setting for ITV's Brideshead Revisited, and then head up King Street. This street is one way so walk in the same direction as the traffic to reach Tatton Park.
 
It would be a shame to start your walk with an empty stomach so pop into Piccolinos, an Italian eatery for their popular brunch.  They have a great choice from traditional English breakfast to healthy options like porridge & fruit.  After brunch continue up King Street until you see the impressive stone arch that straddles the entrance to the park.

About the Author - Vanessa Williams
I am a 52 year old TV Producer & Director, still working in television on programmes like A Place in the Sun. I live in Knutsford, Cheshire, where I am lucky enough to have Tatton Park right on my doorstep which makes me feel like the lady of the manor with my own private estate.