How Copse & Compass Started

Copse & Compass began after one too many weekend walks were nearly ruined by a route guide written by someone who had clearly never left their desk. Missing gates, wrong parking directions and gear lists padded out with things nobody actually needs were the norm, and we got tired of it.

So we built something smaller and slower on purpose. Every guide is written by someone who has walked the route or used the kit themselves, and a second editor checks the details before anything is published. There's no team of unnamed freelancers churning out pieces for search engines.

We're also plain about how the site works. There's nothing to buy here, no hidden sponsorships shaping a recommendation, and if we get something wrong, we say so directly in the article rather than quietly editing it away. Readers can reach a named editor by email, and mostly do.

We only publish a route or a piece of kit advice once someone on the team has actually tried it themselves. That's the whole rule.

Rosalind FairweatherSenior Trail Editor

If a jacket sits in a box and never gets rained on, I won't write about it. Readers can tell the difference.

Tom AshworthGear and Kit Editor

Honesty First

We'd rather say a route is muddy and dull than pad it out with false enthusiasm. Readers keep coming back because they trust what we tell them.

Direct Experience

Nobody writes about a trail or a jacket here without having used it themselves. If we haven't tried it, we don't cover it yet.

Open Corrections

We log changes publicly instead of quietly editing old mistakes away. It's a small thing, but it's the difference between a diary and an archive.