What will actually get me outside regularly?
Hobbies that get you outdoors
The hobbies that reliably get people outdoors are the ones with a reason to go — a destination, a season, a thing to find, or a fixture. These all have one. They range from birdwatching, which asks nothing of you physically, to sports that will genuinely test you, so the sorting by physical demand is worth attention.
469 activities in the catalogue, 45 written up so far.
Annatsach / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Astronomy
Observing the night sky, from naked-eye constellations to telescopic deep-sky objects.
£100–£300 to start · outdoors · sedentary
Pacopac / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Bikepacking
Multi-day riding with everything you need strapped to the bike — camping, navigation and cycling combined into one problem.
£300–£1,000 to start · outdoors · very demanding
Birdwatching
Finding, identifying and recording wild birds — a hobby you can start from a kitchen window.
£25–£100 to start · outdoors · gentle
Angling
HobbySportFishing with rod and line — the parent of several very different sports that share a licence, a set of ethics and almost nothing else.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
Astrophotography
HobbyPhotographing the night sky, from a camera on a tripod to hours of accumulated exposure through a tracked telescope.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
Campervan conversion
CraftHobbyTurning a panel van into somewhere you can sleep, cook and sit out the rain — carpentry, wiring and plumbing in a space that moves.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Composting
HobbyTurning garden and kitchen waste into soil — the methods, what a heap is telling you, and why almost every problem is one of three things.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
Cycling
SportRiding a bicycle for transport, fitness or pleasure — the parent of a large family of quite different sports.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Disc golf
SportGolf played by throwing discs at chain baskets, on free public courses, usually in parkland or woodland.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
Downhill mountain biking
SportRiding gravity tracks at uplift-served bike parks — what the sport actually is, what it costs, and why this page covers everything except how to ride it.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Fastpacking
SportCovering multi-day routes on foot at running pace, carrying everything — between thru-hiking and trail running, and served by neither.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Fell running
SportRacing up and down open hillside on unmarked routes — a navigation sport with running attached, where GPS is banned outright.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Fly fishing
HobbySportCasting a weighted line to present an almost weightless artificial fly — the one branch of angling where the casting is the skill.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
FPV drone flying
HobbySportFlying a small aircraft from its own camera view — the law that makes it a two-person activity, the simulator that teaches it, and the kit you almost certainly build yourself.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsSedentary
Geocaching
HobbyUsing GPS coordinates to find containers hidden by other people, in places you would never otherwise stop.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsModerate effort
Goat keeping
HobbyKeeping goats at home — the registration nobody expects, what goats actually need, and the honest commitment before any of the pleasure.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
Half marathon
SportRacing 21.0975km on the road — far enough to need preparing for, short enough to run rather than survive.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Hiking
SportHobbyWalking longer distances over rougher ground — the cheapest way into the outdoors, and the one whose risks are most underestimated.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
Horse riding
SportHobbyLearning to ride — the routes in, what it honestly costs, and the horsemanship that comes with it, from a page that stops short of the horse’s care.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Horticultural showing
HobbyGrowing and staging produce and flowers for judging — where presentation counts as much as cultivation.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
Kayaking
SportPaddling a closed boat — four different sports sharing a paddle, and why sorting out which water you want comes before choosing a boat.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Marathon running
SportRacing 42.195km on the road — an ordinary distance to train for and a genuinely hard one to finish well.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Metal detecting
HobbySearching ground with a detector for coins, artefacts and history — under a legal framework that matters.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
Mountaineering
SportClimbing mountains where rock, snow, ice and weather all have to be managed at once — reached through walking and scrambling rather than started from scratch.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Mycology
HobbyFinding, identifying and recording fungi as a subject in its own right — a field science that amateurs still genuinely advance.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
Navigational rallying
SportCompetitive motoring on public roads decided by map reading and timekeeping rather than speed — the cheapest way into motorsport in Britain.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
Orienteering
SportHobbyNavigating between control points on a detailed map, at whatever speed suits you, against the clock.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Packrafting
SportCarrying a boat in your rucksack so a walk can cross or follow water — what the boat is for, how it differs from kayaking, and where the risk actually sits.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Recumbent cycling
SportHobbyRiding seated and reclined, on two wheels or three — usually taken up to stay cycling rather than to go faster.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Road cycling
SportRiding drop-bar bikes on tarmac, solo, in clubs or in races — the discipline where distance and pace become the point.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Running
SportCovering ground on foot — the cheapest sport there is, and the parent of a very large family of disciplines.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Sauna building
CraftHobbyBuilding a garden sauna — the stove decision, the regulations nobody mentions, and the bench geometry that makes it work.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Scrambling
SportAscending steep ground where hands are needed but ropes usually are not — the middle ground between hillwalking and climbing.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Sea fishing
SportFishing the coast from shore, pier or boat — free to start, open all year, and the branch of angling with the most serious safety story.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
Shed building
CraftHobbyBuilding a garden workshop or store from scratch — the permitted development limits, the base, and the damp.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Ski touring
SportClimbing under your own power on skis and descending away from lifts — mountaineering with a fast way down, and the avalanche knowledge that makes it possible.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Smallholding
HobbyWorking a few acres with livestock and crops — the scale between a garden and a farm, and the registrations nobody mentions.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Thru-hiking
SportHobbyWalking a long trail end to end in one continuous push — a logistics and attrition problem far more than a walking one.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Trail running
SportOff-road running on unpredictable ground — what actually changes from the road, how the sport divides by surface, and where the boundary with fell running sits.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Treehouse building
CraftHobbyBuilding a structure carried by a living tree — where the tree, not the timber, sets every rule.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Triathlon
SportSwim, bike and run in one race, with the transitions counting too — an endurance sport where the hardest part is usually the water.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Wild camping
SportHobbySleeping out in open country away from any campsite — legally straightforward in Scotland, considerably less so almost everywhere else in Britain.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Wild swimming
SportHobbySwimming in rivers, lakes and sea — enormously rewarding, and the one hobby here that regularly kills people who get it wrong.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Wing foiling
SportHolding a handheld inflatable wing while riding a hydrofoil board — the newest wind sport, and the one with the steepest first fortnight.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Yacht cruising
HobbySportMaking passages and living aboard a cruising yacht — where the planning, the maintenance and the weather decide far more than the sailing does.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
Also matching, not yet written up
These meet the same criteria and are in the catalogue; we have not written them up in depth.
3D archery
SportShooting foam animal targets at unmarked distances through woodland, judging range by eye.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Adventure caching
HobbyLocation-based puzzle trails completed on foot, a newer branch of geocaching.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Adventure racing
SportMulti-discipline team racing over long distances, navigating throughout.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Aid climbing
SportAscending by placing and standing in gear rather than by free movement, on big walls and steep rock.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Aircraft spotting
HobbyRecording aircraft by registration and type, with a fieldcraft and a literature of its own.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Allotment gardening
HobbyGrowing on a rented plot, with waiting lists, site rules and a social world of its own.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Alpaca keeping
HobbyKeeping alpacas for fleece, walking or grazing, which suits small acreages.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Alpine gardening
HobbyGrowing mountain plants in troughs, raised beds and frames, where drainage decides everything.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Alpine ski racing
SportGate racing in slalom through downhill, with masters categories that adults genuinely enter.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Alternative firing
CraftFiring pottery in sawdust, saggars or barrels for surface effects a kiln cannot produce.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Amateur geology
HobbyReading landscape and rock, and understanding how a place was made.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Amateur satellite operating
HobbyWorking orbiting amateur radio satellites with a handheld and a directional aerial.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
American football
SportEleven a side, heavily coached, with a substantial playbook to learn.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Animal tracking
HobbyReading tracks, scat and field signs to work out what passed and when.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Astronomy outreach
HobbyShowing the sky to the public at star parties, which is a distinct skill from observing.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Atlatl throwing
SportThrowing darts with a spear-thrower, a prehistoric weapon with a modern following.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Australian rules football
SportAn oval-ball running game with no offside, now with established amateur leagues across Britain.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Autograss racing
SportGrassroots oval circuit racing on grass in home-built cars, the cheapest real motorsport in Britain.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Autosolo & autotests
SportTimed low-speed precision driving around cones, in an ordinary road car.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Backyard ultra
SportA last-runner-standing format: a fixed loop every hour until only one entrant remains.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Badger watching
HobbyWatching setts at dusk from downwind, with legal protection that shapes how close anyone may get.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bandy
SportAn eleven-a-side stick-and-ball sport played on a football-sized sheet of ice.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bantam keeping
HobbyKeeping the small breeds, which suit gardens too small for large fowl.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Barbecue & smoking
HobbyCraftCooking with live fire and smoke over hours, controlling temperature by hand.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Baseball
SportBat and ball on a diamond, nine a side.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bat detecting
HobbyFinding bats by their echolocation calls with a handheld detector.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bat roost monitoring
HobbyChecking and recording bat boxes and roosts under licence, with a training route through local groups.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Beach cleaning
HobbyOrganised and solo litter picking on the coast, with recording that feeds research.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Beach tennis
SportVolley-only racket sport played over a high net on sand.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Beach volleyball
SportTwo a side on sand, where the surface does most of the damage.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Beachcombing
HobbyWalking the tideline for sea glass, shells, driftwood and whatever else lands.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Beekeeping
HobbyKeeping honeybee colonies through the year, and the honey that follows.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bell boating
SportPaddling twin-hulled stable craft, used as an accessible introduction to team paddling.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Biathlon
SportCross-country skiing interrupted by rifle shooting at a racing heart rate.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bike polo
SportThree-a-side polo on bikes in a hard court, with home-made mallets and an urban club culture.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bikejoring
SportBeing towed on a bike by one or two harnessed dogs, on forest track rather than road.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
BioBlitz recording
HobbyIntensive recording of every species found in one place in one day.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Birdsong recording
HobbyField recording of bird and wildlife sound, halfway between birdwatching and audio work.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Blind football
SportFive-a-side football with a ball containing bearings, played blindfolded with a sighted guide.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Blokarting
SportSailing a small three-wheeled land yacht on beaches and airfields.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
BMX
SportRacing and freestyle on small-wheeled bikes, at tracks and skateparks.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bodyboarding
SportRiding waves lying on a short foam board, with fins.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bodysurfing
SportRiding waves on the body with swim fins and at most a handplane, the cheapest surfing there is.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bothying
HobbyWalking to and staying in unlocked mountain shelters, maintained by volunteers and run on an etiquette.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bottle digging
HobbyExcavating Victorian household tips for glass and stoneware bottles, with landowner permission.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Breeding bird surveying
HobbyWalking a fixed transect and recording every bird, feeding a long-running national dataset.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bryology
HobbyIdentifying mosses and liverworts, best done in winter when everything else has stopped.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bus and coach enthusiasm
HobbyRecording, photographing and preserving buses, with a substantial preservation movement behind it.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bushcraft
HobbyLiving skills for the outdoors — fire, shelter, water, cordage, tools.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Busking
HobbyPlaying in public for passers-by, which teaches repertoire, projection and nerve faster than anything else.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Butterfly watching
HobbyFinding, identifying and recording butterflies through a short, intense season.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Camogie
SportThe women’s stick-and-ball code of the Gaelic games, with its own association and rules.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Camping
HobbySleeping outdoors under canvas at a site, with or without a car.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Canicross
SportRunning attached to your dog by a bungee line and harness.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Canoe camping
HobbySportMulti-day journeys by open canoe, carrying camp in the boat rather than on your back.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Canoe sailing
SportHobbySailing an open canoe under rig, a distinct tradition from both canoeing and dinghy sailing.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Canoeing
SportPaddling an open canoe with a single blade, solo or tandem.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Canyoning
SportDescending a river gorge by scrambling, abseiling, sliding and jumping.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Caravan restoration
HobbyRestoring vintage touring caravans, where damp and body panels are the whole battle.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cargo cycling
HobbyUsing a cargo bike for loads, children and shopping, as a hobby and a car replacement.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Carp fishing
HobbySportSpecialist long-session fishing for large carp, with its own tackle culture.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Carriage driving
SportHobbyDriving harnessed horses to a vehicle, competitively or for pleasure, with its own licensing culture.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cave diving
SportDiving flooded cave systems on guideline, with no direct route to the surface at any point.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cave photography
HobbyPhotographing underground, where every light source must be carried and placed.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cave surveying
HobbyMeasuring and drawing cave passage to a grade standard, which is how new systems get recorded at all.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Caving
SportHobbyExploring cave systems underground, often wet, tight and dark.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chainsaw carving
CraftCarving figures and furniture from log with saws of several sizes, finished with grinders and torch.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chair bodging
CraftTurning chair legs and stretchers on a pole lathe in the wood, the itinerant half of chairmaking.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Charcoal burning
CraftProducing charcoal from coppiced wood in a ring kiln, a multi-day woodland operation.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chicken keeping
HobbyKeeping hens in a garden for eggs, and everything that comes with them.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Citizen river monitoring
HobbyTesting and recording water quality on a local river to a shared protocol.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Clay pigeon shooting
SportBreaking flying clay targets with a shotgun across a course of stands.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Clay pipe collecting
HobbyCollecting the fragments of clay tobacco pipes, datable to within a few decades.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Club motorcycle racing
SportCircuit racing on closed tracks through a club licence, which is the amateur route into road racing.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Coarse fishing
HobbySportFishing for non-game freshwater species on lakes, canals and rivers.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Coast path walking
HobbySportWalking long coastal routes in stages, with tide, cliff and weather planning that inland routes lack.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Coastal rowing
SportRowing stable open boats on the sea, in crews, often in community clubs.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Coasteering
SportTraversing a rocky coastline by climbing, swimming and jumping into the sea.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cob building
CraftBuilding walls from subsoil, straw and water — the oldest earth technique in Britain.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Community archaeology
HobbyExcavating and recording with a local group under professional supervision.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Community gardening
HobbyGrowing on shared land with other people, where the organising is half the activity.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Community orchards
HobbyPlanting, pruning and harvesting a shared orchard, usually with a wassail and a cider press attached.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Competitive ploughing
HobbyPloughing a measured plot for straightness and finish, with horse, vintage and modern classes.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Competitive sheep shearing
SportHobbyShearing against the clock and on quality, judged in graded competition classes.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Competitive vegetable showing
HobbyGrowing produce to exhibition standard for village and national shows, judged on form as much as size.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Competitive wood chopping
SportTimed axe and saw events — underhand, standing block, and crosscut sawing.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Conservation volunteering
HobbyPractical habitat work with a local group — scrub clearance, coppicing, surveys.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Container gardening
HobbyGrowing in pots on a balcony, yard or doorstep, with no ground at all.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Coppicing
CraftHobbyCutting broadleaf trees to the base on a rotation and using the regrowth.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
County topping
SportHobbyReaching the highest point of every county, which takes you to hills nobody else visits.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cricket
SportBat and ball between two teams, over an afternoon or five days.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Croquet
SportDriving balls through hoops on a lawn, with far more tactics than its reputation suggests.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cross country running
SportWinter league racing over mud and grass, the oldest and cheapest competitive running in Britain.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cross triathlon
SportSwim, mountain bike and trail run — triathlon moved off the road entirely.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cross-country ski touring
SportTravelling on skis over rolling country rather than descending pistes.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cross-country skiing
SportTravelling over snow under your own power, classic or skating.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Crown green bowls
SportBowls on an uneven green, a distinctly northern English code.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cycle speedway
SportShort oval racing on unbraked bikes with no gears, on a shale track, in a league.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cyclocross
SportShort, brutal winter racing on mud, sand and barriers you carry the bike over.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dahlia growing and showing
HobbyGrowing dahlias to exhibition standard, with classification by form and size.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dartmoor letterboxing
HobbyThe original letterboxing tradition on Dartmoor, with hand-cut stamps and a long-standing code.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dawn chorus recording
HobbyRecording and identifying birdsong at first light, for pleasure and for data.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Decorative concrete casting
CraftCasting planters, tops and garden objects in concrete and GRC.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Deep water soloing
SportClimbing above deep water without ropes, where the fall is into the sea and the tide is the belay.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dinghy racing
SportRacing small sailing boats around courses, where tactics matter as much as speed.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dinghy sailing
SportSailing small responsive boats where every mistake is immediate.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dirt jumping
SportRiding and building shaped earth jumps for tricks, on short hardtails, at self-maintained trails.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dog agility
SportGuiding a dog around an obstacle course at speed, on voice and body cues.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Drag racing
SportTwo vehicles, a straight quarter or eighth mile, and a sport decided largely by the start.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dragon boat racing
SportTwenty paddlers in one boat, to a drum, over short sprints.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dragonfly recording
HobbyIdentifying and submitting records of dragonflies and damselflies, an approachable insect group to start on.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Drifting
SportJudged sustained oversteer through a marked course, scored on line, angle and commitment.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Drone photography
HobbyAerial stills and video, with a registration and flight-restriction regime attached.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dry slope skiing
SportSkiing on brush matting, which is how most British skiers actually learn.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dry stone walling
CraftBuilding walls from unmortared stone, each one chosen to lock the others in place.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Duathlon
SportRun, bike, run — triathlon without the swim, and a common way in.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Endurance riding
SportLong-distance competitive riding with veterinary checks that decide as much as speed does.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Enduro motorcycling
SportLong off-road motorcycle competition over timed sections and liaison stages, on road-legal machines.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Enduro mountain biking
SportTimed descents linked by untimed climbs, the dominant modern MTB race format.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Eventing
SportDressage, cross-country and showjumping on one horse over one competition, at every level from unaffiliated up.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Falconry
HobbyKeeping and hunting with birds of prey, under substantial legal and welfare duties.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fancy pigeon keeping
HobbyKeeping and showing ornamental pigeon breeds, distinct from racing them.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ferret keeping
HobbyKeeping working or pet ferrets, with their own housing and handling requirements.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Field archery
SportShooting a course of targets at unmarked distances through woodland.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Field hockey
SportEleven a side with sticks on artificial turf.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Field recording
HobbyCraftRecording places and soundscapes, which teaches you to hear where you already live.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Field target shooting
SportAir rifle shooting at knockdown metal targets over a woodland course, at unmarked ranges.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fire performance
SportHobbySpinning and manipulating burning props, taught with strict safety protocol.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fistball
SportA net sport where the ball may bounce once and is struck with fist or forearm only.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Flag football
SportAmerican football with belts and flags instead of tackling.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Flint knapping
CraftHobbyShaping stone tools by controlled fracture, an experimental archaeology craft with real hazards.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Food smoking
CraftCold and hot smoking fish, meat and cheese, in a kit smoker or one you built.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Football
SportEleven a side, the most played team sport in the world.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Footgolf
SportGolf played by kicking a football into oversized holes, on courses that already exist.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Foraging
HobbyFinding, identifying and using wild food — with identification as the whole skill.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Forest bathing
HobbySpending unhurried, attentive time among trees, deliberately and slowly.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Forge building
CraftBuilding a solid-fuel or gas forge and the shop around it, before any smithing happens.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fossil hunting
HobbySearching coast and quarry for fossils, and learning what you have found.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Free flight models
HobbyCraftModel aircraft with no control at all, trimmed on the ground and then simply let go.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Freediving
SportDiving deep on a single breath, with formal training in safety and technique.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Freestyle skiing
SportPark, pipe and mogul skiing, judged on tricks and technique rather than time.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fruit growing
HobbyGrowing top and soft fruit, where pruning and rootstock choice decide the outcome for years.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fruit tree grafting
CraftHobbyPropagating varieties by joining scion to rootstock, which is how heritage apples survive at all.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gaelic football
SportFifteen a side, hand-passing and kicking towards an H-shaped goal.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Garden pond keeping
HobbyBuilding and maintaining an outdoor pond, for wildlife or for fish.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Garden railways
HobbyCraftModel railways built outdoors at larger scales, where weather and planting become part of the layout.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gardening
HobbyMaking and keeping a garden — the parent of a very large family of hobbies.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Geocache hiding
HobbyDesigning, placing and maintaining caches rather than only finding them.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gig rowing
SportRacing six-oared wooden pilot gigs off the south-west coast, a revived Cornish tradition.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gliding
SportFlying an unpowered sailplane using rising air, from a club airfield.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gold panning
HobbyPanning rivers for placer gold, legal only with permission and in specific places.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gorge walking
SportAscending a river gorge on foot, scrambling and swimming, usually with a guided group.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Grass track cycling
SportRacing on grass ovals at village sports days and dedicated meetings.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gravel cycling
SportRiding unsurfaced lanes and tracks on a drop-bar bike built for them.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Green lane and byway walking
HobbyWalking the unsurfaced rights of way that predate the road network, with map and access knowledge.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Green laning
HobbyDriving legal unsurfaced rights of way, where route research and access etiquette are the whole hobby.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Green roof building
HobbyCraftPlanting a shed, garage or extension roof, which is a loading and drainage problem first.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Green woodworking
CraftWorking unseasoned wood with hand tools on a shave horse and pole lathe.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Guerrilla gardening
HobbyPlanting neglected public ground without formal permission, which is where its whole debate sits.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hammock camping
HobbySleeping suspended between trees rather than on the ground, with its own kit and site-choice problem.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hang gliding
SportFlying a rigid-wing glider suspended in a harness beneath it.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hay making
HobbyCutting, turning and gathering hay by hand or with vintage equipment.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hedgehog surveying
HobbyRecording hedgehog presence with footprint tunnels and night walks for a national scheme.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hedgelaying
CraftPart-cutting and bending living stems to make a stock-proof hedge that keeps growing.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hedgerow surveying
HobbyDating and recording hedges, which are readable historical documents.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Heritage railway volunteering
HobbyRestoring and running preserved railways as a volunteer.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hide photography
HobbyPhotographing wildlife from a permanent or portable hide, where patience beats equipment.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
High-altitude ballooning
HobbySending instruments to the stratosphere on a weather balloon and recovering them.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Highball bouldering
SportBouldering high enough that a fall is serious, on pads and nerve.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Highland games
SportTraditional Scottish heavy events — hammer, stone, weights and the caber — with a season.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Highlining
SportWalking slackline rigged at height on a leash, with rigging redundancy as the entire safety system.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Historical reenactment
HobbyRecreating a period accurately — kit, craft, drill and living history.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Home foundry casting
CraftMelting and pouring aluminium or bronze into moulds you made yourself.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Home weather stations
HobbyRunning and maintaining a personal weather station, and feeding its data to a public network.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Horse showing
SportIn-hand and ridden classes judged on conformation, way of going and turnout rather than a clock.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hot air ballooning
HobbySportFlying a balloon, which mostly means understanding the wind at every height.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hound trailing
HobbySportRacing hounds over a laid aniseed trail across open fell, a Cumbrian sport.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hurdle making
CraftWeaving hazel or cleaving ash into gate and wattle hurdles, worked green straight from the coppice.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hurling
SportAncient Irish stick-and-ball game, and one of the fastest field sports there is.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ice climbing
SportClimbing frozen waterfalls and winter gullies with axes and crampons.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ice fishing
HobbySportFishing through an augered hole in lake ice, usually from a shelter, and entirely dependent on ice thickness.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ice sailing
SportSailing bladed craft across frozen lakes at several times wind speed.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ice swimming
SportSwimming in water near freezing, a governed sport distinct from ordinary cold-water dipping.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Industrial archaeology
HobbyRecording mills, mines, canals and railways before they disappear entirely.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Industrial site recording
HobbyDocumenting disused industrial and institutional buildings, with real legal and physical risk.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Infrared photography
HobbyCraftShooting beyond visible light with a converted camera or filter, which changes foliage and sky entirely.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Inline skating
SportSkating on a single line of wheels, for distance, slalom or urban travel.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Javelin throwing
SportThe most technical of the athletics throws, and the one where poor technique reliably injures shoulders.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kayak surfing
SportRiding breaking waves in a short surf kayak or waveski, judged in competition on the same waves as surfers.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Keelboat racing
SportClub and one-design racing in ballasted boats, sailed as a crew with defined roles.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kiln building
CraftBuilding a wood, gas or raku kiln, which is a refractory and combustion problem.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kite buggying
SportHobbyBeing pulled across sand or hard ground in a three-wheeled buggy by a power kite.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kite flying
HobbyFlying single-line, stunt or power kites — quietly, or not quietly at all.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kitesurfing
SportRiding a board pulled by a steerable power kite.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Knife throwing
SportThrowing knives and hatchets at wooden targets, with a governed competitive circuit.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Koi keeping
HobbyKeeping koi in a filtered outdoor pond, judged on form and pattern at shows.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kubb
HobbyA Swedish lawn game of throwing batons at wooden blocks, with a world championship.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lacrosse
SportCarrying and passing a ball in a netted stick, at speed.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Land yachting
SportSailing three-wheeled craft on beaches and airfields, one of the fastest wind-powered things you can do.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Landboarding
SportRiding a large skateboard pulled by a power kite on open ground.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Landscape photography
HobbyPhotographing land and sky, which mostly means being somewhere at the right hour.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lawn bowls
SportRolling biased bowls towards a jack on a flat or crown green.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Letterboxing
HobbyFinding hidden boxes from written clues and stamping a personal logbook.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lichen recording
HobbyIdentifying and recording lichens, which are excellent air-quality indicators and everywhere.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lifeboat volunteering
HobbyCrewing or shore-supporting a volunteer lifeboat station, on call and trained to a service standard.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Light aircraft flying
HobbySportLearning to fly and then flying small aeroplanes under a private licence.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Light pollution monitoring
HobbyMeasuring night sky brightness by meter or naked-eye star count and submitting it to national surveys.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lighthouse visiting
HobbyVisiting and recording lighthouses, which is a coastal walking hobby with a list attached.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Litter picking
HobbyOrganised or solo clean-ups, free to start and with an unexpectedly strong community.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Live steam locomotives
HobbyCraftBuilding and driving coal-fired miniature locomotives, usually on a club’s ground-level track.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Live-fire cooking
CraftCooking over wood and charcoal at controlled low temperatures for many hours.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Log building
CraftScribe-fitting whole logs into a structure, a Scandinavian and North American tradition.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Long-distance walking
SportHobbyWalking a named trail over days or weeks, carrying or forwarding your kit.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Longboard surfing
SportSurfing on boards over nine feet, where trim, noseriding and small waves are the point.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Longboarding
SportCruising and downhill on longer boards, closer to surfing than to street skating.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lunar observing
HobbyObserving and sketching the Moon, the one target light pollution cannot spoil.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mammal tracking
HobbyReading prints, trails and signs to work out what has passed through.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Map and compass navigation
HobbyLand navigation as a taught skill — bearings, pacing, contour interpretation and relocation.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Marathon swimming
SportLong-distance open water racing and channel crossings, ratified by observers rather than timed on a scoreboard.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Marbles
HobbySportCompetitive ring marbles, played in Britain to a fixed ring size and an unbroken championship.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Meteor observing
HobbyCounting and recording meteors, which needs no equipment and produces usable data.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Microlight flying
SportThe cheapest genuine route to a pilot licence, in small aircraft flown from grass strips.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Milestone recording
HobbyFinding, recording and conserving road milestones and mileposts, most of them unlisted and unrecorded.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mine exploration
SportHobbyVisiting disused mines with the appropriate club, training and permission.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model gliding
HobbyFlying unpowered model aircraft on slope lift or thermals, often on the same hills.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model rocketry
HobbyBuilding and launching solid-motor rockets, and recovering them safely.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model yachting
HobbySportRadio-controlled sailing on ponds, raced competitively in classes with strict rules.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mölkky
HobbySportThrowing a wooden pin to knock numbered skittles for an exact score, from Finland.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Monumental inscription recording
HobbySystematically recording gravestone inscriptions and plans before weathering removes them.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Moth gardening
HobbyPlanting deliberately for moths and night-flying insects, and recording what arrives.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Moth trapping
HobbyRunning a light trap overnight and identifying and releasing what comes.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Motocross
SportOff-road motorcycle racing over jumps and ruts on a closed circuit, with strong youth and club structures.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Motorcycle touring
HobbyLong-distance travel by motorcycle, where route planning and luggage become the craft.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Motorcycle trials
SportRiding a lightweight bike over obstacles without putting a foot down, scored on balance rather than speed.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Motorcycling
HobbyRiding motorcycles on the road, for touring, commuting or the ride itself.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Motorsport hillclimbing
SportTimed solo runs up a closed road or private hill, the cheapest way into competitive four-wheel motorsport.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mountain biking
SportRiding off-road trails, from forest singletrack to alpine descents.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mountain marathon
SportA two-day self-supported navigation race over mountain terrain, carrying camp between stages.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mountain rescue volunteering
HobbyServing on a volunteer rescue team, with years of training before a first callout and a pager after it.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mountainboarding
SportRiding an off-road board with pneumatic tyres down tracks and dedicated parks.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mudlarking
HobbySearching tidal foreshore for historical objects, which requires a permit on the Thames.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Munro bagging
HobbySportWorking through the 282 Scottish mountains over 3,000 feet, which takes most people decades.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mushroom foraging
HobbyFinding and identifying wild fungi, where a mistake can be fatal.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Muzzleloading shooting
SportTarget shooting with black powder originals and reproductions, under its own governing body.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Naked-eye stargazing
HobbyLearning the sky without equipment — constellations, planets and the year’s motion.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Narrowboating
HobbyCanal cruising at walking pace, with locks, licences and a wholly separate culture.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Nature journalling
HobbyCraftDrawing and writing observations in the field, sitting between sketching and recording.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Nest box monitoring
HobbyRecording breeding birds under licence for national monitoring schemes.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Night orienteering
SportOrienteering after dark by headtorch, where map reading and route choice change completely.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
No-dig gardening
HobbyGrowing vegetables on undisturbed soil under compost mulch, a method with a large following.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Nordic tour skating
SportSkating frozen lakes and fens on long blades, judging the ice as you go.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Nordic walking
SportWalking with poles that recruit the upper body, taught as a technique.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Obstacle course racing
SportTrail racing broken up by walls, water, carries and mud.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Offshore yacht racing
SportRacing yachts overnight and across open water, with watch systems, weather routeing and safety qualifications.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
One-wall handball
SportStriking a small ball against a single wall with a gloved hand, from an urban street tradition.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Open canoe touring
SportHobbyJourneying by open canoe on rivers and lochs, camping as you go.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Outdoor bouldering
SportBouldering on real rock, where pad placement, spotting and reading the landing are the new skills.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Outdoor gym training
SportTraining on free public outdoor gym equipment, which is a genuinely different problem from indoor kit.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Outrigger canoeing
SportPaddling a stabilised ocean canoe, individually or in crews, over long open-water distances.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Paragliding
SportFlying a foot-launched fabric wing from a hill or by tow.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Paramotoring
SportHobbyPowered paragliding with a motor on your back, launched on foot from a field.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Parkrun
SportA free, timed, weekly 5k in a local park — the usual on-ramp into running.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Peak bagging
HobbySportWorking through a defined list of summits — Munros, Wainwrights, county tops.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Penny farthing riding
SportHobbyRiding and racing the ordinary bicycle, a small revival with its own clubs.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Permaculture
HobbyDesigning growing systems that work with ecology rather than against it.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pétanque
SportThrowing steel boules at a small wooden jack on rough gravel.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Phenology recording
HobbyRecording first leaf, first flight and first song each year, feeding national datasets.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pig keeping
HobbyRaising a few pigs, usually on a rotation of ground, at smallholding scale.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pigeon racing
HobbySportBreeding, training and racing homing pigeons over hundreds of miles.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pit firing
CraftFiring pots in a pit with combustibles, for smoke-marked surfaces and no kiln at all.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pizza oven building
CraftHobbyBuilding a wood-fired masonry oven, from the base and dome to the curing fires.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Planetary imaging
HobbyVideo astronomy of planets, where thousands of frames are stacked to beat the atmosphere.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Plant identification
HobbyLearning to name wild plants using keys, features and habitat.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Platform tennis
SportA cold-weather racket game on a heated raised court with screens the ball may be played off.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Plein air painting
CraftHobbyPainting outdoors from life in one session, where light and weather set the deadline.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Polo
SportA mounted stick-and-ball team game on ponies, with a real amateur and university entry route.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pond dipping
HobbySampling freshwater invertebrates with a net and a tray. Free, and endlessly repeatable.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pop tennis
SportSolid paddles on a shortened tennis court, with the net and scoring largely unchanged.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Popinjay archery
SportShooting blunts vertically at wooden targets on a mast, a surviving medieval form.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Poultry showing
HobbyBreeding and conditioning birds to a published standard and exhibiting them at shows.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Punting
HobbyPropelling a flat-bottomed boat with a pole, on a small number of English rivers.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Quadball
SportThe full-contact mixed-gender field sport adapted from fiction and since separated from it.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Quail keeping
HobbyKeeping quail for eggs in a small space, considerably easier than chickens for a suburban garden.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Quoits
HobbySportThrowing rings at a pin, in several regional forms with their own leagues and dimensions.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Race walking
SportCompetitive walking under strict rules about contact and knee lock.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Radio astronomy
HobbyDetecting hydrogen line emission and solar activity with a home-built dish and software radio.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Radio direction finding
SportHobbyLocating hidden transmitters on foot with a directional aerial — orienteering with radio.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Radio-controlled aircraft
HobbyFlying model planes and helicopters, usually from a club field.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Raft building
HobbySportBuilding a floating craft from barrels, poles and lashings, then finding out whether it works.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Railway enthusiasm
HobbyRecording, photographing and following the railway network, of which number-taking is only the oldest part.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rainwater harvesting
HobbyCollecting and storing roof runoff for garden or household use.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Raku firing
CraftPulling red-hot pots from the kiln into combustible material for dramatic crackled glazes.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rallycross
SportShort wheel-to-wheel racing on mixed tarmac and gravel circuits, with a compulsory joker lap.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Recreational tree climbing
SportClimbing standing trees on rope, using arborist technique for its own sake.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Reptile and amphibian surveying
HobbySurveying newts, frogs, lizards and snakes for local record centres.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rocket stove building
CraftHobbyBuilding high-efficiency combustion stoves for cooking or outdoor heating.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rockpooling
HobbyFinding and identifying the animals that live in shore pools at low tide.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rogaining
SportLong-format team navigation events, scoring controls over many hours.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rounders
SportThe British bat-and-ball game most people last played at school.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Roundnet
SportFour players around a small trampoline net, spiking a ball off it.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rowing
SportSweep or sculling on flat water, individually or in a crew.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rucking
SportWalking distance with a weighted pack, borrowed from military training.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rugby league
SportThirteen a side, six tackles, and far fewer stoppages.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rugby union
SportFifteen a side, contested at every breakdown.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sailing
SportUsing wind to move a boat, from a dinghy on a lake to a yacht offshore.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sand casting
CraftCasting metal into bonded sand moulds, the accessible route into home foundry work.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sand sculpture
CraftHobbyCarving compacted sand, from beach work to competitive festival sculpture.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Scale aeromodelling
HobbyCraftBuilding and flying accurate models of real aircraft, judged on fidelity as well as flight.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Score orienteering
SportNavigation events scored by controls visited within a time limit.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Scuba diving
SportHobbyBreathing compressed gas underwater, under a formal training and certification system.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sculling
SportRowing with two oars, solo or in small boats, on rivers and lakes.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Scything
HobbyCraftMowing grass with a hand scythe, revived for meadow management and competition.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sea glass collecting
HobbyBeachcombing for tumbled glass, with a grading culture and a strong identification literature.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sea kayaking
SportKayaking on open coast, where tide and weather planning matter more than paddling.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Search and rescue dog handling
HobbyTraining and working a search dog to national assessment standard, which takes years with one dog.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Seaweed foraging
HobbyGathering and drying edible seaweeds from the shore, with tide and water-quality judgement.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Seaweed pressing
HobbyCraftCollecting and mounting seaweeds, a Victorian pursuit with real botanical value.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Seed collecting
HobbyCollecting and exchanging heritage seed varieties, which is conservation as much as gardening.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Seed saving
HobbySaving, drying and storing your own seed, and keeping varieties going.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sheep keeping
HobbyKeeping a small flock, often of a rare or primitive breed, on a few acres.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sheepdog training
SportTraining and trialling working collies on livestock.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Shell collecting
HobbyIdentifying and cataloguing marine shells, an old natural-history discipline.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Shepherd’s hut building
CraftBuilding a small wheeled timber hut, a revived form now used as a garden room.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Shinty
SportThe Highland stick-and-ball game, played in the air as much as on the ground.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ship spotting
HobbyLogging and photographing shipping, using coastal vantage points and vessel tracking.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Shore surveying
HobbyRecording intertidal species to a national scheme, which turns a beach walk into science.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Show pigeon breeding
HobbyBreeding and exhibiting fancy pigeon breeds, distinct from racing them.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Skateboarding
SportStreet and park riding, now an Olympic sport with a large adult beginner population.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Skeleton and luge
SportSliding a track head-first or feet-first, entered in Britain through a talent and taster route.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ski jumping
SportJumping from a graded hill to a measured distance, scored on distance and style together.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ski mountaineering racing
SportTimed racing up and down mountains on light touring kit, with transitions as a discipline of their own.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Skiing
SportDescending snow on two skis, on piste or off it.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Skijoring
SportBeing pulled on skis by dogs or a horse, which is two sports learned at once.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Skimboarding
SportRunning onto a thin board on wet sand and skimming out to meet a wave at the shore break.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Skydiving
SportJumping from an aircraft under a canopy, progressing through a formal syllabus.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Slacklining
SportBalancing on flat webbing between two anchors. Cheap, portable, and harder than it looks.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sledging
HobbyThe only winter sport most British people ever do, and the one nobody explains.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Slingshot shooting
SportTarget shooting with catapults, a precise and very cheap discipline.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Small mammal surveying
HobbyLive-trapping and recording mice, voles and shrews under licence and protocol.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Smoking and curing
CraftPreserving fish and meat with salt and smoke, where the safety margin is the whole craft.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Snorkelling
HobbySportWatching underwater life from the surface with mask, snorkel and fins.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Snowboarding
SportDescending snow sideways on a single board.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Snowkiting
SportCrossing snow on skis or a board under a traction kite, which can climb as well as descend.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Snowmobiling
HobbySportRiding tracked machines on trails and open snow, licensed and regulated differently in every country.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Snowshoeing
SportWalking over deep snow on frames that keep you on the surface.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Soapbox racing
HobbySportBuilding and racing unpowered gravity carts, where scrutineering and brakes matter more than speed.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Softball
SportBaseball’s more accessible cousin, widely played in mixed social leagues.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Solar observing
HobbyWatching the Sun safely with dedicated filters or telescopes — the one daytime astronomy.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Spearfishing
SportHobbyHunting fish on breath-hold with a speargun or pole spear, under species and season rules.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Speed badminton
SportBadminton without a net, played outdoors with a heavier shuttle that ignores wind.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Speedway
SportFour riders, four laps, no brakes, on shale — the most accessible motorcycle racing to watch and the hardest to enter.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Splitboarding
SportTouring on a snowboard that separates into skis for the climb and reassembles for the descent.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sport climbing
SportLead climbing on routes protected by pre-placed bolts.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stand-up paddleboarding
SportStanding on a wide board and paddling flat water, or small surf.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Steam bending
CraftSoftening timber with steam and bending it around a form, for boats, chairs and hoops.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Steam road vehicle restoration
HobbyRestoring and driving traction engines, steam rollers and steam wagons.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stone carving
CraftCutting stone with chisel and mallet, from letter-cutting to figurative sculpture.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stoolball
SportA bat-and-ball game older than cricket, still played competitively in southern England.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Straw bale building
CraftBuilding insulated walls from bales, rendered in lime, usually as a group build.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Street photography
HobbyPhotographing public life as it happens, unposed.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Surf lifesaving
SportA competitive sport built from beach rescue skills — swims, board races, runs and rescue drills.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Surf ski paddling
SportPaddling a long sit-on-top ocean racing kayak, in open water and downwind runs.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Surfing
SportRiding breaking waves standing on a board.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Swimrun
SportAlternating swimming and trail running in the same kit, usually in pairs.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Technical diving
SportDiving beyond recreational limits on mixed gas with planned decompression and redundant equipment.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Telemark skiing
SportSkiing on a free heel with a lunging turn, harder than it looks and defended fiercely by its adherents.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Thatching
CraftRoofing in straw or reed, a heritage building trade with a small amateur and volunteer route in.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Therapeutic horticulture groups
HobbyStructured group gardening run for wellbeing, usually through a charity or social prescribing route.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tidal pool swimming
SportHobbySwimming in sea pools and tidal lidos, sheltered from open water risk.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Timber framing
CraftCutting large joinery in structural timber, for barns, frames and garden buildings.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Time trialling
SportRacing alone against the clock over a set distance.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Top-bar beekeeping
HobbyKeeping bees in horizontal hives on natural comb, a lower-intervention alternative to framed hives.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Topiary
CraftHobbyClipping shrubs and hedges into deliberate shapes, over years.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Touch rugby
SportRugby without contact — mixed, fast, and the usual way adults start.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Track days
SportDriving your own car on a circuit, uncompetitively but at speed.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Traditional broom making
CraftBinding birch besoms and bench brooms by hand, one of the oldest surviving woodland trades.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Traditional climbing
SportClimbing while placing and removing your own protection as you go.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Traditional folk wrestling
SportRegional jacket and belt wrestling styles kept alive at fairs and festivals across Europe.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Trail mountain biking
SportRiding singletrack for its own sake, on natural and built trails.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Trail orienteering
SportPrecision navigation without a running element, designed to be inclusive of mobility.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Trail riding
SportHobbyRiding off-road motorcycles on green lanes and enduro trails.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Trail ultrarunning
SportRunning beyond marathon distance off-road, with its own pacing and nutrition problems.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Trained fruit growing
HobbyGrowing fruit trees flat against walls and wires in trained forms.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tramway enthusiasm
HobbyFollowing tramways and light rail — surviving systems, closed routes and the museums that preserve them.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tree identification
HobbyLearning to name trees in every season, including the hard half of the year without leaves.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Trig point bagging
HobbySportVisiting Ordnance Survey trig pillars, a walking hobby with a well-defined list.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Trigpointing
HobbyFinding and logging Ordnance Survey triangulation pillars across the country.
Free or near-free to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Trugo
SportDriving a rubber ring through a distant goal with a mallet, invented by Melbourne railway workers.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tug of war
SportA governed international sport with weight classes, technique and a national championship.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Turkey keeping
HobbyRaising turkeys on a smallholding scale, usually seasonally.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ultimate
SportSeven a side, no referees, disputes settled by the players themselves.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ultra-distance cycling
SportSelf-supported races of several hundred to several thousand kilometres, ridden with almost no sleep.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ultrarunning
SportRacing beyond marathon distance, where eating and pacing decide the result.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Underwater photography
HobbyPhotographing below the surface, where light, housing and buoyancy control matter more than the camera.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Urban birding
HobbyBirdwatching in cities and industrial edgeland, which has its own species list and its own patience.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Urban sketching
HobbyDrawing places on location, on the spot, in whatever time you have.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Variable star observing
HobbyMeasuring stars that change brightness and submitting the data, which professionals use.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Vegetable growing
HobbyGrowing food on a plot, allotment or in beds, to a yearly rhythm.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Veteran tree recording
HobbyFinding, measuring and recording ancient trees for national inventories.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Via ferrata
SportClimbing a fixed cable and ladder route clipped in with a shock-absorbing lanyard.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wainwright bagging
HobbySportWalking the 214 Lakeland fells of Wainwright’s guides, the most followed list in England.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wakeboarding
SportRiding a board towed behind a boat or on a cable park.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Walking rugby
SportNon-contact rugby at walking pace, aimed squarely at people who thought they had stopped.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Water skiing
SportSkiing on water behind a boat, on one ski or two.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Waterfowl keeping
HobbyKeeping ducks and geese, which need water and forage rather than a run.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wattle and daub
CraftBuilding infill panels from woven hazel and earth render, on heritage buildings and garden structures.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Weather observing
HobbyRecording weather at home with real instruments, and learning to forecast.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Whale and dolphin watching
HobbyWatching and recording cetaceans from headland or boat, with sightings submitted to national schemes.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
White water kayaking
SportPaddling rapids, where reading water is the whole skill.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Whitewater rafting
SportDescending rapids in a crewed inflatable raft, paddled to commands from a guide at the stern.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Widefield astrophotography
HobbyPhotographing the Milky Way and constellations with an ordinary camera and a tripod.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wild orchid recording
HobbyFinding and recording native orchids, a small and much-followed group with tightly defined sites and seasons.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wild water racing
SportRacing long unstable kayaks down whitewater against the clock rather than through gates.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wildflower identification
HobbyLearning to name wild plants by key rather than by picture, which is a different and durable skill.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wildlife gardening
HobbyManaging a garden for insects, birds and amphibians rather than for tidiness.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wildlife photography
HobbyPhotographing wild animals, which is mostly fieldcraft and patience.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wildlife pond building
HobbyCraftDigging and planting a pond for wildlife, the single most effective garden intervention there is.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Willow growing and preparation
CraftHobbyGrowing, cutting and grading your own willow for basketry, which changes the craft entirely.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Windsurfing
SportStanding on a board holding a rig, steering by moving the sail.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Winter camping
HobbySportCamping in cold conditions, where the margin for equipment and judgement errors narrows sharply.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Winter climbing
SportMixed snow, turf and ice climbing on axes and crampons, graded separately from summer rock.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Winter hillwalking
SportHillwalking in snow and ice, which is a different sport wearing the same boots.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wreck diving
SportHobbyDiving shipwrecks for their archaeology and marine life, with distinct training for going inside.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Yamadori collecting
HobbyCraftCollecting stunted wild trees for bonsai, under permission and with a long recovery period.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
This is one hand-picked cut through the catalogue. If your constraints are more specific than a single question, the hobby finder takes several at once and shows you why each suggestion matched.