Nature Reserves Walks
Nature Reserves are a great place for a walk in peaceful surroundings. You will often find nature trails, woodland walks and interesting flora and fauna.
Please use the links below to view full route information including descriptions, elevation profiles, interactive maps and GPS downloads.
You can also view an overview map of all the routes in the using the Nature Reserves Walk Map
| Route Name | Distance | Description |
| Abberton Reservoir | 10 miles (16 km) | This is a circular cycle ride on the quiet roads and country lanes surrounding this large reservoir near Colchester, Essex. Abberton is the fourth largest reservoir in England with an area of nearly 5 square kilometres (1,200 acres). The route starts at the visitor centre and takes you to Great Wigborough, Peldon and Malting Green. This route is designed for cyclists but walkers can enjoy walks from the visitor centre at the start of this route. The reservoir is excellent for bird watching with thousands of wildlfowl to look out for on the water. These include Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Coot and Black-headed Gull which can be spotted from the three bird hides. The visitor centre also has a wealth of information on the wildlife you can expect to see in this lovely wetlands area. View Full Details>> |
| Abernethy Forest | 3 miles (5.5 km) | This splendid forest and nature reserve in the Cairngorms has miles of good walking trails to try. This circular walk starts from the RSPB forest lodge and takes you along the woodland trails along the River Nethy. You can extend your walk further into the expansive forest and visit a series of pretty lochs and streams. The reserve is a fantastic place for wildlife with Ospreys and red squirrels to look out for. The forest includes the beautiful Loch Garten with an Osprey Centre where you can observe the birds nesting in the Caledonian pineforest and view the birds on the live CCTV camera. It's a splendid area with the Cairngorms Mountains making a great backdrop. View Full Details>> |
| Adderbury Lakes | 1 miles (1 km) | Enjoy a short walk around this pretty nature reserve in the Oxfordshire village of Adderbury. There's a nice footpath around the lakes with lots of interesting flora and fauna to look out for on the way. Keep your eyes peeled for mallard ducks, moorhens, kingfishers, goldcrests, long tailed tits and nuthatch. The reserve is located just to the east of the village centre of Adderbury. Here you can extend your walking on the Adderbury Circular Walk. The walk makes use of various public footpaths surrounding the village with nice views of the Sor Brook and the surrounding countryside View Full Details>> |
| Aldeburgh | 6 miles (9.5 km) | The coastal Suffolk town of Aldeburgh is a lovely place for walkers. This circular route takes you along the River Alde, through Aldeburgh Marshes and along Aldeburgh Bay. On the way there's a great deal of attractive, varied scenery to enjoy. The town has strong associations with Benjamin Britten, the leading British composer of the 20th century. On the coastal section of the walk you will pass the Scallop sculpture dedicated to him. The piece is made up of two interlocking scallop shells, with the following inscription: 'I hear those voices that will not be drowned', which are taken from Britten's opera Peter Grimes. Listening to this piece of music as you stroll along the beach would be the perfect accompaniment to the walk. The trail starts from the Fort Green car park on the sea front. Head south along the coast towards Slaughden before turning west to pick up the footpath along the River Alde. Just after West Row Point the path leaves the river to cross Aldeburgh Marshes. The marshes are great place for wildlife watching. Look out for Kingfishers, Snipe and Reed buntings as you make your way through this peaceful area. The route continues north through the North Warren RSPB reserve. The reserve is made up of grassland, lowland heath, reed bed, shingle, dune and woodland. It contains a variety of rare shingle flora and birds such as Eurasian bittern, European nightjar, nightingale and western marsh harrier. When you reach the Suffolk Coast path turn right and then head along the shingle beach back to the car park. This final section passes a model yacht pond, the lifeboat station and a pair of 19th-century look-out towers. View Full Details>> |
| Aldeburgh to Snape Maltings | 7 miles (11.2 km) | This walk visits the lovely Snape Maltings Nature Reserve from the coastal town of Aldeburgh in Suffolk. It's about a 7 mile walk from the town to the reserve, using a section of the waymarked Suffolk Coast Path and the Sailor's Path. The path is so named because historically sailors would walk the route on their way home. It's a well signed and maintained path which runs through an AONB. The walk starts on the sea front in Aldeburgh, next to the lifeboat station. From here you head north along the beach before turning left to follow the waymarked footpath toward the golf course. You then follow the trail through Blackheath Wood where there's some nice woodland trails and the Sailor's Path Cottages. The final section of the walk runs through Snape Warren before crossing Snape Bridge to finish at The Maltings. The attractive area includes reedbeds, wet woodland and marshland with lots of wildlife to see. Keep your eyes peeled for woodlark, yellowhammer and nightjar. The area also includes an expansive arts complex on the banks of the River Alde. It's best known for its concert hall, which is one of the main sites of the annual Aldeburgh Festival. The complex also includes shops, galleries and restaurants where you can enjoy refreshments after your walk. View Full Details>> |
| Allen Banks and Staward Gorge | 3 miles (5 km) | Enjoy a waterside walk along the River Allen and through a beautiful wooded gorge on this easy walk in the North Pennines AONB. View Full Details>> |
| Allestree Park | 2 miles (3 km) | This large park in Derby covers 320 acres and includes miles of good footpaths for walkers to try. In the park you will find a lovely large lake and peaceful woodland with nature trails. The park is also a nature reserve with lots of interesting flora and fauna to look out for on your walk. Keep your eyes peeled for White letter hairstreak butterflies, Brown Hare and a variety of woodland birds. The park also includes the Grade II listed Allestree Hall. The 19th-century former country house has an interesting history and some pretty gardens to explore. There's also an 18 hole golf course with a cafe where you can enjoy refreshments after your walk. To continue your walking in the Derby area you can head to the nearby Elvaston Castle Country Park. There's hundreds of acres of cycling and walking trails surrounding the 17th century Elvaston Castle. Also nearby is Kedleston Hall. This much larger park features grassy meadows, serpentine lakes, pleasure grounds, woodland and contoured hills. The long distance Bonnie Prince Charlie Walk also runs through the area so you could pick up the trail to further explore the Derbyshire countryside. View Full Details>> |
| Amwell Nature Reserve | 3 miles (5 km) | This nature reserve is located in village of Great Amwell just to the south of Ware in Hertfordshire. View Full Details>> |
| Anston Stones | 2 miles (4 km) | Anston Stones Wood is a biological site of Special Scientific Interest in Anston, South Yorkshire. It's a nice place for a peaceful stroll with interesting vegetation and the Anston Brook running through the woods. The site is a local nature reserve consisting of grassland, scrub and wetland. The woodland is the second best example of limestone woodland in South Yorkshire. The area is known for its limestone gorges and interesting geological features. As such it is very popular with rock climbers. There is also an Ice Age Cave known as 'Dead Man's cave'. In the 1960's ancient flint tools from the ice age and animal bones from animals such reindeer and hyena were uncovered. The walk can be extended by heading east to Woodsetts via Lindrick Common. Just to the north is Swinston Hill Wood and if you head south you can pick up the Cuckoo Way and enjoy a stroll along the Chesterfield Canal. View Full Details>> |
| Aqualate Mere | 2 miles (3.5 km) | Enjoy a peaceful walk through this lovely nature reserve near Newport on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border. In the reserve you'll find well surfaced footpaths taking you through pretty woodland and along the large mere which is the largest natural lake in the West Midlands. The area is great for birdwatching too. Look out for Eurasian curlew and common snipe from one of the bird hides. The reedbed habitat also supports reed warbler and sedge warbler while marsh harrier and osprey have also been seen in the area. View Full Details>> |
| Ardingly Reservoir | 5 miles (8 km) | This 198 acre reservoir and nature reserve has a lovely waterside walking path ideal for an easy stroll. The walk starts at the parking lot at the southern end of the reservoir and take you along the eastern side of the water to the village of Balcombe before returning to the start point. As a nature reserve you will pass through a variety of habitats including wetland, reedbed, deciduous woodland, hazel coppice and haymeadow. Look out for Great crested grebe and kingfishers as you make your way round the reservoir. Our Ouse Valley Viaduct Walk also starts from the same car park. It is a short walk along the river to the impressive structure which is a highlight of the area. View Full Details>> |
| Arlington Reservoir | 2 miles (3 km) | Enjoy a nice easy stroll around the pretty Arlington Reservoir on this short circular walk near Hailsham. There's parking on the western side of the reservoir and a good path running around the perimeter. The walk includes a woodland section at the start before reaching the dam where there are fabulous views across the Downs and the Long Man of Wilmington, The area is also a nature reserve and excellent for bird watching with 173 recorded bird species and a wintering population of up to 10,000 wildfowl. Look out for great crested grebe, swallow, mallard, pied wagtail and cormorants.These can best be observed from the bird hide. The reservoir can also be easily accessed by train - get off at Berwick station and a short walk north takes you to the start of the walk. If you'd like to continue your walking in the area then you could pick up either the Vanguard Way or the Wealdway which both run past Arlington. About a mile to the east you will find the pretty Abbot's Wood. There's two nice waymarked walking trails to try in the bluebell woods. View Full Details>> |
| Arne Nature Reserve | 3 miles (5 km) | This beautiful coastal nature reserve is located near Wareham in Dorset. There are miles of footpaths to follow through woodland, heathland and countryside to the stunning coastline. Here you can enjoy fabulous views of the islands in Poole Harbour and look out for a wide variety of coastal birdlife. Visitors include wading birds, ducks, avocets, black-tailed godwits, curlew and brent geese. Ospreys are regularly seen on migration in late summer and in autumn. With 1,392 acres to explore you can spend most of the day at the reserve. The area also has a large herd of Sika Deer which are usually seen in the fields but are often near the waters edge too. There's a friendly visitor centre next to the car park where you can learn all about the reserve. If you would like to continue your walk then the Purbeck Way runs through nearby Wareham. Here you can also enjoy a lovely waterside stroll along the River Frome. The Blue Pool is also nearby so you could continue your outing at this lovely turquoise lake and nature reserve. Just to the south you will find Hartland Moor Nature Reserve with Middlebere Heath and Middlebere Lake. There's more nice walking trails and a number of bird hides to make use of here. View Full Details>> |
| Ashford Hill Nature Reserve | 2 miles (3.5 km) | Explore the old water meadows and woodland in this pretty nature reserve near Newbury. You can start the circular walk from the car park at the Ship Inn in the village of Ashford Hill. From here you pick up footpaths through the nature reserve towards Haughurst Hill and Sleepers Copse. The reserve is great for wildlife spotting with several species of butterfly to look out for amongst the wildflowers. Back in the little village you can enjoy refreshments at the Ship Inn. The Brenda Parker Way long distance footpath runs through the reserve so there is scope for extending your walk. Also nearby is Wasing Wood, riverside paths along the River Enborne and Greenham Common. The expansive area of heathland is covered in heather and gorse and has nice wide footpaths, wetland areas and wildflower filled grasslands with horses and ponies to look out for. To the east you'll find Pamber Forest with more peaceful woodland trails to try. View Full Details>> |
| Ashtead Common National Nature Reserve | 3 miles (5 km) | This 500 acre ancient wooded common is also a National Nature Reserve. There are miles of quiet cycling and walking paths taking you to woodland, scrub grassland, a meadow, ponds and streams. There are also two ancient Scheduled Monuments - a Roman villa and a triangular earthwork. The route below begins and ends at the conveniently located Ashtead Railway Station at the southern end of the common. The adjacent Epsom Common is a great option if you would like to continue your outing. Horton Country Park is nearby while the Thames Down Link also runs past the site. View Full Details>> |
| Aston Rowant Nature Reserve | 5 miles (8.5 km) | Enjoy a circular walk around this wonderful nature reserve in the Chilterns and climb Beacon Hill on the way. The reserve is a splendid place for walking with miles of good paths taking you through woodland, chalk grassland and some lovely Chilterns countryside. It's a wonderful place for flora and fauna with flowers such as orchids, the Chiltern gentian and various wildflowers. The attractive mixed woodland includes beech, yew, and juniper. As for wildlife look out for Red Kites soaring above and butterflies such as the silver-spotted skipper and the Adonis blue. You may also see Dartmoor Ponies, Roe deer, feral goats and buzzards. This walk starts in the good sized Cowleaze Wood car park and takes you through pretty bluebell woods before reaching Beacon Hill where you can enjoy wonderful views of the reserve and Chiltern Hills. The route then descends on the Ridgeway, before passing Bald Hill and returning to the car park. If you'd like to continue your walking in this lovely area then you could head to the nearby Christmas Common and Watlington Hill where there is more beautiful flora and fauna. View Full Details>> |
| Attenborough Nature Reserve | 4 miles (6 km) | Explore over 350 acres of lakes, wetland, woodland, grassland and scrub in this popular nature reserve near Nottingham. The reserve sits at the confluence of the River Erewash and the River Trent and contains several large lakes which attract a wide variety of birdlife. Look out for kingfisher, shoveler, diving ducks and herons. It is located right next to Attenborough train station and on the Trent Valley Way walking route, so you have the option of continuing your walk on this riverside footpath. The Erewash Valley Trail cycle and walk trail also passes through the reserve so you could pick this up. View Full Details>> |
| Aylesbeare Common | 3 miles (5 km) | This circular walk takes you around the lovely Aylesbeare Common RSPB reserve in Devon. There are miles of good footpaths crossing the common, including the East Devon Way. The area consists of heathland, woodland, streams and ponds with a wide variety of wildlife to look out for. These include birds such as Dartford warblers, nightjars and stonechats plus various butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. View Full Details>> |
| Banagher Glen | 5 miles (8 km) | Follow the riverside trail through these ancient oak woodlands and look out for red squirrels on this walk through the beautiful Banagher Glen Nature Reserve. The walk takes you through a steep ravine along the Altnaheglish river leading to the Altnaheglish Reservoir at the end of the route. Along the way you'll pass oak, ash, hazel, hawthorn and holly trees with lots of wildlife to look out for. There's also pretty waterfalls, wonderful views of the Sperrin Mountains and the splendid Banagher Dam to enjoy. You can start the walk from the car park at Strone Hill, a few miles south of Dungiven. From here you pick up the riverside trail heading east towards the reservoir, passing Teeavan Hill and Streeve Mountain. View Full Details>> |
| Banstead Downs | 3 miles (5 km) | This walk crosses Banstead Downs Site of Special Scientific Interest in Surrey. The downs are very pretty in the summer with the open grass chalkland covered in a variety of wildflowers. You'll pass Gally Hills and through some attractive woodland as you make your way along the path. From the high points there are great views towards the city of London. The downs support a huge variety of interesting plants and flowers. Look out for common spotted orchid, early purple orchids, vetch, horse-shoe vetch, ox-eye daisy and purging flax. Wildlife includes roe deer, fox, rabbit and stoat. Notable bird sightings include Kestrels, Buzzards and Sparrowhalk. In the summer months you can see lots of butterflies around the wildflowers. Keep your eyes peeled for Common Blue, Chalkhill Blue and Marbled White. You can start your walk from Banstead rail station which is right next to the downs. From here pick up the London Loop footpath to take you across the site. To extend your walking in the area you could follow the London Loop north to Nonsuch Park. It's a lovely park with wide lawns, pretty gardens, woodland and the impressive Nonsuch Mansion. If you head east you'll soon come to Oaks Park in Carshalton. It's a pretty little park with a nice cycling and walking trail. Just to the south of Banstead you'll find Banstead Woods. The lovely bluebell woods have a nice nature trail to try. View Full Details>> |
| Barcombe Mills | 2 miles (4 km) | This delightful area of East Sussex has riverside trails, a small reservoir and lovely countryside views. It's located just to the south east of the village of Barcombe Cross in the Lewes District. You could follow footpaths from the village to the site but this walk starts from the Barcombe Mills car park, just to the south of the reservoir. From here you can easily pick up the trails heading between the River Ouse and Barcombe Reservoir. It's a lovely path, with a number of weirs, little wooden bridges, attractive waterside woodland and nice countryside views. Keep following the river north until you reach the Anchor Inn. The pub is a great place to stop for refreshments with its riverside beer garden and picturesque setting. You can also hire boats from this location. After enjoying a drink in the pub the walk returns on footpaths through the countryside on the western side of the river. The area is also a nature reserve so look out for wildlife including moorhen, mallard, mute swan, greylag goose, rabbit, barnacle goose, Canada goose, robin, blue tit, herring gull and grey wagtail. To extend the walk you can continue north along the Sussex Ouse Valley Way to the little village of Isfield. Here you can pick up the splendid Lavender Line heritage railway from Isfield Station. If you follow the river path south it will take you all the way into Lewes where you can visit the South Downs and Southerham Nature Reserve and enjoy a climb to Mount Caburn. There's great views and lots of flora and fauna to enjoy here. Just to the west of this walk there is a permissive bridleway along the disused trackbed of the railway to Anchor Lane. This is a good options for cyclists wishing to explore the area. View Full Details>> |
| Barnack Hills And Holes | 1 miles (1.6 km) | This walk explores the unique landscape of the Barnack Hills and Holes National Nature Reserve in the Cambridgeshire village of Barnack. View Full Details>> |
| Barnes Common, River and Wetland Centre | 7 miles (11.5 km) | This circular walk takes you around the London village of Barnes. It's an affluent and attractive area with nice walks to be had through the common, green and along the River Thames. There's also the splendid London Wetland Centre with its lakes, ponds, gardens and wide variety of wildlife. The walk starts from Barnes train station and heads east across Barnes Common and Putney Lower Common. The commons consist of mixed broadleaf woodland, meadows, scrubland and acid grassland. The commons lead you on to the pretty Beverley Brook which you follow to the River Thames. Head north along the Thames Path and you will soon come to the London Wetland Centre. For a fee you can explore the site and look out for a huge variety of wildlife including otters, Eurasian bittern, northern pintail, northern lapwing, water rail, rose-ringed parakeet, Eurasian sparrowhawk, sand martin, common kingfisher, little grebe and great crested grebe. The site also includes an excellent visitor centre and a nice cafe. After exploring the site, the walk heads back to the river, heading north to Hammersmith Bridge. You continue through Chiswick before leaving the river and heading to Barnes Green. The pretty green has a pond and the Grade II listed Sun Inn on its fringe. The mid 18th century pub is a nice place for refreshments at the end of your walk. There's lots of good options for extending your exercise in the area. You could try our Chiswick Riverside Walk and visit the lovely Chiswick House with its beautiful gardens and neo-Palladian villa. You could also follow the Beverley Brook south through Roehampton to Richmond Park where there's miles of cycling and walking trails set in a huge deer park. View Full Details>> |
| Barton Hills | 2 miles (3 km) | Visit the Barton Hills National Nature Reserve and enjoy peaceful walking trails in the Chilterns. A series of footpaths take you to the attractive downland, chalk grassland, natural springs and beech woodland. It's delightful in the summer months with a variety of wildflowers attracting butterflies such as marbled white and dark green fritillary. Look out for vegetation including wild thyme, horseshoe vetch, marjoram and orchids as you make your way along the paths. It's a great area for wildlife too with lots of different birds and mammals such as ponies, stoats, weasels and hares. You can start your walk from the little town of Barton-le-Clay which lies just to the north of the reserve. Follow the John Bunyan Trail through the town and south to the reserve. To extend your walking in the area you can follow the John Bunyan Trail and the Icknield Way Path through the surrounding Bedfordshire countryside. The trails can take you east towards Hexton, Pegsdon and Pirton or south towards Luton. The video below shows an exploration of the Barton and Pegsdon Hills from Hexton. From there you can enjoy a climb with wonderful views over the surrounding area. Also nearby is the village of Streatley and Sundon Hills Country Park near Toddington. This includes the climb to Sharpenhoe Clappers where there is an Iron Age Hillfort and more great views to enjoy. View Full Details>> |
| Bedelands Nature Reserve | 2 miles (3 km) | This walk visits the Bedelands Farm Nature Reserve in Burgess Hill, West Sussex. View Full Details>> |
| Bedford Purlieus National Nature Reserve | 2 miles (3.5 km) | These splendid ancient woods near Peterborough have miles of woodland walking trails to try. You can start the walk from the car park off the A47, just east of Wansford (postcode PE8 6NN). The area is a hidden gem with 520 acres of ancient woodland to explore. The extensive flora includes beech, birch, field maple, bluebells, primroses, celandines, violets and wood anemones, wild strawberries and garlic. There's also lots of wildlife to look out for including deer, cuckoo, foxes, red kites and buzzards. The woods contains more plant and insect species than most other woods in this country. Bedford Purlieus is located just to the west of the lovely riverside village of Wansford. The Nene Way long distance footpath runs through the village so you could pick this up to extend your walk. View Full Details>> |
| Beinn Eighe | 3 miles (5 km) | Follow the Beinn Eighe Mountain Trail through a beautiful nature reserve on this circular walk near Kinlochewe, in the Torridon area of Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. On the walk you will pass attractive pinewood woodland, mountainous lochs, white quartzite crags and pretty waterfalls. The views over Loch Maree and the Torridon Mountains are simply stunning. The route starts from the car park at the southern end of Loch Maree. From here you gain access to the waymarked mountain trail. The trail climbs through woodland and past burns and waterfalls to the high point where you will find a small loch and a cairn. It's a challenging walk with steep and rocky sections. View Full Details>> |
| Bempton Cliffs | 7 miles (12 km) | Bempton Cliffs RSPB Nature Reserve is considered the best place in England to watch seabirds. Start species include Puffins, Gannets, Kittiwakes, Guillemots and Razorbills. In the summer months it is a spectacular sight with hundreds of thousands of birds around the cliffs. The RSPB have created several cliff-edge viewing platforms from which to observe the action. This walk starts at the reserve car park and heads along the coast in an easterly direction before turning back and heading west towards Buckton Cliffs. A lovely footpath then heads away from the coast and into the countryside towards Bempton. A country lane from Bempton then takes you back to the car park. As such the walk provides both great coastal scenery and views of the North York Moors countryside. You can easily continue your walk along the East Riding Heritage Way towards Thornwick Bay and the wonderful Flamborough Head. View Full Details>> |
| Bentley Priory | 3 miles (5 km) | This circular walk explores the popular Bentley Priory nature reserve in Harrow. The reserve has good footpaths to follow to 55 hectares of ancient woodland, grassland, scrub, wetland, streams, a lake and a deer enclosure. In the reserve you will find a variety of wildflowers such as spotted orchid. Look out for birds including buzzard, spotted flycatcher, and bullfinch. You can park at the Stanmore Common car park and pick up the London Loop to the reserve. Other public footpaths will take you past the deer park and the lake. There's lots of good options for extending your walk in this area. If you head west along the London Loop you can visit Harrow Weald Common and Oxhey Woods with its splendid, easy access sculpture trail. On the common there's also the noteworthy Grim's Dyke Hotel, the formere home of Sir William Schwenck Gilbert, the writing half of the Gilbert & Sullivan musical partnership. The Stanmore Common walk also starts from the same start point as this walk. View Full Details>> |
| Berry Head Country Park | 2 miles (3 km) | Berry Head Country park is an internationally acclaimed heritage site and National Nature Reserve. It is home to an abundance of coastal wildlife and includes recently restored Napoleonic War fortifications. Look out for lots of interesting flora and fauna including White Rock-Rose, Honewort, Small Hare's Ear, Restharrow and Goldilock's Aste. There is also a large Guillemot colony on the cliffs. This walk takes you to Berry Head and Shoalstone Point on the coast, before crossing Berry Head Common. The park is located in Brixham and is a short walk from the harbour or there are parking facilities at Berry Head. To extend your walk head south along the South West Coast Path to the lovely Sharkham Point Nature Reserve. Here you can enjoy great views of St Mary's Bay and look out for dolphins in the water below. You could also try the popular Paignton to Brixham Walk which visits a series of pretty beaches and secluded coves. View Full Details>> |
| Blacktoft Sands | 2 miles (4 km) | Enjoy a circular walk around this pretty RSPB nature reserve. The reserve is located at the confluence of the River Ouse and River Trent, a few miles east of Goole. It is known for its wetland breeding birds, including marsh harrier, bittern, kestrels, avocets and bearded tit. The site has some nice grassy public footpaths to follow to a number of bird hides. There's lots of pretty lakes and a visitor centre with lots of information and facilities. View Full Details>> |
| Blakeney Point Nature Reserve | 5 miles (8.3 km) | This beautiful National Nature Reserve on the Norfolk coast is a four-mile-long sand and shingle spit with sand dunes, salt marshes, tidal mudflats and farmland. View Full Details>> |
| Blashford Lakes | 5 miles (8.5 km) | This walk takes you around Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve and Ibsley Water on the edge of the New Forest. There are good surfaced footpaths to follow around several lakes with the Avon Valley Path also running through the site. You can stop and use won of the many bird hides to look out for woodpecker, nuthatch, grey heron, great crested grebe, coot and sand martin. Adder, grass snake and kingfisher can be seen in the summer months. There are good facilities with a visitor centre and car park. If you would like to extend your walk you could continue along the Avon Valley Path towards the pretty village of Ibsley or head east, on any number of footpaths, into the New Forest. Just to the east of the reserve you will find the expansive Rockford and Ibsley Commons where there are miles of heathland and woodland trails. View Full Details>> |
| Blean Woods National Nature Reserve | 6 miles (9 km) | Enjoy miles of cycling and walking paths in the ancient woodland of Blean Woods near Canterbury. The site is one of the most extensive areas of broadleaf woodland in Britain and home to a wide variety of wildlife. There's miles of waymarked trails to try with birds such as Nightjar and Woodcock to look out for on the way.
To continue your walking in the area you can head south and try our Canterbury Rivers and Woods Walk which takes you through the orchards and woodland surrounding Canterbury. The Stour Valley Walk and North Downs Way long distance trails also pass just to the south of the woods. View Full Details>> |
| Blue Pool Dorset | 2 miles (3 km) | This extraordinary lake in Dorset is located near Wareham and Corfe Castle. Particles of clay in the water diffract reflected light, meaning the pool changes colour regularly. At any time it could be a 'cloudy' grey, green, or more typically a beautiful turquoise. Surrounding the lake are a number of sandy walking paths and peaceful woodland trails. Steps take you to a vantage point where you get great views of the pool and the surrounding Purbeck Hills. The Blue Pool is also a nature reserve. Look out for the Dartford warbler, nightjar, Silka deer, squirrels, rabbits and badgers. The site also contains a Giftshop, Museum, Tea-house and Plant Centre. The Purbeck Way runs past the site so you could pick this up if you would like to continue your walk. If you head south east along the trail you will soon come to Corfe Castle where you can visit the fascinating castle ruins and enjoy a climb across Corfe Common. The delightful Arne Nature Reserve is also nearby so this is another good option. View Full Details>> |
| Bough Beech Reservoir | 1 miles (2 km) | This large reservoir near Sevenoaks includes a nature reserve with nice footpaths at its northern end. It's a nice place for an easy stroll with plenty of birds to look out for from the bird hides and viewpoints. Park at the visitor centre at Winkhurst Green to start your walk. Then pick up the footpaths heading south along the western side of the reservoir. There's pockets of woodland, fields and nice views across the water. The woodland areas are lovely in the spring when they are covered in bluebells. The area is a great place for wildlife watching so make sure you bring your binoculars. Look out for Mandarin Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Little Egret, Common Tern, Little Ringed Plover and Grey Heron on the water. After your walk you can enjoy refreshments at the visitor centre. You'll also find interesting displays and exhibitions here. Hever Castle is located just to the south. It's a nice place to continue your walking in the area with lakes and woodland surrounding the castle. Around here you can also pick up the Eden Valley Walk and follow it to the lovely Penshurst Place. Just to the north of the water you can visit Toys Hill and enjoy great views on the Greensand Ridge. Another great place for wildlife is the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve. The site covers 71 hectares (175 acres) and includes several lakes, ponds, reedbed and woodlands. View Full Details>> |
| Bradfield Woods | 1 miles (1.5 km) | This National Nature Reserve near Bury St Edmunds is one of the best places in Suffolk for wildlife. There's nice walking trails taking you through the woods to a lovely lake with a bird hide. Birds in the woods include garden warbler, blackcap and willow warbler. Other wildlife to look out for includes a variety of butterflies and deer in the adjacent fields. There's also lots of interesting flora with over 370 plant species. Woodland flowers include bluebells, oxlip, herb paris and ramson (wild garlic). There's three trails to try in the reserve. These will take you around the reserve and into the adjacent Monkspark Woods. To continue your walking in the are you can head west towards Stanningfield and pick up the long distance St Edmund Way. Following it north will take you into Bury St Edmunds where you can visit the delightful Abbey Gardens. View Full Details>> |
| Brandon Marsh | 2 miles (2.5 km) | This lovely nature reserve near Coventry has some nice footpaths taking you around a series of lakes and lagoons. There's 220 acres of reedbeds, willow carr, grassland and woodland to explore. There's also views of the River Avon, a nature trail and a brass rubbing trail. Look out for wildlife including Otter, Bittern, Badger, Great Crested Newt, Long-eared Owl. The nature centre is the headquarters of the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and includes a visitor centre with educational exhibits. There's also a nice team room where you can enjoy refreshments after your walk. The site is located just to the south east of Coventry. You can park at the good sized car park off Brandon Lane to start your walk. The reserve is located only a short distance north of the village of Ryton-on-Dunsmore. You could start the walk from here if you prefer. To extend your walking in the area you could head north towards Binley Woods and explore Brandon Woods where there's some peaceful woodland trails to try. Three long distance trails also pass just to the south of the site. You could pick up the Coventry Way, Shakespeare's Avon Way and the Warwickshire Centenary Way to further explore the countryside around the reserve. Just to the north you will find Coombe Country Park. Here you will find 500 acres of beautiful gardens, woodland and lakes, with splendid views of Coombe Abbey. Ryton Pools Country Park is located just to the south of Ryton-on-Dunsmore. View Full Details>> |
| Braunton Burrows | 4 miles (6 km) | This circular walk explores the expansive sand dune system of a beautiful nature reserve on the North Devon Coast. On the way you can enjoy a variety of wildlife, coastal views and several species of specialised plants. Braunton Burrows covers nearly 900 hectares making it the second largest dune system in England. Almost 500 species of plant have been recorded making Braunton the most biodiverse parish in England. Plant species include sea stock, sand toadflax, bee orchid and water germander. It's also great for wildlife with hundreds of rabbits, 33 species of butterfly and birds which include the Ringed Plover. You can easily extend your walk by heading to the coast and enjoying a stroll along the lovely Saunton Sands on the Croyde Bay and Saunton Sands Walk. The Tarka Trail also passes the reserve so you could pick this up and head to the estuary of the Rivers Taw and Torridge which is a short distance away. This circular walk starts from the car park at the end of Sandy Lane but you could also start from Braunton village and follow the Tarka Trail to the reserve. View Full Details>> |
| Brean Down | 2 miles (4 km) | Explore this beautiful natural pier and enjoy wonderful coastal views on this walk on the Somerset coast. The promontory stands at 318 feet (97 m) high and is a continuation of the Mendip Hills. As such there is some climbing involved but you are rewarded with wonderful views of the Bristol Channel, south Wales and Weston Super Mare. At the seaward end you will find Brean Down Fort which was built in 1865 and then re-armed in the Second World War. The area is a nature reserve and has an abundance of interesting flora and fauna. Look out for birds including peregrine falcon, dunnock and kestrel. Butterfly species include chalkhill blue, dark green fritillary, meadow brown and marbled white. In the summer months there are lots of pretty wildflowers and plants including Somerset hair grass, wild thyme, horseshoe vetch and birds-foot-trefoil. This circular walk starts at the car park and takes you to the fort, Howe Rock and Sprat Beach at the end of the promontory. You return on an alternative path. There is a cafe at car park where you can enjoy refreshments after your walk. If you'd like to cycle to the reserve then you could follow National Cycle Route 33 from Burnham-on-Sea or Weston-super-Mare. The West Mendip Way starts from Uphill next to the down. You could pick this up and head to the nearby Bleadon Hill to extend your walk. To the south east you will find the prominent hill of Brent Knoll. The hill summit provides fine views across to the down. Just to the north of Weston-Super-Mare you will find the wonderful Sand Point. This is a similar area to Brean Down with a beautiful peninsula jutting out into the Bristol Channel. View Full Details>> |
| Breydon Water | 14 miles (22.5 km) | Visit the UK's largest protected wetland on this wonderful waterside walk in Great Yarmouth. The expansive estuary is also a nature reserve with a huge number of wading birds to look out for. Keep your eyes peeled for golden plovers, wigeons, lapwings and tens of thousands of Bewick's swans. There is also a bird observation hide at the east end of the water. You can explore the area from Great Yarmouth by following the Weavers' Way west towards Berney Marshes. There's some beautiful Norfolk Broads scenery with mills, marshland and views of the River Yare and River Waveney. If you follow the Angles Way along the southern side of the water you can visit the fine Roman Fort at Burgh Castle. View Full Details>> |
| Bridestones | 2 miles (3 km) | Visit these fascinating sandstone sculptures on this splendid walk in Dalby Forest. View Full Details>> |
| Bridgwater Bay National Nature Reserve | 2 miles (2.5 km) | Explore this beautiful nature reserve on this short walk in the Somerset Levels. The reserve is situated on the mouth of the River Parrett with lovely views over the estuary to Stert Island and Burnham-on-Sea. It consists of extensive areas of mudflats, sand banks, reed beds and saltmarshes attracting a large number of birds. Look out for shelduck, curlew, redshank and oystercatcher from the excellent elevated bird hide. There is also an abundance of interesting flora with wildflowers and plants including Somerset hair grass,wild thyme, horseshoe vetch and birds-foot-trefoil. Steart Marshes nature reserve is also located on the south side of the peninsula with otters, egrets, owls waders and wildfowl to look out for. The River Parret Trail starts from Bridgwater Bay so you can pick this up to extend your walking in the area. The lovely waterside trail heads south to the nearby village of Combwich and then on to Bridgwater. This walk start from the Steart car park but you could also start from Combwich or Bridgwater and follow the River Parret Trail to the reserve. You could also head west along the estuary towards Hinckley Point Nuclear Power Station. It's a lovely walk with great views of the Sterte Flats and Catsford Common. View Full Details>> |
| Broadwater Warren | 2 miles (3 km) | This delightful RSPB nature reserve in Tunbridge Wells has a nice nature trail and an all ability path to try. You can pick up the walking trails at the car park at Broadwater Forest Lane. The waymarked trail guides you through the reserve's woodland, wetland and open heath with lots of wildlife to look out for on the way. This includes nightjars, dormice and dragonflies around the pond. There's also a section along a boardwalk which takes you through an area of wet woodland. Just to the south of the reserve you will find Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve. It's well worth extending your walk here. You'll find a series of large boulders, woodland trails and a wide variety of interesting plant species. The Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk also passes the southern edge of the site. You can pick this up to explore the countryside surrounding the town. Tunbridge Wells Common is also nearby with its sandstone outcrops, heathland and nice woodland trails. The reserve is located just to the south west of Tunbridge Wells. You can reach it by bike by following National Cycle Route 18 from the town centre. View Full Details>> |
| Brockadale Nature Reserve | 2 miles (2.5 km) | This lovely nature reserve near Pontefract has miles of woodland walking trails and a riverside path along the River Went. View Full Details>> |
| Brockholes Nature Reserve | 2 miles (3.5 km) | This lovely nature reserve near Preston has lots of nice footpaths to follow around a series of lakes. The area has been transformed from an old quarry into a splendid wetland and woodland nature reserve. View Full Details>> |
| Brown Moss Nature Reserve | 1 miles (2 km) | Enjoy a series of walking trails in this delightful nature reserve near Whitchurch. The site is 77 acres and includes marshes, pools, heathland and woodland. It's great for bird watching with woodpeckers, jays, Canada goose, mallard and great crested grebe regular visitors. Look out for froglets, dragonflies and great crested newts around the wetland areas. View Full Details>> |
| Broxbourne Woods | 9 miles (14.5 km) | Follow the Broxbourne Woods Nature Trail on this splendid walk in Hertfordshire. The site is Hertfordshire's only National Nature Reserve and includes Wormley Woods, Cowheath Wood and Hoddesdonpark Wood. You'll pass attractive Hornbeam coppice, tranquil ponds, pretty meadows and field edges as you make your way along the figure of eight trail. The woods have car parks on White Stubbs Lane where you can pick up the waymarked trails. This 9 mile walk takes you around most of the site but there are shorter walks and mountain bike trails for cyclists too. In the heart of the forest there is a 1km sculpture trail with several beautifully carved wooden pieces. These include a life size Roman soldier and a magnificent stag. Each sculpture illustrates something interesting about the forest, highlighting the historical importance of the woods and taking a close up look at the nature and wildlife that lives there. The video below gives and example of what you can expect to see on the trail. For cyclists there are some fun single-track rides to enjoy too. If you'd like to extend your walking in the area then there are several good options. You could head west and visit Northaw Great Wood. This country park has 300 acres of woodland to explore. The Hertfordshire Chain Walk and the Hertfordshire Way also pass the site. The Hertfordshire Chain Walk actually passes through the western end of the woods. You could pick this up and head south towards Cuffley and Enfield where you will pass Whitewebbs Park. View Full Details>> |
| Bude Marshes | 3 miles (5 km) | This delightful local nature reserve in Bude is a great escape from the busy seaside town centre. You can enjoy a stroll along the Bude Canal tow path with views of the River Neet. View Full Details>> |
| Burnham Beeches | 2 miles (2.5 km) | This hugely popular National Nature Reserve and woods has miles of good walking trails to try. The area consists mostly of beech woodland with lots of peaceful footpaths to follow. There's also ponds, streams, grassland and heathland with over 500 acres to explore. View Full Details>> |
| Burrington Combe | 2 miles (3 km) | Explore this fascinating carboniferous limestone gorge on this circular walk in the Mendip Hills AONB. The site is geologically significant with numerous caves, cliffs and interesting rock formations. There is also an Iron Age univallate hill fort known as Burrington Camp and a variety of plants to look out for including Rock-rose, Wild Thyme and Wood Sage. Look out for mountain goats on the precarious cliff edges. The goats were introduced to the area to help reduce scrub and unwanted plants, so preserving the natural habitat. You can start your walk at the car park next to the Rock of Ages on the eastern side of the Coombe. You then climb east across the site reaching a height of nearly 700ft. From the high points there are magnificent views over the Mendips. The area is also popular with mountain bikers with some good trails up to Beacon Batch. To extend your walk you can head west to Mendip Lodge Wood and Dolebury Warren on the Limestone Link. It's a lovely area with an Iron Age hill fort, wildflowers, butterflies and splendid views across North Somerset and the Mendips. Just to the south west you will find miles of woodland trails in Rowberrow Warren Wood. This is another good place for mountain bikers. The West Mendip Way also runs through the southern section of the wood so you can pick this up and head to Shipham. You could also visit the nearby Blagdon Lake where there is a nice waterside footpath at the northern end of the water. The climb to Beacon Batch on Black Down hill starts from the car park. The hill is the highest point in the Mendips and provides great views over the lake. View Full Details>> |
| Bystock Pools Nature Reserve | 1 miles (1.6 km) | This walk visits Devon Wildlife Trust's Bystock Pools Nature Reserve near Exmouth. View Full Details>> |
| Castle Eden Dene | 3 miles (5 km) | Enjoy miles of woodland trails, pretty streams, rushing waterfalls and an abundance of wildlife in this splendid nature reserve in Peterlee. The reserve is the largest area of semi-natural woodland in north-east England. There are well surfaced trails running along the pretty Castle Eden Burn and through the atmospheric gorge. There are two waymarked nature trails to try. The Yew trail runs for 2 miles following the Yew markers. On this trail you'll pass the reserve's majectic Yews and climb Craggy Bank where you can look out for nuthatches and goldcrests. The Squirrel trail also runs for about 2 miles following the squirrel markers. The reserve contains over 450 species of plant including wild garlic (ransoms) with their distintive aroma, pretty yellow primroses, lily-of-the-valley and bird's-nest orchid. In the spring months there are also carpets of bluebells to admire. It's great for wildlife too. Look out for roe deer, foxes and numerous different types of bird as you make your way along the trails. You can start your walk from the car park on Stanhope Chase. National Cycle Network Route 1 passes through Peterlee and close to the reserve if you would like to visit by bike. Please note that cycling is not permitted within the reserve though. This walk starts at the Stanhope Chase car park and explores the western section of the reserve. You can head east and walk all the way to the coast where you can pick up the Durham Coastal Footpath. To extend your walking in the area you can pick up the Castle Eden Walkway and follow the disused railway line to the lovely Wynyard Woodland Park. If you follow the coast path north towards Seaham you could visit the lovely Hawthorn Dene Nature Reserve. The coastal reserve has more nice woodland trails and interesting flora and fauna. View Full Details>> |
| Castor Hanglands | 4 miles (6 km) | Explore the woodland, limestone, wetland grassland and scrub in this large National Nature Reserve near Peterborough. There's lots of rare plants and interesting wildlife to be found in the reserve. In particular look out for butterflies including silver-washed fritillary, purple hairstreak and white admiral. The reserve is located just to the west of Peterborough city centre with a parking area at the northern end. View Full Details>> |
| Cavenham Heath | 2 miles (2.5 km) | Enjoy a short stroll around this pretty nature reserve near Bury St Edmunds. The site includes heathland, riverside meadows, woodland, wet woodland scrub and small areas of fen. There's lots of wildlife to look out for including a good population of Britain's only poisonous snake, the adder. You can park at Temple Bridge to start your walk which follows part of the Icknield Way Path. Near to the reserve you can also pick up the Lark Valley Path and enjoy a riverside stroll along the River Lark. You could follow it west into the attractive market town of Mildenhall. Also nearby is King's Forest and the popular West Stow Country Park. View Full Details>> |
| Cemlyn Bay | 2 miles (2.5 km) | Enjoy a stroll along Cemlyn Bay and lagoon on this delightful coastal walk on the Isle of Anglesey. The circular path starts at the car park at the north western corner of the reserve and runs along the coast next to Cemlyn Bay before heading inland and circling the lagoon. You can enjoy a stroll along the shingle beach and around the little rock pools before heading towards the nearby Wilfa Power Station. The countryside around the reserve is also very attractive with wildflowers, orchids and heather to enjoy in the summer months. It's a great place for wildlife spotting with various coastal birds to look out for. These include Ringed Plover, Arctic Terns, Oystercatcher and Shelduck. The colony of Sandwich terns is the third largest in the UK. The Anglesey Coast Path passes the reserve so you could pick this up to extend your walk. You could head east to visit Wylfa Head and Cemaes Bay where there's fine views over to the Isle of Man and the Lake District. The interesting Copper Trail also passes the bay and is another good option. View Full Details>> |
| Chaddesley Wood | 2 miles (4 km) | This circular walk takes you to the Chaddesley Wood nature reserve from the village of Chaddesley Corbett in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire. The attractive coniferous woodland is covered in pretty bluebells in the spring. There's also streams, ponds and a variety of wildflowers in the summer. Look out for wildlife including woodcock, chiffchaff, crossbill and blackcap. You can park in the village of Chaddesley Corbett to start your walk. Then follow footpaths east through the countryside to the woods. It's about a one mile walk from the village. You can continue your walk in the adjacent Nutnells Wood at Woodcote Green along the waymarked Royal Hunters Forest Walks. The Monarch's Way long distance footpath runs right through Chaddesley Corbett so you could pick this up to continue your walk. If you follow it west you will pass the moated medieval and Elizabethan manor house of Harvington Hall. If you head a few miles north you can visit a number of excellent country parks with good walking trails. These include Lickey Hills Country Park, Clent Hills Country Park and Waseley Hills Country Park. They all have climbs to viewpoints with great views over the surrounding countryside and hills. View Full Details>> |
| Chobham Common | 3 miles (5.5 km) | Enjoy a circular walk or cycle around this large common in Surrey. The common covers hundreds of acres and has a series of good footpaths over grassland, lowland heath and woodland. The area is also crisscrossed with wide bridleways which are ideal for an off road cycle. Chobham Common is the largest National Nature Reserve in the south east of England. As such there is a diverse range of flora and fauna. Look out for over 100 species of bird including the rare dartford warbler, the hobby and the nightjar. In the wetland areas look out for frogs, newts, adders, grass snakes, lizards, slow worms, foxes and possibly deer. Plants and flowers include purple heather, gorse and orchids. It's a really attractive area with lots of nice stony footpaths to follow. You could easily spend a few hours strolling around looking out for wildlife. This circular walk starts at the car park on Staple Hill and follows various footpaths past Albury Bottom to Gracious Pond. You then follow woodland paths and bridleways back to the car park. If you would like to continue your walk then you could head a few miles north to the lovely Virginia Water Lake. View Full Details>> |
| Chorlton Water Park | 1 miles (1.5 km) | Enjoy a walk or cycle around this large lake and nature reserve in Manchester. The well maintained trail runs for about a mile around the water. It's a nice easy cycle ride for families or an easy stroll. Look out for lots of birdlife on the water such as kingfisher, herons, geese and ducks. Facilties include a car parking area at the end of Maitland Avenue, toilets and an ice cream van in the summer months. The park is located right next to the River Mersey so you can continue your exercise along the river. National Cycle Route 62 runs through the park and continues along the Trans Pennine Trail to the nearby Sale Water Park. Also nearby is the lovely Wythenshawe Park. It's only about a mile south of Chorlton and has miles of walking trails with wildflower meadows, pretty gardens, herbaceous borders, woodland and grassland. View Full Details>> |
| Clayton Vale | 1 miles (2 km) | This large park and nature reserve in Manchester has miles of walking paths and some great mountain bike trails to try. You can start off at the National Cycling Centre in Philips park just to the east of Manchester city centre. From here you can pick up the mountain bike trails through Clayton Vale. There's 12km of colour coded trails for all abilities. The red easy trail is a great one for families with gentle, rollable, rideable features. At the other end of the scale is the black graded ride which is for expert mountain bikers. It has rocky sections and is tight, twisty and very challenging. In the middle the red trail includes rock slabs and gnarly rock gardens. Regional Cycle Route 86 also runs through the reserve. It's a nice ride along the River Medlock. This is the route shown below but you can see all the other trails on the Open Street Map link below. The reserve is also great for walkers with the Medlock Valley Way passing through. In the reserve you can enjoy riverside paths, woodland trails, ponds and a variety of wildlife. To extend your outing you could continue east along this long distance path and visit Medlock Vale, Medlock Hall and Daisy Nook Country Park. The Ashton Canal also passes by the National Cycling Centre. You can pick this up and head to Ashton-under-Lyne. View Full Details>> |
| Cley Marshes Nature Reserve | 5 miles (8 km) | This walk takes you around the stunning Cley Marshes on the Norfolk coast at Cley next the Sea. You start at the windmill at Cley next the Sea and head through the reserve to the coast, before following a walking trail and country lanes through the countryside and returning to the windmill. Cley Marshes contains 430 acres of reed beds, freshwater marsh, pools and wet meadows. An abundance of rare birdlife can be seen at the site, including pied avocets on the islands, western marsh harriers, Eurasian bitterns and bearded reedlings. There are five bird hides and an excellent visitor centre with a cafe, shop, viewing areas (including viewing from a camera on the reserve) and an exhibition area. Plantlife at the reserve includes biting stonecrop, sea campion, yellow horned poppy, sea thrift, bird's foot trefoil and sea beet. Wilidlife includes Water Voles, hares and otters. If you would like to continue your walk the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path runs through the reserve so you could follow this trail west to Morston Quay and catch a boat to Blakeney Point Nature Reserve where can you go seal watching! View Full Details>> |
| Cliffe Pools Nature Reserve | 5 miles (7.5 km) | Enjoy a circular walk around this delightful RSPB nature reserve in the North Kent Marshes. You can stroll along the numerous pools and enjoy a riverside section along the Thames. It's brilliant for wildlife spotting with huge numbers of wintering waders to look out for.
Avocet, Lapwing, Little egret and Turtle Dove are all regular visitors to the site. Cliffe Pools is located close to Rochester and Gravesend. You can park in the little village of Cliffe and walk to the reserve from there quite easily. The Saxon Shore Way long distance walk runs past the site so you could walk from Gravesend along the Thames to the reserve. It is a five mile walk from the town centre. The Hoo Peninsula Path also passes the reserve so this is another great option if you would like to extend your walk. It will take you along the Thames estuary to Gravesend in one direction and Allhallows in the other. View Full Details>> |
| Coombe Bissett Down | 3 miles (5 km) | Enjoy a short walk around this pretty nature reserve near Salisbury. The reserve is located just a few miles south west of Sailsbury and has nice walking tracks to try. The area is a chalk downland valley with a variety of plants to enjoy such as delicate harebells, bee orchid, devil's-bit scabious and the burnt orchid. It's great for wildlife too with butterflies including Adonis blue, chalkhill blue and dingy skipper and birds including Yellowhammer, goldfinch, and skylarks. The reserve includes a mixture of grassland and woodland. There are some slopes in the reserve so some climbing is required. You are rewarded with splendid views over the surrounding countryside of the Cranborne Chase AONB. You can also enjoy a walk around the pretty little village of Coombe Bissett. There is a nice pub called the Fox and Goose, a church dating from the 12th century and lovely thatched cottages. The River Ebble also runs through the village. View Full Details>> |
| Corrie Fee Nature Reserve | 5 miles (8 km) | Explore this beautiful natural amphitheatre created by a huge glacier thousands of years ago. View Full Details>> |
| Cors Caron | 1 miles (1.5 km) | This short walk explores the delightful Cors Caron National Nature Reserve in Ceredigion. There is a lovely boardwalk at the south eastern end of the reserve. It's a nice easy stroll with great views over the reserve's raised bogs with surrounding reedbeds, grasslands, woodland, rivers, streams and ponds. It's a peaceful place with views of the River Teifi and the surrounding hills and countryside. The area supports a wide variety of wildlife including badger, blackcap, buzzard, Dartford warbler, fallow deer, nightingale, nightjar and willow warbler. You can also look out for otters around the Teifi and the rare red kite in the air. The reserve is located just north of Tregaron with a car park just off the B4343 . The Ystwyth Trail Cycle Route also passes the reserve so if you are visiting by bike you can follow this route from nearby Tregaron or Aberystwyth. The trail follows a disused railway line so can be used to extend your walk too. View Full Details>> |
| Craigellachie Nature Reserve | 4 miles (6 km) | This large nature reserve in Aviemore has a number of splendid walking trails to try. In the reserve you can enjoy several small lochs, woodland trails and stunning views of the Cairngorms. You can follow the easier waymarked trails around the lochs before climbing to wonderful viewpoints. View Full Details>> |
| Cuckmere River and Cuckmere Haven | 10 miles (16 km) | This lovely waterside walk takes you along the Cuckmere River from Alfriston to the beautiful Cuckmere Haven on the south coast. The walk starts in Alfriston and follows the riverside path to Exceat, passing the famous chalk White Horse on the way. You continue to the coast and Cuckmere Haven where you will find a shingle beach and wonderful views of the Seven Sisters Cliffs. The route then passes along the beach and picks up the South Downs Way to take you into the popular Seven Sisters Country Park. In the park there are 700 acres of parkland with wonderful views over the South Downs. The walk continues to Exceat where you cross the bridge and follow the footpath along the western side of the river to Alfriston. It's a super walk and very flat and easy apart from a short climb on the coastal section. The area is also a nature reserve with species-rich chalk grassland and wildflowers. Look out for wildlife which includes a variety of butterflies and wildfowl. If you enjoy this walk then you could try the Long Man of Wilmington walk which also starts in Alfriston and takes you up to the iconic chalk figure. Our South Downs Circular Walk also passes through the area. It will take you on a tour of the surrounding area, visiting Friston Forest and Birling Gap. View Full Details>> |
| Culbin Forest | 17 miles (28 km) | Enjoy a cycle or walk around this large coastal forest near Nairn. There are a huge number of tracks to choose from including the easy Hill 99 trail which is waymarked. The route below begins at the car park at the Culbin Forest Nature Reserve and takes you around the forest on various tracks. The route includes a visit to the Culbin Sands Nature Reserve on the coast at Nairn. Here you can see a variety of coastal birds including bar-tailed godwits, oystercatchers and knots. The route then heads back through the forest passing a series of idyllic woodland lochs before returning to the start point. Other highlights in the forest include the beautiful Findhorn Bay where you can see ospreys and seals at the river-mouth and a view over the water towards the village of Findhorn. You can also climb the Hill 99 viewpoint trail where there are fabulous views of the surrounding area from the top of the viewpoint tower. National Cycle Network Route route 1 runs just past the forest so there is scope for continuing your ride if you have time. The forest is located about 16 miles north east of Inverness. View Full Details>> |
| Daneshill Lakes | 1 miles (1.7 km) | This easy walk takes you around the lovely Daneshill Lakes Nature Reserve near Retford. There's wetlands, woodland, grassland, flowering plants and lots of wildlife to look out for on the site. Look out for grebes, swans, willow warbler, whitethroat, and blackcap on your walk. There's a free on-site car park from which you can start the walk. To the south there's the more popular open water section, while to the north there's some peaceful woodland trails to enjoy. View Full Details>> |
| Dolebury Warren | 2 miles (4 km) | This National Trust owned limestone ridge has some nice footpaths to try. There's an Iron Age hill fort, wildflowers, butterflies and splendid views across North Somerset, the Bristol Channel and the Mendips. The site includes an extensive hill fort covering 22 acres and commanding fantastic views of the area. It's surrounded by lots of interesting plants of flowers including bell heather, small scabious, early purple orchid and eyebright flower. These attract a wide variety of butterflies in the summer months. Look out for small blues and marbled whites. The route makes use of the Limestone Link which runs through the site. You can follow it east to Burrington Combe and the popular Blagdon Lake to extend your walk. The limestone gorge consists of numerous caves, cliffs and interesting rock formations. The climb to Beacon Batch on Black Down hill starts from the car park at Burrington Combe. The hill is the highest point in the Mendips and provides great views over the lake. Just to the south you will find Rowberrow Warren with miles of mountain bike trails and woodland walks. View Full Details>> |
| Donna Nook Nature Reserve | 10 miles (16 km) | This coastal nature reserve in Lincolnshire consists of dunes, slacks and inter-tidal areas. It's a great place for birdwatching with 47 species of birds to look out for. In November and December you can see the grey seal colony give birth to their pups near the sand dunes. View Full Details>> |
| Draycott Sleights | 5 miles (7.5 km) | Enjoy a large variety of flora and fauna in this delightful nature reserve in Somerset. The reserve has some nice footpaths with great views over the Mendip Hills and the Somerset Levels to enjoy. The expansive area of limestone downloand is great for wildlife spotting. Look out for chalkhill blue butterflies, brown hares and birds including skylark and meadow pipit. It's very beautiful in the summer months with wildflowers including bee orchids and horseshoe vetch to enjoy. You can start your walk from the village of Draycott just south of Cheddar. Follow the waymarked West Mendip way up into the reserve which reaches a height of 270 m (890 ft). From these high points there are wide ranging views over the surrounding countryside. The West Mendip Way crosses the reserve so you can pick this up to extend your walking in the area. The Rodney Stoke National Nature Reserve is just to the south while heading north will take you to the wonderful Cheddar Gorge. Also nearby is the lovely limestone nature reserve at Ebbor Gorge. View Full Details>> |
| Dungeness | 7 miles (11.5 km) | Explore this wonderful coastal nature reserve on this circular walk in Kent. The reserve contains a number of lakes and lagoons with several miles of good footpaths to follow around the expansive site. There's also coastal paths with great views of the sea and the long stretch of shingle beach. The reserve is superb for wildlife watching with lots of birds to look out for. Keep your eyes peeled for lapwings, smew, bittern and little ringed plover from one of the many bird hides. There's also over 600 different types of plant species. The RSPB site has good facilities with a car park and visitor centre. You can start the walk from the car park off Dungeness Road, about a mile east of Lydd. From here you can pick up the trails taking you around the lakes to the coast. The path then heads south along Broomhill Sands to the village of Lydd-on-Sea, the lifeboat station and the lighthouse. The route then follows path across Denge Beach back to the car park. On this section you pass the nuclear power stations which warm the water in the area attracting large numbers of birds. Also of intrest is the The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. The narrow gauge railway was built in 1927 and is a fun way to see the area. To extend your walk you can pick up the England Coast Path and follow it west to Camber Sands and Rye Harbour. Here you will find saltmarsh, lagoons, grazing marsh, shingle and reedbeds with a huge variety of flora and fauna. You can also head to the nearby New Romney and explore Romney Marsh. View Full Details>> |
| Dunkery Beacon | 5 miles (7.5 km) | This walk climbs to Dunkery Beacon on Dunkery Hill, the highest point in Exmoor and Somerset. From the 1,703 feet (519 metre) summit there are fabulous views over Exmoor, the Brecon Beacons, Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor, the Severn Bridges and the Bristol and English Channels. The walk starts at the Dunkery Hill car park taking you up the hill to the beacon before heading into the delightful Dunkery and Horner Wood National Nature Reserve. The reserve covers 4000 acres/1604 hectares and is owned and managed by the National Trust. It consists of upland heath and woodland with a variety of wildlife including pied flycatcher, wood warbler, lesser spotted woodpecker, redstart and dipper. It also supports 14 of the 16 UK bat species, including barbastelle and Bechstein bats. You should also see several Exmoor Ponies and Exmoor's Iconic Red Deer. At the hill summit there's a handy toposcope where you can see all of the landmarks that are visible. If you would like to continue your walk you could head to the nearby Selworthy Beacon in the Holnicote Estate. Here you can enjoy more fabulous views of the Exmoor coast. The long distance Coleridge Way also passes close to the hill. You could pick this up and head north to the coast and visit Porlock and Porlock Weir. View Full Details>> |
| Earlswood Lakes | 3 miles (5 km) | Enjoy a stroll along these three reservoirs and into the adjacent woodland on this lovely walk in Solihull. There's a good footpath running along the lakes which includes a visit to Terry's Pool. This wildlife reserve, has a rich variety of plant and animal life including otters and turtles. Along the shore you'll see lots of pretty willow trees and plants such as great willowherb, betony, gipsywort and yellow flag iris. The walk also takes you into the delightful Clowes Wood. Here you will find heathland, woodland, wildflowers and wet meadow. Look out for a variety of birdlife including jay, chiff chaff, nuthatch and treecreeper, woodcock and three types of woodpeckers. View Full Details>> |
| Eaves Wood | 2 miles (3 km) | Explore Eaves Wood and enjoy a climb to the Pepperpot on this walk in the Arnside and Silverdale AONB. There's nice footpaths taking you through shady ancient woodland with limestone pavement supporting rare plants and wildlife. The walk starts from the parking area on Park Road, just south of the woods. Follow the trail north to enter the woods where you can pick up the woodland trails heading west. The trails take you up to King William's Hill where you will find the Pepperpot monument. The unusual structure was built in 1887 to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria. From the viewpoint there are splendid views over the coast to Grange over Sands. The woods are located just to the south of Arnside Knott. To extend your walk you could follow footpaths north across Middlebarrow Plain to the nearby viewpoint. Just to the south east you will find Leighton Moss Nature Reserve. There's nice paths taking you around several lakes and lagoons, with a large variety of birdlife to look out for. Our Silverdale Circular Walk passes through the woods. You could pick this up and visit the beach and village. View Full Details>> |
| Elmley National Nature Reserve | 5 miles (8 km) | Enjoy a tranquil walk around this beautiful Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey. View Full Details>> |
| Epsom Common | 2 miles (4 km) | Follow this cycle and walking track around this large open space in Surrey. There are peaceful woodland trails, several ponds, fields with grazing cows and a wide variety of wildlife (the site is also a local nature reserve). If you would like to continue your exercise why not visit the nearby Horton Country Park or follow the Thames Down Link which passes through the common. The adjacent Ashtead Common National Nature Reserve also has miles of cycling and walking paths to enjoy. Just to the south east you will find Epsom Downs. You can follow a footpath across the famous racecourse and enjoy attractive chalk downland, grassland and woodland. View Full Details>> |
| Eridge Rocks | 1 miles (1 km) | This fascinating nature reserve in Tunbridge Wells contains a series of large boulders and mixed woodland. The imposing rocks are surrounded by interesting vegetation such as conifers, deciduous trees, bamboo, mosses, liverworts, ferns and bluebells. You can park at the car park at the southern edge of the reserve and then pick up the walking trails from there. Eridge Rail Station is also located nearby. You could catch the train and then follow National Cycle Route 21 for about a mile to reach the site. The Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk passes the site so you can pick this up to extend your walk. The long distance trail takes you through the attractive countryside surrounding the town and includes a visit to Harrison's Rocks. Just to the north is the RSPB Broadwater Warren. It's a great place to continue your walk with its nature trails, wet woodland, boardwalk, ponds and wide variety of wildlife. View Full Details>> |
| Fairburn Ings | 2 miles (4 km) | This lovely nature reserve in the Aire Valley has some nice footpaths to follow around the substantial site. View Full Details>> |
| Farlington Marshes | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Explore this lovely coastal nature reserve on this walk on Portsea Island near Portsmouth. Habitats include wetlands, reedbeds, streams, a lake and fields with grazing cattle. There's nice footpaths to follow around the site with great views over Langstone Harbour and lots of birdlife to look out for. Keep your eyes peeled for geese, wigeons, teals, avocets, redshanks, dunlins and short eared owls. View Full Details>> |
| Farningham Woods | 2 miles (2.5 km) | This 168 acre nature reserve has some nice woodland trails including a waymarked 1.6 mile walk. Interesting flora includes the rare Small-Leaved Lime and the pretty Deptford Pink wildflower. It's a lovely peaceful place for a stroll with the addition of some moderate hill climbs with great views over the area. Interestingly, the reserve was opened by Sir David Attenborough in 1986. The woods are located just to the north of Farningham and Eynsford. You can park at the car park at the end of Calfstock Lane, just off the A225. Please note cycling is not permitted in the woods. The Darent Valley Path runs close to the woods and through Farningham. You could follow it south and visit Eynsford Castle and Lullington Castle. Here you will find more nice footpaths in Lullingstone Country Park. If you follow it north then it will take you into Dartford, passing Darenth Country Park on the way. The park has nice wide lawns, picnic areas, meadows and pockets of woodland. View Full Details>> |
| Fen Drayton Lakes | 3 miles (5.5 km) | This large RSPB nature reserve near St Ives has some nice walking trails and a cycle path running through it. The reserve consists of a series of lakes, ponds and lagoons with the River Great Ouse running through the northern section. There's lots of well laid out trails taking you around and between the lakes with National Cycle Route 51 running through the central section along the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway. The reserve is a haven for water loving wildlife with huge numbers of ducks, swans and geese on the lakes in winter. Also look out for terns, hobbies, lapwings, coots and a variety of dragonflies. You can extend your walk by picking up the Ouse Valley Way which runs through the reserve. If you head west it will take you into St Ives and then onto the lovely Houghton Mill which is well worth a visit. Heading north along the waymarked trail takes you along the river to Earith. There's also another public footpath running along the Ouse into nearby Hemingford Grey. Cyclists can continue along the Cambridge to St Ives busway cycle path. It's a great traffic free route running along a disused railway line. View Full Details>> |
| Flanders Moss Nature Reserve | 1 miles (1 km) | This delightful National Nature Reserve near Kippen has a 0.5 mile boardwalk trail to follow over the peat bogland. It's a fascinating and beautiful spot with sphagnum moss, heather, birches and cotton grass. View Full Details>> |
| Fleet Pond | 2 miles (2.8 km) | Enjoy an easy circular walk around the Fleet Pond Nature Reserve in the Hampshire town of Fleet. The lake has nice footpaths to follow around the perimeter with additional woodland trails to the east and south of the water. It is the largest freshwater lake in the county at 52 acres. The walk starts from the on site car park but you could equally begin from Fleet Railway Station which borders the northern edge of the lake. From here you can pick up the trails heading around the water with lots of wildlife spotting opportunities. The reserve's habitats of reed beds, marshes, heathland and woodland attract a diverse range of birds and amphibians. Other highlights in the reserve include the pretty Brookly Stream, fine Scots Pine specimens, bamboo, rhododendron and laurels. In the summer months there are also a wide variety of wildflowers which attract a number of butterflies. The reserve includes 3 colour codes waymarked trail of varying length. All are easy walking on flat paths so suitable for all abilities. View Full Details>> |
| Fleggburgh and Filby Broad | 2 miles (3 km) | This short circular walk in the Norfolk village of Fleggburgh visits Filby Broad in the Trinity Broads. View Full Details>> |
| Fontmell and Melbury Downs | 5 miles (7.5 km) | Enjoy a variety of beautiful flora and fauna in this nature reserve in Compton Abbas on the Dorset/Wiltshire border. The area is associated with the novels of Thomas Hardy and includes a climb to Melbury Hill for wonderful views over the area. Also look out for a variety of birds, butterflies, wildflowers and orchids in this delightful area. The walk starts from the car park at the top of Spread Eagle Hill and follows footpaths to Compton Abbas. From here you climb past Compton Down before reaching the 863 feet summit of Melbury Hill. From here there are splendid views over Blackmore Vale, Vale of Wardour and Shaftesbury. On the summit there's a handy toposcope which details the landmarks you can see. From the summit the walk then descends back to Compton Abbas before crossing Fontmell Down and returning to the car park. At the end of your walk you can enjoy refreshments at the Compton Abbas Airfield Restaurant which is located just to the east of the car park. View Full Details>> |
| Foots Cray Meadows | 2 miles (2.5 km) | Enjoy a waterside walk along the River Cray in this lovely park and nature reserve in Bexley. There's a small car park off Rectory Lane on the south western side of the park. From here it is a short stroll to the river where you can pick up the London Loop long distance footpath. There's also footpaths through pretty wildflower meadows, ancient woodland and the impressive five arches bridge over the river. Look out for lots of birdlife including little grebe, grey wagtails and kingfishers by the river. It's easy to extend your walk in the area if you have time. You can follow the London Loop south west to Petts Wood and Scadbury Park where there are more nice footpaths through parkland, woodland and meadows. Also nearby is the Joydens Wood Walk which starts from Bexley train station. The woods have over 136 hectares (325 acres) to explore on miles of footpaths and bridleways suitable for cyclists. A couple of miles to the north there's Danson Park which includes a small pocket of woodland, acres of grassland, an attractive lake and well laid out gardens. View Full Details>> |
| Foremark Reservoir | 2 miles (3 km) | This walk visits the pretty Foremark Reservoir near Burton Upon Trent in Derbyshire. The walk starts at the car park at the north eastern end of the reservoir and follows woodland trails along the reservoir to Carver's Rocks. The area is a nature reserve so look out for a variety of wildlife including several species of butterflies and wildfowl. The woodland area is lovely with bluebells and silver birches near the reservoir banks. It's a great place for a picnic and you can also purchase refreshments at the cafe. The reservoir is located near Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Ingleby, Swadlincote and Willington. To extend your walking in the area you can visit the lovely Staunton Harold Reservoir or Calke Park. View Full Details>> |
| Forge Valley Woods | 2 miles (3 km) | Follow the waterside trail through this delightful nature reserve in the North York Moors National Park. The easy walk follows a wooden boardwalk through the wooded valley along the River Derwent (not suitable for bikes). There's a wide variety of flora and fauna to look out for as you make your way through the reserve. This includes wild garlic, wood anemone and broadleaved woodland. Also keep your eyes peeled for deer and woodland birds. It's easy to extend your walking in the area with Raincliffe Woods located just to the north west. The woods have some good mountain bike trails and more walking trails. You can also pick up the circular Scarborough Sea Cut and Scalby Beck Walk in this area. Also nearby is Wykeham Forest which has some great viewpoints from its elevated position. The circular Hackness Walk visits the forest from the nearby village. You can follow a pleasant riverside path along the River Derwent from the settlement to the forest. The expansive Dalby Forest is also close at hand. View Full Details>> |
| Foxley Wood | 2 miles (3.4 km) | Visit the largest ancient woodland in Norfolk on this peaceful walk near Dereham. View Full Details>> |
| Frampton Marsh | 6 miles (9 km) | Visit this splendid RSPB nature reserve on the Wash on this circular walk near Boston. There are miles of good footpaths taking you to reedbed, saltmarsh, tidal mudflats, freshwater scrapes and grassland. There are good facilites with a visitor centre and a number of bird hides where you can look out for a wide variety of coastal birds. These include Avocet, Hen Harrier and Lapwing. View Full Details>> |
| Gibraltar Point | 4 miles (6 km) | Enjoy a walk around this beautiful coastal national nature reserve near Skegness. It's a lovely place for a peaceful stroll with numerous footpaths to follow through the sand, saltmarsh and dunes with several artificial lakes and bird hides along the way. There are lovely views of the Wash and the Lincolnshire coast and countryside. It's fantastic for bird watching with a variety of coastal birds to look out for. These include brent geese, shorelark, redwing and fieldfare. There's also an excellent visitor centre with a Wild Coast Exhibition that includes 3d models of sand dunes and salt marshes. The reserve is located just a few miles south of Skegness so you could easily walk there from the town. Parking is available at the reserve too though. View Full Details>> |
| Glen Affric | 11 miles (18 km) | Explore this beautiful National Nature Reserve in the Scottish Highlands on this circular walk around Loch Affric. It's a stunning area with lochs, rivers, mountains, pine forest and lots of wildlife to look out for. Keep your eyes peeled for golden eagles, mountain hares and red deer as you make your way through the reserve. The walk starts from the River Affric car park at the eastern end of the loch. The area is managed by the forestry commission who have devised the River Affric walking trail which runs south from the car park on well laid out paths. The short trail gives great views of the rushing waters of the river and Loch Beinn a Mheadhoi. The route then follows the Loch Affric Circuit around the Loch Affric. It's a challenging 11 mile path which climbs high above the loch giving wonderful views over the glen. Along the way you'll pass a series of smaller lochs and majestic towering pine forest. There's also fine views of the mountains of Mullach Fraoch-Choire and Mam Sodhail. To extend your walking in the glen you can head to Plodda Falls where you'll find a spectacular 46 metre high waterfall plunging into the Abhainn Deabhag river. You can also try the Dog Falls Trail at the north eastern end of Loch Beinn a' Mheadhain. View Full Details>> |
| Goblin Combe | 4 miles (6 km) | Explore this peaceful wooded valley on this lovely circular walk in North Somerset. The woods are located a few miles north east of Congresbury, near the small village of Cleeve. The site includes hundreds of acres of woodland, large areas of open grassland and some moderate climbs with great views towards the Mendip Hills. There's also limestone cliffs and limestone meadows with lots of wildflowers to look out for. You can start your walk from the car park on Cleeve Hill Road at the eastern end of the combe. Here you will find the Goblin Combe Environmental Centre, which provides educational training and residential facilities for visiting groups. From here you can pick up the footpaths heading east through the woods. Look out for a variety of woodland birds and butterflies including grizzled and dingy skippers, brown argus and green hairstreak. You can extend the walk by heading north through Wrington Warren to Brockley Wood. If you enjoy this walk then you could head west towards Yatton, and climb to Cadbury Hill Fort. In Congresbury you can pick up the Two Rivers Way and enjoy a walk along the River Yeo. At Yatton you can pick up the wonderful Strawberry Line cycling and walking trail. View Full Details>> |
| Goonhilly Downs | 5 miles (7.5 km) | This walk explores a large area of heathland situated in the Lizard National Nature Reserve in Cornwall. The site is located next to the Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station, with its iconic satellite dishes which can be seen for miles. The remains of RAF Drytree, a radar station built during WWII are also visible in the reserve. You can explore some interesting buildings including an air raid shelter and receiver block which you can climb to the top of for panoramic views on the surrounding countryside On the downs you will find areas of woodland, a large pond and interesting plants such as the Heath Spotted Orchid. Also look out for wildlife including ponies and deer as you make your way around the reserve. View Full Details>> |
| Goss Moor Trail | 7 miles (12 km) | This super Cornish trail is suitable for both walkers and cyclists and takes you on a tour of the 480 hectare Goss Moor National Nature Reserve. View Full Details>> |
| Great Fen | 2 miles (3 km) | This short circular walk follows the Dragonfly Trail in the Great Fen wetland area in Cambridgeshire. The walk starts from the Great Fen Information Point on the Long Drove Road between the villages of Holme and Ramsey St Mary. There is a car park here with maps and information about the Great Fen project. You can pick up the 2 mile waymarked trail which takes you to Robinson's Ponds where dragonflies will be common in summer. It continues to an area of mature woodland with large Alder trees and then past a disused railway line before returning to the car park. Along the way there are picnic areas, information points and a bird hide where you can look out for a wide variety of birdlife. The Great Fen also consists of the splendid Woodwalton Fen and Holme Fen nature reserves. You can extend your walk by venturing in to these areas. In Woodwalton Fen you will find 500 acres of wildflower meadows, mixed fen, marsh, reedbed, scrub, open water and woodland. It is located just to the south of the start point for this walk. Holme Fen includes the largest Silver Birch woodland in lowland England and has more nice walking trails to try. It is located just to the north west of the Dragonfly Trail. If you are visiting the Great Fen by bike then National Cycle Route 12 runs through the village of Stilton on the western fringe of the area, near Holme. View Full Details>> |
| Greenlee Lough | 7 miles (11 km) | This walk visits the pretty Greenlee Lough Nature Reserve from Hadrian's Wall. The reserve is one of the most significant wetland sites in the UK. It includes a variety of habitats including woodland, bog and grassland. The reserve can be reached by following footpaths from Housesteads on Hadrian's Wall. It's about a 3.5 mile walk from the wall with some moderate climbs along the way. You can start the walk from the Housesteads car park and then head north through the fascinating Roman Fort. You then pick up a section of the Pennine Way to take you towards the lake. A footpath then heads west to take you down towards the water. Here you'll find a bird hide where you can look out for a variety of wildlife including wildfowl and waders. There's also lots of interesting plants to see such as 11 species of pondweed and stonewort. View Full Details>> |
| Guisborough Forest and Walkway | 6 miles (10 km) | This super country park has cycle trails, walking routes, bridleways, a trim trail and an easier sculpture trail. The park includes the Guisborough Walkway which runs along the former trackbed of the Middlesbrough to Whitby railway line. This includes a wetland area with boardwalks, woodlands and grasslands. You can also climb Highcliff Nab for fabulous views of Teeside and the coast. Additionally there's three colour code waymarked trails of varying lengths to try. The park is also very popular with mountain bikers with a number of super trails to explore. There is an excellent visitor centre with full details of all the trails in the park. You can find the visitor centre at 8 Old Station Cottages, Pinchinthorpe with a postcode of TS14 8HD for your sat navs. The Cleveland Street Walk and the Cleveland Way walking routes run through or near the park so there is scope for continuing your walk along these trails. View Full Details>> |
| Ham Wall | 2 miles (3 km) | Ham Wall Nature Reserve is part of the Avalon Marshes in the beautiful Somerset Levels. There are several easy walking trails in the reserve. The Ham Wall walk runs along the Glastonbury Canal on a nice grassy path from the car park on Ashcott Road. From here you pick up the trail and head east along the water. Look out for lots of wildlife including otters, dragonflies, butterflies, marsh harriers, water voles, bitterns and roe deer. Ham Wall consists of a variety of habitats including reedbeds, wetland, grassland and woodland. There's four short walking trails in all. They are nicely laid out and include a number of bird hides and seating areas dotted along the way. Just to the west of the reserve you will find Shapwick Heath Nature Reserve which has more great trails to try. The reserve is located just a few miles west of Glastonbury. You could visit by bike by following National Cycle Route 3 from Glastonbury. View Full Details>> |
| Hamford Water | 2 miles (2.5 km) | Follow the Naze wildlife trail on this walk in the Hamford Water National Nature Reserve. The area is an internationally important site for migrating birds and includes the famous fifty million year old cliffs made up of London clay. You can park at the Naze Centre on Hall Lane to pick up the nature trail. The centre is known as the gateway to Hamford Water, the most easterly peninsula in Essex. The trails lead north from the car park to the lake and John Weston nature reserve. It's a splendid place for wildlife watching with thousands of wildfowl to look out for. These include Dark Bellied Brent Geese, Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat. Also keep your eyes peeled for Common and Grey Seals in the less disturbed areas of Hamford Water. The site also includes the 18th century Naze Tower. The navigational tower, was constructed to assist ships on this stretch of coast. You can climb the 111-step spiral staircase to the top of the tower for splendid views of the surrounding coast countryside. Local cycle route 150 runs along the coast to the reserve from Walton-on-the-Naze train station. View Full Details>> |
| Hanningfield Reservoir | 2 miles (4 km) | This large body of water near Billericay has some nice woodland walking trails at its southern end. There's a good size parking area at the end of Giffords Lane, off South Hanningfield Road. From here you can pick up the walking trails, heading west through Well Wood and Hawk's Wood. There's nice views over the water, pretty grazing meadows and a waterside cafe near the car park. Look out for lots of bluebells in the spring months. The area is also a significant nature reserve with lots of wildfowl to look for on the reservoir. From the bird hides you can see coot, gadwall, tufted duck, pochard, shoveler, shelduck and great crested grebe. There's also a good visitor centre with information, refreshments, toys, books, birdfeeders and feed. The St Peters Way long distance trail runs past the northern side of the water. It will take you through the countryside from West Hanningfield to East Hanningfield. Just a couple of miles south west of the reservoir you will find Norsey Woods. The 165 acre site includes waymarked woodland trails with lots of wildlife to look out for around the ponds and streams. The site is also located close to Danbury Common and Danbury Country Park where there are more good walking trails. View Full Details>> |
| Hardwick Wood | 5 miles (7.5 km) | This walk takes you from the Cambridgeshire village of Hardwick to the nearby Hardwick Wood Nature Reserve. The route uses part of the Harcamlow Way long distance footpath to visit the site before continuing to the village of Toft. View Full Details>> |
| Hartland Moor | 2 miles (3.5 km) | This walk visits the splendid Hartland Moor National Nature Reserve near Wareham in Dorset. It follows the Hartland Way and Poole Harbour Trail around the woodland and heathland. It's a peaceful and attractive area with a number of bird hides where you can look out for the wide variety of birdlife which visit the heath. Look out for osprey, hen harriers, hobbies, woodlark, stonechats, meadow pipits and avocets from the hide at Middlebere Lake. There's also great views to the nearby Middlebere Heath and Corfe Castle. You can start the walk from the roadside parking near Middlebere Farm. The area has strong associations with the Wessex of Thomas Hardy Novels. The fictional Egdon Heath, setting for The Return of the Native, is based on the area. You can extend your walking in the area by visiting Arne Nature Reserve which is a couple of miles to the north of Hartland Moor. Just to the south you can enjoy a walk around Corfe Castle and Corfe Common. You can also pick up the The Hardy Way here and further explore the Purbecks. View Full Details>> |
| Hartlebury Common | 2 miles (3 km) | Hartlebury Common and Hillditch Coppice cover 229 acres of lowland heath in Stourport-on-Severn. The area is criss crossed with a number of lovely waymarked walking paths where you can see many varieties of wild plants and insects, especially butterflies and moths. There are a number of habitats to enjoy including woodlands, heather covered hills, an acid bog, a pool and brook. Hartlebury Castle is located right next to the common so you could easily visit this interesting Grade I listed building on your walk. It was originally built in the mid-13th century as a fortified manor house. It now houses the Worcestershire County Museum where you can find out about the history of the area. Inside there are period room displays including a schoolroom, a nursery and a scullery, while outside in the grounds there is a cider mill and transport display with a fire engine, hansom cab, bicycles, carts and Gypsy caravans. View Full Details>> |
| Haughton Dale Nature Reserve | 1 miles (1.2 km) | This walk visits the Haughton Dale Nature Reserve in the village of Haughton Green in Tameside. View Full Details>> |
| Hawthorn Dene | 3 miles (5.5 km) | This delightful nature reserve near Easington has nice footpaths to follow. The paths will take you through attractive woodland and along the pretty Hawthorn Burn. The reserve is located just to the south of Seaham. You could follow the Durham Coastal Footpath to reach the site. Alternatively there is a car park just to the north of the reserve. From here you can pick up the footpaths east through the reserve to the coast. You'll pass the railway viaduct before coming to Hawthorn Hive, with cliffs and rocky shore. Look out for a variety of flora and fauna including snowdrops, wild garlic and bluebells in the spring. Notable wildlife includes jay, treecreeper, great spotted woodpecker and roe deer. If you would like to extend your walk you could follow the coast path south and visit the lovely Castle Eden Dene. Here you will find miles of woodland trails, pretty streams, rushing waterfalls and an abundance of wildlife in this splendid nature reserve in Peterlee. View Full Details>> |
| Healey Dell | 2 miles (3 km) | This circular walk explores a lovely little nature reserve in Whitworth. At the site you can explore lots of nice footpaths through a densley wooded valley. There's the rushing water of the River Spodden with pretty waterfalls and lots of wildlife to look out for. The site also includes water mills, picnic areas and the impressive 1867 Healey Dell Viaduct. The reserve has good facilities with a visitor centre providing lots of helpful information and a nice cafe. The reserve is in a great location for extending your walking in the area as there are number of waymarked footpaths to pick up. If you head west you can climb to Hunger Hill and Forsyth Brow before coming to Greenbooth Reservoir. The Rochdale Way and Pennine Bridleway pass the reserve so you can follow these paths across the surrounding Pennine Moors. View Full Details>> |
| Helman Tor | 2 miles (3.5 km) | This circular walk climbs to Helman Tor and then visits the adjacent Breney Common Nature Reserve in Bodmin. You can park at the Helman Tor car park just south of the hill to start your walk. It's a short climb from here to the rocky outcrop which stands at a height of 209 m (686 ft). From here there are fabulous views over the surrounding Cornish coutntryside. After descending from the tor the route then follows the Saints Way long distance trail around Breney Common. The reserve covers over 500 acres with heathland, grassland, wetland, woodland and ponds. It's great for widlife with grazing ponies and the rare Orange Tip butterfly to look out for. Various wildfowl can be seen on the open water too. View Full Details>> |
| Hengistbury Head | 4 miles (7 km) | Follow the miles of walking trails in this stunning nature reserve on the Dorset coast. After a short climb to the summit of Hengistbury Head you will be rewarded with fabulous views of the Isle of Wight, Mudeford Spit, Christchurch Harbour and Priory, the Purbeck Hills and Bournemouth Pier and beach. You can also walk along the lovely Mudeford Spit with its gorgeous beaches lined with pretty beach huts. The trails are on well defined gravel paths taking you through lovely heathland and sand dunes with views of freshwater ponds, reed beds and salt marshes. Over 300 bird species have been recorded in the area including Purple Heron, the Pink-footed Goose, the European Honey Buzzard, the Melodious Warbler and numerous Skylarks. There is also a wildlife pond where the country's rarest amphibian, the Natterjack Toad can be spotted. The Bournemouth Coast Path and the Stour Valley Way both run past Hengistbury Head so you could pick up either of these long distance trails to continue your walk. On the opposite side of Christchurch Harbour you can visit the lovely Stanpit Marsh Nature Reserve. The reserve is home to horses, foals, rabbits and a variety of wading birds. It also contains lagoons, reedbeeds and marshland with splendid views back towards Hengistbury Head and Christchurch Priory. You can reach the reserve by catching the ferry from Mudeford and then heading west for about a mile to Stanpit. View Full Details>> |
| Heybridge Basin | 4 miles (6.2 km) | This easy waterside walk takes you from Heybridge Basin to the Chigborough Lakes Nature Reserve on the Blackwater Estuary in Essex. There's lovely views across the river estuary and lots of wildlife to look out for on the way. The route runs for 4 miles on flat footpaths. You can turn it into a longer circular walk by heading through the eastern part of Maldon and linking up with the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation Canal. The walk starts at the car park next to the canal, to the east of the town. From here you can pick footpaths running along Collier's Reach with nice views towards Northey Island. Turn north to cross Goldhanger Road and you can enter the Chigborough Nature Reserve. The reserve is run by Essex Wildlife Trust and includes 2 km of circular walking trails. These will take you around a series of pretty lakes with Willow Carr, marshy areas, grazed grassland and scrub. It's a great place for birdwatching so keep your eyes peeled for Little Egret, Great Crested and Little Grebes, Grey Heron and Kingfisher as you make your way through the reserve. After exploring the reserve the route returns to the estuary path where you can retrace your steps back to the car park. View Full Details>> |
| Hickling Broad | 15 miles (24 km) | Visit the Norfolk Broads village of Hickling and enjoy a walk around the beautiful Hickling Broad. It's the largest of the Broads and a fantastic area for wildlife. Look out for common crane, bittern, marsh harrier bearded tit and Cetti's warbler as you make your way around the lake. Also of interest are Chinese water deer, red deer and otters. The walk starts at the car park and visitor centre off Stubbs Road on the north eastern side of the broad. From here you can pick up footpaths heading west to Hickling Heath. The walk then uses a section of the Weavers' Way long distance trail to take you around the broad to the River Thurne. Here you can enjoy riverside footpaths to Potter Heigham Bridge and boatyard where refreshments are available at the waterside Potters tearooms. The route then returns to the car park on the same paths. It's easy to extend your walk by heading about a mile to the east and visiting the National Trust run Horsey Windpump and Horsey Mere. Here you'll find waymarked circular walks taking you to the interesting old drainage windmill and around the pretty mere. Just to the south you can visit Fleggburgh and Filby Broad where there's a nice little circular walk from the village to the broad and Burgh Common. If you follow the Weaver's Way and the River Bure south you will come to the market town of Acle which is well worth a visit. View Full Details>> |
| Highnam Woods | 1 miles (2 km) | Follow the 2km nature trail through this pretty RSPB reserve near Gloucester and Maidenhall. There are nice woodland paths where you can look out for a variety of bird species including the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit, Nightingale, Song Thrush, and Spotted Flycatchers. Also look out for woodland butterflies such as white admirals and white-letter hairstreaks. The Wysis Way and the Gloucestershire Way both pass close to the reserve so there is scope for extending your walk along one of these long distance paths. If you head a mile to the east you will come to the lovely Highnam Court with its beautiful gardens, lake and 17th century grade I listed country house. View Full Details>> |
| Hodbarrow Lakes Nature Reserve | 3 miles (4.6 km) | Enjoy a walk around Hodbarrow Lakes RSPB on the edge of the Lake District National Park. You can stroll along the sea wall and enjoy fine views of the reserve's lakes on one side and the Duddon Estuary on the other. Look out for Teal, Widgeon, Coot, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Common Pochard, Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser as you make your way around the reserve. You can also sometimes see seals in the estuary. The reserve is located just a short walk from the centre of Millom. The Cumbria Coastal Way runs past the reserve so you could pick this up and head along the coast towards Ravenglass if you would like to continue your walk. A climb to Black Combe is also a good option. View Full Details>> |
| Holkham National Nature Reserve | 16 miles (26 km) | Explore 9,600 acres of grazing marsh, woodland, salt marsh, sand dunes and foreshore in England's largest Nature Reserve.
The walk begins at the delightful village of Burnham Overy Staithe, following Overy Creek to the beach at Holkham Bay. You continue east to Wells-Next-The-Sea, passing the pretty harbour on the way before reaching Stiffkey Salt Marsh where you will find a vast open expanse of salt marshes with large numbers of birdlife including waders and wintering wildfowl. You continue to Morston where you can catch a boat to Blakeney Point Nature Reserve with its colonies of seals. The final stretch takes you through Blakeney to Cley-Next-The-Sea and the Cley Marshes Nature Reserve. This 430 acre reserve contains reed beds, freshwater marsh, pools and wet meadows. Holkham Nature Reserve really is a special place with its wonderful mixture of habitats. You will pass through a maze of creeks and saltings, dunes and sandspits, woodland, green pastures and grazing marshes. There is also a huge variety of wildlife to see with pink-footed geese, white-fronted geese, brent geese, wigeon and waders regular visitors to the reserve. To continue your wildlife watching in North Norfolk you could head to the splendid Pensthorpe Natural Park near Fakenham. It has several lakes and woodland trails with various wildfowl and red squirrels to look out for. View Full Details>> |
| Holme Fen | 6 miles (9 km) | Explore the largest Silver Birch woodland in lowland England on this walk in Cambridgeshire. There are 657 acres of acid grassland, heath, raised bog, mere and woodland with several bird hides from which to view a wide variety of wildlife. At Holme Post you will be 2.75 metres (9.0 ft) below sea level - the lowest land point in Great Britain. If you would like to continue your walk you could head to the nearby Woodwalton Fen National Nature Reserve. Holme Fen is located between Peterborough and Huntingdon. The reserve is part of the larger Great Fen Wetland Project. You can visit the Great Fen information point and try the lovely Dragonfly Trail. View Full Details>> |
| Holt Heath National Nature Reserve | 4 miles (6.5 km) | Enjoy a walk through beautiful Dorset heathland in this delightful National Nature Reserve near Wimborne Minster. There are miles of good walking tracks taking you through over 1000 acres of woodland and heathland. In the summer the purple heather and gorse are really beautiful. The area is also fantastic for wildlife - look out for New Forest Ponies, Dartford warbler, Curlews, various reptiles and a variety of butterflies. This circular walk starts at the Whitesheet car park and follows footpaths across the heath to Cock's Moor Pond and Newman's Lane. You then pick up the Ferndown, Stour and Forest Trail to take you back to the car park through peaceful woodland. If you'd like to continue your walking in the area then you could pick up the Castleman Trailway and head into the nearby Ferndown Forest for more peaceful woodland trails. View Full Details>> |
| Hoo Peninsula Path | 19 miles (30 km) | Explore the special scenery of the Hoo Peninsula on this waterside walk in Kent. The path runs along the River Thames estuary with a huge number of wading birds to look out for on the way. It runs for about 18 miles from Gravesend in the west, to the village of Allhallows at the eastern end of the path. On the way you'll pass a series of pretty bays, Cliffe Pools Nature Reserve, Blyth Sands, Halstow Marshes and St Mary's Marshes. The scenery is varied with grazing marsh, intertidal mudflats, saltmarsh and lagoons. To explore the area by bike you can follow the Heron Trail cycle route across the peninsula. Walkers can follow the Saxon Shore Way long distance path. This walk passes the splendid Cliffe Pools nature reserve which is well worth exploring further. It's an RSPB site with a number of lagoons and birds such as lapwings, redshanks, warblers, corn and reed buntings, linnets, stonechats and skylarks to look out for. View Full Details>> |
| Hornchurch Country Park | 2 miles (4 km) | Enjoy a walk or cycle through this large country park in Havering in the Ingrebourne Valley. Features in the park include the River Ingrebourne, grassland, a fishing lake and woodland paths. The park is also a Local Nature Reserve with marshes containing the largest freshwater reed bed in London. As such it is a great area for birdwatching and wildlife spotting. The park is also the site of the former RAF Hornchurch base which was used in the First and Second World Wars. As such there are some historical features including an aircraft dispersal bay, pillboxes, and Tett turrets. The Ingrebourne Valley walking and cycle route runs through the park so you could pick this up and head towards Rainham or Upminster to continue your outing. View Full Details>> |
| Hornsea Mere | 2 miles (3 km) | Enjoy a walk along this lovely freshwater lake in the seaside town of Hornsea. At 2 miles long and 0.75 miles wide it is the largest freshwater lake in Yorkshire. You can pick up a public footpath from Hull Road at the south eastern side of the water. It will take you through fields on the southern side of the lake with nice views across the water to the surrounding woodland and countryside. The path continues around the western side of the lake past Springfield Wood and Low Wood. At the eastern end of the lake there's a nice cafe overlooking the area. It's a great place for birdwatching with gadwalls, goldeneyes and tufted ducks to look out for on the water. Also keep your eyes peeled for reed warblers in the reedbeds. You can extend your walking in the area by picking up the Trans Pennine Trail and the Hornsea Rail Trail. It's an excellent cycling and walking route along a dismantled railway that will take you all the way to Hull. If you wish to continue birdwatching then look no further than the fantastic Spurn Point. View Full Details>> |
| Hothfield Common | 1 miles (2 km) | This area of common land is located near Ashford in the Kent Downs AONB. The area is also nature reserve consisting of Kent's last four valley bogs and one of its few remaining fragments of open heath with patches of acid grassland. It is criss crossed with some nice marked footpaths and covered with interesting flora including heather, cross-leaved heath, dwarf and common gorse, heath spotted-orchid. You can start your walk from the public car park on the eastern end of the site, off the A20 road. From here you can pick up the colour coded trails taking you west towards the bogs. On the way look out for birdlife such as Yellowhammers, White Throat and Willow Warblers. You can also see the Konik horses which are used to graze the Heathlands in order to keep down invasive vegetation like bracken and silver birch. The Greensand Way long distance footpath runs across the western side of the common. You could pick up the waymarked trail to further explore the area if you have time. Follow it west and it will take you to the village of Pluckley which is closely associated with the 'Darling Buds of May'. Heading south east will take you toward Godinton Park and then into Ashford itself. The Stour Valley Walk also runs close by and is another good option. View Full Details>> |
| Idle Valley Nature Reserve | 8 miles (13 km) | This splendid nature reserve in Retford has several waymarked walking trails to try. There's lots to see with waterside walks along several pretty lakes and the River Idle which runs right through the site. The expansive reserve covers 450 hectares with hundreds of species of wetland birds to look out for. These include gadwall, wigeon, pochard, lapwing and redshank. There's also streams, woodland trails and lots of interesting plants and flowers to enjoy. You can park at the car park just off the Great North Road at the southern end of the site. From here you can pick up the trails around the lake to the River Idle. There's several colour coded trails to try of varying lengths. Facilities include the Idle Valley Rural Learning Centre and a childrens bronze rubbing trail. This circular route is designed for walkers but there are bridleways and country lanes running through and around the site which are suitable for cyclists. View Full Details>> |
| Inversnaid Nature Trail | 1 miles (2 km) | Follow the lovely nature trail in this RSPB reserve by Loch Lomond on this short walk. The route starts at the Inversnaid Hotel and follows the West Highland Way along the loch before climbing to oak woodland and open moorland where there are fabulous views. Look out for pied flycatchers, buzzards and woodpeckers on the way. If you would like to extend your walk you could continue along the West Highland Way in either direction. You could also visit the beautiful Inversnaid Falls which are a short stroll from the start of this route. View Full Details>> |
| Kelling Heath | 3 miles (4.8 km) | This large area of heathland near Sheringham includes miles of footpaths taking you to heather, western gorse, bracken, and mixed woodland. The walk starts from Kelling Heath Park railway station on the North Norfolk Railway (NNR). You can catch the heritage steam railway from Sheringham or Holt. From the station you can pick up footpaths taking you through Hundred Acre Wood and around the popular Kelling Heath holiday park. Then head north across the railway line to a large area of heathland. You'll pass Telegraph Hill and Holgate Hill before following a path along the railway line back to the station. The heath is good for wildlife spotting. Look out for heathland birds including nightjar, whitethroat and tree pipit. The dry conditions on the heath are also favourable to reptiles such as common lizard and adder. View Full Details>> |
| Kenfig Pool Nature Reserve | 3 miles (5.2 km) | A lovely coastal walk around this national nature reserve near Porthcawl, Bridgend. The site includes expansive sand dunes and the Kenfig Pool, Glamorgan's largest lake. It's a great place for wildlife with many water loving birds visiting the lake. Look out for Golden Plovers, Tufted Duck and Gadwalls from the bird hides positioned around the water. The handy visitor centre has lots of information on the flora and fauna you can expect to see on your walk. This includes pretty wildflowers such as Pyramidal Orchid and Early Marsh-orchid. The walk starts at the car park and visitor centre. From here you can pick up sandy paths taking you past the pool to Kenfig Sands by the sea. There's great views across Swansea Bay, the Gower, Margam Sands and down to the Port Talbot industrial area. More trails then take you from the beach across Kenfig Burrows, returning to the pool and the car park. View Full Details>> |
| Kennall Vale | 1 miles (2 km) | This nature reserve near Falmouth has a series of walking trails to follow. The reserve consists of woodland with pretty streams and interesting flora and fauna to look out for. Keep your eyes peeled for the pipistrelle bat and a variety of woodland birds. It's a lovely shady spot with the rushing waters of the River Kennall and the sound of the birds in the trees. The area also has an interesting history with the ruins, leats and waterwheel houses of Kennall Vale Gunpowder Works. You can start the walk from the little village of Ponsanooth which lies just to the east of the reserve. To extend your walking in the area then you could visit the nearby Stithians Lake. The country park includes nice cycling and walking trails around a large lake. View Full Details>> |
| Keyhaven Marshes | 6 miles (10 km) | This coastal cycle or walk takes you from Lymington to Keyhaven through the beautiful Keyhaven and Pennington Marshes. The path runs along a sea wall with the marshes on one side and the sea on the other. As such you are surrounded by varied and beautiful scenery for the length of the route. In the marsh area you will pass a number of pretty lagoons where you can look out for a wide variety of birdlife including Egret, Shelduck, Curlew and Heron. On the coastal side there are fabulous views of the Isle of Wight which is less than 2 miles away. Hurst Castle is also visible for most of the way - you could extend your walk by walking along the shingle spit to Henry VIII's Device Fort if you have time. View Full Details>> |
| Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve | 4 miles (7 km) | Enjoy a walk around this interesting and beautiful Nature Reserve in the South Downs, near Chichester. There are well defined paths with fabulous views over the South Downs towards the south coast. The reserve also contains one of the finest yew forests in Europe, including a grove of ancient trees which are among the oldest living things in Britain. View Full Details>> |
| Lake Vyrnwy | 11 miles (18 km) | Follow the lakeside cycle lanes around this lovely reservoir on this circular ride in Powys. The country lanes around the water are flat and well maintained so this is a farily easy waterside ride. It's a lovely area with the lake surrounded by hills and attractive woodland. You can hire bikes at Llandwddyn at the southern end of the water. This route starts from the visitor centre near the village of Llanwddyn and the impressive Vyrnwy Dam. You then follow the B4393 around the water for about 12 miles. The whole of this route is probably more suitable for cyclists but walkers can enjoy the reserve too. There's nice paths at the southern end of the water near the visitor centre, including a sculpture trail. There's also woodland trails on both the western and eastern side of the lake. At the northern end of the lake you will find the beautiful Rhiwargor Waterfall. There's a nice track running along the Afon Eiddew to the spectacular waterfall. At the southern end you can pick up the Glyndwr's Way long distance footpath. The waymarked trail can be used to explore the nearby Dyfnant Forest. View Full Details>> |
| Lakenheath Fen | 2 miles (3.5 km) | Follow the well laid out footpaths around this lovely nature reserve on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. The reserve consists of a large area of wetland with reedbeds, grazing marshes and riverside paths along the River Little Ouse. Lakenheath is a wonderful place for wildlife watching with reed warblers, bitterns and western marsh harriers real highlights.
There's a car park at the site but you can also catch the train to Lakenheath station which is right next to the reserve. The Hereward Way long distance footpath runs through the reserve so you can pick this up to extend your walk. The path heads west through New Fen, Joist Fen, Norfolk Fen before turning south to Stallode Wash. If you head east you will come to Brandon Country Park and Thetford Forest where there are miles of fabulous woodland walking trails to try. View Full Details>> |
| Lathkill Dale | 8 miles (13 km) | Enjoy a splendid riverside walk in the beautiful Lathkill Dale in the Peak District. The dale is a peaceful, atmospheric area flanked with large limestone cliffs and woodland. Along the River Lathkill you'll pass pretty waterfalls and weirs and a wide variety of flora and fauna. Look out for birds such as ducks, herons, wagtails, dippers, waterhens and coots. The river is very clear and pure so it's easy to spot fish swimming alongside you on your walk. Along the river there are also interesting flora such as wildflowers and the rare wild plant Jacob's Ladder. This circular walk begins in the lovely village of Monyash at the excellent Bulls Head Pub, and follows footpaths through Bagshaw Dale to the river. You follow the river to Over Haddon where you can stop for refreshments at the splendidly positioned Lathkil Hotel. You then return on the same path for about half the way, before crossing the river and picking up the Limestone Way to take you back to Monyash. This is a super, varied walk with riverside, woodland and countryside sections to enjoy. Most of it is fairly flat so it's suitable for people of all abilities. View Full Details>> |
| Leasowes Park | 1 miles (1.5 km) | Enjoy an easy stroll around this park and nature reserve in Halesowen near Birmingham. The park covers 141 acres and has well laid out, surfaced footpaths to follow. The park has many very pretty features with woodland, grassland, streams, waterfalls and large ponds which attract a variety of wildlife. Look out for dragonflies, toads, kingfisher and newts in the wetland areas and woodpeckers, tawny owls and badgers in the woodland. The park has an interesting history having been designed by the poet William Shenstone between 1743 and 1763. The Leasowes is considered to be one of the first natural landscape gardens in England. As such it is one of the most significant parks in the country. The Monarch's Way long distance footpath runs past the park so you can pick this up to extend your walk. If you follow it north you'll pass along the Dudley Canal to Mucklow Hill and Blackheath. Head south and you will soon come to the atmospheric remains of Halesowen Abbey. The abbey is owned by English Heritage and was originally founded in 1215 under a grant from King John of England. Also nearby is the lovely Woodgate Valley Country Park. View Full Details>> |
| Leigh Woods | 2 miles (3 km) | Enjoy cycling and walking trails in this forest and nature reserve in Bristol. The reserve is located in the beautiful Avon Gorge and is a popular retreat from the city. You can enjoy oak, small leaf lime and ash forest with carpets of bluebells in the springtime. Along the way you can enjoy sculpture trails, views of the River Avon and the Clifton Suspension Bridge and a variety of wildlife. Look out for bullfinch, marsh tit, song thrush and Peregrine falcon as you make your way through the woods. The area is managed by the National Trust so the trails are well maintained. Walkers can enjoy various waymarked walking trails including the popular one-mile woodland wander which will suit all abilities. The whole of the circular route below is designed for walkers. If you are on a bike please stick to the marked cycle trails which start from the same point as this route. For cyclists there is a blue grade trail which makes for a nice traffic free ride for beginners or families. The video below shows this trail known as the Yer Tiz trail. There is also a red grade trail for more experienced mountain bikers to try. A National Cycle Network trail also runs through the forest. Parking is available at the woods but you could follow the River Avon Trail from the centre of Bristol to extend your exercise. It's about a 2-3 mile walk/cycle along the river from the city centre and train station. To extend your walk you can cross the river and visit the lovely Durdham and Clifton Downs. View Full Details>> |
| Leighton Moss Nature Reserve | 2 miles (4 km) | This large nature reserve in Silverdale, is the perfect place for a peaceful walk in beautiful surroundings. Leighton Moss is the largest reedbed in the north west and has a number of well laid out trails for you to explore the area. An abundance of wildlife can be seen in the reserve including breeding bitterns, starlings, bearded tits, marsh harriers (see video) and red deer. There is also a fantastic cafe in a converted barn. Leighton Moss is located in the Arnside and Silverdale AONB and on the Lancashire Coastal Way walking route so there is scope for continuing your walk towards Arnside or Carnforth. You could also pay a visit to the nearby Arnside Knott. This small hill has woodland walks and fabulous views over Silverdale and the coastal estuary. Also nearby is Warton Crag nature reserve with its rare butterflies and plants. Just to the north west you can visit Eaves Wood, Gait Barrows and enjoy a climb to the Victorian Pepperpot monument on King William's Hill. The reserve is located right next to Silverdale railway station so is easy to access. View Full Details>> |
| Linford Lakes | 4 miles (6 km) | Enjoy a cycle or walk via country lanes around the pretty Linford Lakes area in the Ouse Valley, Milton Keynes. The route follows a section of the Hanslope Circular Ride, a cycle and walking route around Milton Keynes.
The route takes you around the outside of the Linford Lakes Nature Reserve, which requires a permit for access and no cycles are allowed in the reserve. The nature reserve has a large lake, meadows, woodland and a complex of ponds. From the observation hides in the reserve you can look out for many species of bird, including waders breeding in the summer and winter visitors such as Smew and Great White Egret. Boardwalks take you through the complex of ponds, which teem with wildlife including many species of dragonfly. Permits to access the nature reserve, which must be obtained in advance, are available from http://www.theparkstrust.com/parks/linford-lakes-permit. Permit holders are welcome to cycle to the nature reserve - bicycles may be locked-up at the Study Centre situated at the reserve entrance. The route also follows a section of the Grand Union Canal and passes nearby to the historic Great Linford Manor Park. If you would like to continue your exercise you could enjoy more waterside walking along the Grand Union Canal or head to the nearby Willen Lake. View Full Details>> |
| Lodmoor Country Park | 2 miles (3.5 km) | Enjoy a peaceful walk around this country park and nature reserve in Weymouth. View Full Details>> |
| Longham Lakes | 2 miles (2.5 km) | These two pretty lakes near Ferndown have a nice walking trail to try. The area is a popular bird watching site with a wide variety of birds to look out for on the water. These include Black-necked Grebe, Garganey, Pintail, Goldeneye, Ruddy Duck, Little Gull and Yellow-legged Gull. It's a really peaceful spot, ideal for an easy afternoon stroll. You can park at the Haskins Garden Centre just to the north east of the lakes. Then follow Green Lane to the reserve. After your walk you can enjoy refreshments at the garden centre cafe. The Ferndown, Stour and Forest Trail and the Stour Valley Way both run past the site so you could extend your walk by picking up the riverside path. Heading east will take you past Bournemouth into Christchurch. View Full Details>> |
| Looe Island | 1 miles (1 km) | This delightful island of the Cornish coast is well worth a visit. You can catch a boat from East Looe during the summer months and then enjoy a 1km walk around the beautiful little island. It's a fantastic place for wildlife lovers with grey seals, cormorants, shags and oystercatchers to look out for. There's also wildflower meadows which attract different types of butterfly. Keep your eyes peeled for speckled wood, meadow brown and red admiral as you make your way across the meadows. The island also includes mix of grassland, scrub, woods and fabulous views back along the Cornish coast. The South West Coast Path runs through Looe so you could try the Looe to Polperro coastal walk to extend your walking in the area. View Full Details>> |
| Lopwell Dam | 2 miles (3.35 km) | Lopwell Dam Local Nature Reserve covers an area of 5 hectares on the River Tavy near Plymouth and Tavistock. It consists of a variety of different habitats including mudflats, freshwater marsh, wildflower meadow, scrub-grassland, saltmarsh and semi-natural woodland. It's great for riverside walking and bird watching and includes a new cafe and visitor centre. This walk starts from the car park at Lopwell before following trails along both sides of the river, using the bridge at Lopwell House. The Tamar Valley Discovery Trail passes the reserve so you can pick this up to extend your walk. The trails runs north to Bere Alston and south to Tamerton Foliot. Also nearby is the Tamar Estuary Nature Reserve with lots more wading birds to look out for. View Full Details>> |
| Lyme Regis to Seaton Undercliff Walk | 7 miles (11.5 km) | Travel from Dorset into Devon on this popular walk through the Undercliff National Nature Reserve. The reserve is one of the highlights on the Jurassic Coast with a wide variety of flora and fauna to look out for. View Full Details>> |
| Malvern and Brueton Park | 2 miles (3 km) | This lovely park in Solihull has nice footpaths and a cycle trail to follow. The 130 acre site includes a large lake, woodland, ornamental gardens and a local nature reserve which includes the delightful Brueton Tree Trail. Follow the trail and look out for several different tree species including English Oak, Giant Redwood, Maidenhair and Indian Bean Tree. There's also an excellent visitor centre with a wealth of information about the area. There is a car park off Warwick Road where you can start your exercise. Solihull train station is less than a mile away so you could come by public transport too.The park also hosts a popular parkrun every Saturday morning at 9:00 am. To contiinue your walk you could pick up the Solihull Way which passes the park's western side. If you head north you will soon come to the Grand Union Canal where you can enjoy a waterside stroll along the towpath. Head south along the trail and you will come to the Stratford Upon Avon Canal. Also nearby is Tudor Grange Park which includes a lake, the Alder Brook stream, a cycle track and a pitch and putt course. View Full Details>> |
| Martin Down Nature Reserve | 2 miles (4 km) | This beautiful nature reserve on the Hampshire/Dorset border consists of 350 hectares of unspoiled chalk downland. It's a splendid area with miles of good footpaths taking you past wildflower meadows and sweeping grassland. This circular walk starts from the car park off the A354 near Bokerley Junction. You then follow good footpaths around the reserve, passing along the Bokerley Dyke which defines the border between the counties of Hampshire and Dorset. The area is great for flora and fauna. Look out for birds such as Cuckoos, yellowhammers, and skylarks. In the summer months there are various butterflies including Adonis blue and the dark green fritillary. The area is covered with an abundance of pretty plants and flowers including several species of orchid. If you would like to extend your walk then you could pick up the Jubilee Trail which starts from the reserve. You could follow the trail to the nearby Pentridge Hill for great views over the Hampshire and Dorset countryside. You could also head north to Vernditch Chase where there are some nice woodland walking trails to try. Martin Down is located near to both Fordingbridge and Salisbury. View Full Details>> |
| Martin Mere | 1 miles (2 km) | This wonderful nature reserve near Southport has lots of nice footpaths to follow around the wetland habitat. There's a huge variety of wildlife to look out for in the reserve. Highlights include the flamingo shelter, otter enclosure and beaver enclosure. There's also a canoe safari where you can paddle throught the reedbeds and look out for water voles to reed buntings. The Wild Walk takes you along a maze of wetland tracks with wooldand, a web bridge, sculptures and lots of wildlife too look out for. As well as the large mere there are a series of smaller lakes with many water loving birds to see. These include Goldeneye, Avocets, Pintail Ducks and Crested crane. There's also lots of interesting flora to see with marsh orchids, purple ramping fumitory and golden dock. The reserve has a large car park but you can also visit using public transport. New Lane and Burscough Bridge train stations are close by. Rufford station is a little further away but if you come from there you can visit Rufford Old Hall and Mere Sands Wood nature reserve before coming to Martin Mere. The 16th century old hall has some nice gardens and grounds to explore. If you are coming by bike then regional cycle route 91 of the Lancashire cycleway runs past the reserve on Marsh Moss Lane and Fish Lane. You can follow the cycleway from Chorley or Leyland via Bretherton. To further extend your walking in the area you could pick up the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath or enjoy a stroll along the River Douglas. Just to the north is the lovely Mere Sands Wood Nature Reserve where you will find 100 acres of lakes, broadleaved and conifer woodland, wet meadows and heaths. View Full Details>> |
| Marton Mere | 1 miles (2 km) | Enjoy a short walk around this pretty nature reserve near Blackpool. The reserve includes a large lake with a number of good footpaths running through the surrounding area. There's several bird hides where you can look out for the water loving birds which visit the mere. These include Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, Shoveler, Pochard and Teal. Other features include reed beds, grassland, small areas of woodland and a variety of wildflowers. Look out for bee orchids, yellow rattle, marsh woundwort and birdsfoot trefoil in the summer months. These attract a large number of butterflies such as common blue, red admiral and meadow brown. It's easy to extend your walk on the paths which run to the north and west of the mere. These will take you around a golf course to the pretty Stanley Park where you will find a large boating lake and lovely gardens. Marton Mere is located just to the east of Blackpool town centre, near Staining. There are views of Blackpool Tower from the reserve. National Cycle Route 62 runs close to the site so you can easily cycle there too. View Full Details>> |
| Marwick Head | 3 miles (5 km) | This RSPB Nature Reserve has some splendid coastal scenery and the largest cliff-nesting seabird colony on Orkney Mainland. Walk along the red sandstone cliffs and look out for up to 25,000 breeding seabirds. The walk also visits The Kitchener Memorial which commemorates Lord Kitchener and the crew of HMS Hampshire, which struck a mine and sank nearby on 5 June 1916. Parking is available at route start at the Marwick Bay car park. If you would like to continue your walk then the Brough of Birsay is just a mile or so up the coast from Marwick Head. View Full Details>> |
| Mere Sands Wood | 2 miles (2.5 km) | Follow the footpaths around this delightful nature reserve on this circular walk in Rufford, Lancashire. The reserve covers 100 acres and consists of several small lakes, reedbeds, broadleaved and conifer woodland, wet meadows and heaths. It's fantastic for wildlife spotting with Roe Deer, red squirrels and foxes to look out for in the woodland areas. Many water loving birds also visit the reserve such as Kingfisher, Reed Buntings, Water Rail, Great Crested and Little Grebes. There is a reserve car park off Holmeswood Road where you can start the walk. You can also visit Mere Sands Wood by public transport though. Rufford train station is very close by and if you alight there you could also visit Rufford Old Hall. The 16th century hall has some nice gardens and grounds to explore. If you are coming by bike then regional cycle route 91 of the Lancashire cycleway is a good option. You can follow the cycleway from Chorley or Leyland via Bretherton. If you enjoy this walk then you could also visit the splendid Martin Mere. Here you can look out for otters, flamingos, beavers and thousands of water loving birds. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal also passes the reserve so this is another good option if you would like to extend your walking in the area. Our Burscough Canal Walk starts at Rufford Hall and follows the Rufford Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to Burscough. It's easy to pick up from the reserve and a really nice stretch of the canal with pretty locks, old bridges and nice views of the surrounding Lancashire countryside. Mere Sands Wood is located near to the towns of Southport and Ormskirk. View Full Details>> |
| Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes Walk | 2 miles (3.1 km) | This walk visits the lovely Merthyr Mawr Warren National Nature Reserve on the South Wales coast. The reserve includes miles of wonderful sand dunes including the 'Big Dipper', the highest dune in Wales. There's also some areas of woodland, saltmarsh, grassland with great coastal views to enjoy from the high points. The walk starts from the car park at Candleston Castle just a few miles south west of Bridgend. The ruined 14th-century castle sits right on the edge of the reserve. Wildfowl, butterflies, moths, autumn gentian, violets and orchids can be seen in the area around the castle. From the Candleston car park you can pick up several waymarked trails of varying length. Highlights on the routes include views of the River Ogmore and a visit to the unusual limestone spring at Burrows Well. The 'Big Dipper Walk' will take you to the top of the huge dune. It's quite a challenging climb but when you get to the top there's splendid views over the reserve and the coast. The area is great for flora and fauna with wildflowers attracting lots of butterflies including grizzled skippers, dark green fritillaries and small blues. Repltiles seen on the Warren include adders, common lizards, grass snakes and slow worms. View Full Details>> |
| Messingham Sand Quarry | 1 miles (1.5 km) | This pretty nature reserve near Scunthorpe has nice footpaths running around and between a series of lagoons. In the reserve you will find woodland, grassland and marsh. Look out for a wide variety of flora and fauna including orchids, wildflowers, heather and 20 species of butterfly. Wildlife sightings include Teal, wigeon, mallard, pochard, great crested grebes, kingfishers, linnets, chaffinch, bullfinch, great tit, Goldcrest, wren, sparrowhawk, and terns. The site has a car park and a waymarked circular footpath to follow around the reserve. If you would like to continue your walking in the area then you could head to the nearby Laughton Woods. It's located a few miles south west near Scotter. Also nearby is the lovely Twigmoor Woods with its large ponds and lovely colourful rhododendrons. View Full Details>> |
| Middleton Lakes | 2 miles (4 km) | This splendid RSPB nature reserve has several well laid out walking trails to try. It covers 400 acres with several lakes and pools, meadowland, a canal and the River Tame. There's lots of birdlife to look out for such as bittern, little egret, common pochard, tufted duck and smew. You may also see otters, butterflies, damselflies and dragonflies in whats is one of the best wildlife sites in the midlands. You start off at the car park at Middleton Hall. From here you can pick up the Woodland Trail which takes you past the heronry and the rookery to the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. Here you link up with the reserve's other two trails. The Meadow Trail runs south along a high-level walkway running parallel to the canal. From the elevated position there are great views over the Southern Meadow towards the river. Look out for owls and Konik ponies along this trail. The other trail is the Wetland Trail which runs through the northern section of the reserve. This takes you past several lakes and reedbeds with lapwings and reed warblers to look out for. Along the Langley Brook you can also see Cuckoos and warblers in the spring months. View Full Details>> |
| Minsmere Nature Reserve | 4 miles (6 km) | Enjoy a peaceful walk around this lovely coastal nature reserve near Leiston. Easy walking trails take you through woodland, reed bed, lowland heath, wet grassland and shingle vegetation. The reserve attracts a wide variety of birdlife and is considered one of the best sites in the country for birdwatching. Look out for Avocet, Bittern and Marsh Harriers. Other wildlife in the reserve includes Exmoor Ponies and Konik horses. You may even catch a glimpse of an otter if you are lucky! The Suffolk Coast Path runs past the site so you could pick this up and continue your walk along the coast. If you head north along the path you will soon come to Dunwich Forest and then Westwood Marshes and Walberswick Nature Reserve where there are more excellent birdwatching opportunities. Just to the north you'll find the lovely National Trust owned Dunwich Heath. There's miles of footpaths through beautiful purple heathland and coastal views along the pretty Dunwich beach. Also nearby is the Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve at Walberswick. View Full Details>> |
| Morecambe Bay | 12 miles (19 km) | Enjoy a visit to the Morecambe Bay Nature Reserve and a stroll along the Lancaster Canal on this circular cycle or walk in Lancashire. The walk starts in the town centre of Morecambe near to the train station. You then pick up the Lancashire Coastal Way to take you along the promenade towards Hest Bank and Bolton-le-Sands. You'll pass the Eric Morecambe statue with great views over the bay towards the Lake District. There's also a great deal of coastal wildlife to look out for including Cormorants, Curlews, Lapwings and Oystercatchers. The area is a RSPB reserve with sandflats and saltmarshes that attract thousands of birds. As such it is considered the second most important estuary in the UK. From Hest Bank you turn inland and follow the Lancaster Canal into Lancaster before another waterside sectoin along the River Lune. A shared footpath and cycleway then returns you to Morecambe though White Lund. To continue your walking in the area you can head along the Lancashire Coastal Way to Bolton le Sands and Carnforth. You can also head south of Heysham and visit the delightful Sunderland Point. It's a lovely place for a walk with coastal views, salt marsh, beach, mud flats, farmland and lots of wildlife to look out for. There's also a series of attractive Georgian houses by the quay. View Full Details>> |
| Mousehold Heath | 2 miles (2.5 km) | This area of heathland and woodland in Norwich, has miles of nice footpaths to try. It's located just to the north east of the city centre and train station. You can park at the car park on Gurney Road to start your walk. From here you can pick up trails heading along the heath on both sides of the road. The common is elevated above the city so there are fine views towards the Norwich skyline. You can clearly see landmarks such as the cathedral, the city hall and the castle from here. To extend the walk you could climb to St James Hill at the south eastern corner of the heath, for more nice views. The heath is also a nature reserve so you can look out for a variety of flora and fauna on your walk. Keep your eyes peeled for frogs around the Vinegar Pond and muntjac and roe deer, red fox and rabbits on the heath and in the woods. There's lots of pretty wildflowers to see in the summer including Trailing St John's-wort and Bell Heather. View Full Details>> |
| Murlough Bay | 4 miles (6.6 km) | This walk explores the beautiful Murlough National Nature Reserve near Newcastle in Northern Ireland. The reserve is managed by the National Trust so there's a car park, visitor centre, and a network of well laid out footpaths. The reserve consists of a 6000 year old sand dune system, woodland, heath and a wonderful beach. The views across Dundram Inner Bay towards the Mourne Mountains are also exceptional. The reserve is great for wildlife watching with a wide variety of wintering wildfowl and waders to look out for on the coast. There's also 720 species of butterflies and moths to look out for around the pretty wildlflowers meadows. There's lots of good options for extending your walking in the Newcastle area. You could head to Tollymore Forest Park just to the south west of the reserve. The fantastic 1600 acre park contains an arboretum, the Shimna River and two forested hills known as the Drinns. Also nearby are the splendid climbs to Slieve Donard, Slieve Binnian in the Mourne Mountains. Castlewellan Forest Park is also not far away. View Full Details>> |
| Nagshead Nature Reserve | 2 miles (4 km) | This walk visits the Nagshead Nature Reserve in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. View Full Details>> |
| Needham Lake | 2 miles (2.5 km) | Enjoy an easy stroll around Needham Lake on this short walk in Needham Market. After following the trail around the main lake you can pick up the Gipping Valley River Path and follow the riverside path south to Bosmere and Alderson Lake. It's a very pretty area with wetland areas, meadows and a small woodland. In the summer months you can see lots of wildflowers including pyramidal and bee orchids. You should also see lots of water loving birdlife on the lake. You can park at the car park off Coddenham Road and pick up the nice surfaced trails from here. Needham Market train station is also very close by so you can access the site from there quite easily. View Full Details>> |
| Newport Wetlands | 2 miles (4 km) | This circular walk takes you around the beautiful Gwent Levels near Newport. The reserve covers 1,080 acres of the Caldicot Levels attracting a wide variety of wildlife. These include Cetti's warblers, Bearded Tits, Little Egrets and Little Grebes. View Full Details>> |
| Norland Moor | 2 miles (4 km) | This large open space near Sowerby Bridge has some nice footpaths to try. The area includes heather moorland and pockets of woodland with lots of wildlife to look out for. It's particularly lovely in late summer when the area is covered in purple heather. The moor is surrounded by a number of pubs so you can easily enjoy refreshments after your walk. There's a car park at the north eastern end of the moor near Norland village. From here you can pick up the paths across the moor. Look out for wildlife including grouse and little owl on the way. The moor is in an elevated position with the high point reaching 932 feet (284 m) at the trig point at the southern end. From here there are great views to the surrounding hills and towns. Norland is also home to a annual scarecrow festival. It takes place around the first weekend in September. The Calderdale Way long distance path crosses the moor so you can extend your walk along the waymarked trail. Just to the north of the site you will find the Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal where you can pick up the towpath. View Full Details>> |
| Norsey Woods | 2 miles (3 km) | These lovely woods near Billericay have some good waymarked footpaths to try. The site covers 165 acres with ancient coppiced sweet chestnut, oak and hornbeam woodland. It is also a local nature reserve with ponds, streams and lots of bluebells in the spring months. There's also a heather glade, bluebells in the spring and lots of wildflowers in the summer months. Look out for wildlife including dormouse, pipistrelle bat and newts around the ponds. The area is a well managed with a car park, visitor centre, toilets and picnic centre. To continue your walking in the Billericay area you can head about 2 miles to the north east and visit Hanningfield Reservoir. The southern end of the water has some good woodland trails with nice views over the water. View Full Details>> |
| North Cave Wetlands | 1 miles (1.7 km) | This walk visits the North Cave Wetlands nature reserve in North Cave, East Riding of Yorkshire. View Full Details>> |
| Oare Marshes | 4 miles (6.5 km) | This beautiful nature reserve near Faversham has nice trails to follow along the Swale estuary and Oare Creek. It's a great place for bird spotting with a huge variety of wetland birds to look out for. You can start the walk from the car park and visitor centre on the estuary. You can then follow a section of the Saxon Shore Way and other footpaths to form a circular walk around the marshes. The route visits the little village of Oare where there's a 13th century church, an old windmill and two pubs where you could stop for refreshments. You'll also pass along the delightful Oare Creek with lots of boats and views over to Nagden Marshes. View Full Details>> |
| Old Winchester Hill | 9 miles (14 km) | This walk takes you up the 197 metres (646 ft) Old Winchester Hill in the South Downs. The hill and surrounding area is a National Nature Reserve with a wide variety of butterflies and wildlife to look out for. These include buzzards, kites, roe deer and foxes. The area is made largely of chalk grassland with extensive scrub and many orchid species. There is also an Iron Age hill fort and earlier Bronze Age barrows and burial mounds. This circular walk starts at the village of Meonstoke and makes use of the South Downs Way to take you to Old Winchester Hill before returning via Warnford and Beacon Hill. There are super panoramic views of the South Downs and the Meon Valley from the high points. On a clear day you may even be able to see the Isle of Wight. If you'd like to continue your walk then you could pick up the South Downs Way or the Monarch's Way which run past the hill. View Full Details>> |
| Orford Ness | 4 miles (6 km) | Follow the walking trails around this beautiful nature reserve on the Suffolk Coast. The reserve is located on a remote shingle spit by the River Ore. It can be accessed by catching the National Trust ferry from Orford Quay (this is show on the google street view link below). You can then pick up the walking trails which take you to the WWI airfield, King's Marsh, Orford Ness lighthouse and Orford beach. There's three colour coded, waymarked trails to try with reserve features including shingle, salt-marsh, mud-flats and brackish lagoons. These areas are a haven for wildlife. Highlights include Orford's brown hares and the wonderful Chinese water deer who swam the river to reach the reserve. Also look out for a wide variety of birds such as avocet and common tern. Marsh harrier's have a nest in King's Marsh and Barn Owls can also been seen nesting in the disused military buildings on the site. View Full Details>> |
| Otmoor | 5 miles (7.5 km) | This lovely RSPB nature reserve consists of wet meadows, grassland and reedbeds. The area attracts thousands of wildfowl and waders such as lapwings and redshanks. You can also look out for a variety of dragonflies and butterflies. This circular walk follows good footpaths around the reserve with views of the River Ray and the surrounding Oxfordshire countryside. You can also bring your bike to the reserve but please keep to the bridleways and public footpaths but avoid the visitor trail and permissive paths. The Oxfordshire Way runs past the reserve so you could pick this up to continue your walk. If you prefer you can visit the reserve by following the Oxfordshire Way from nearby Beckley. View Full Details>> |
| Oulton Broad and Carlton Marshes | 5 miles (8 km) | This is a lovely waterside walk visiting Oulton Broad, the River Waveney and the pretty Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve near Lowestoft. The walk uses part of the long distance Angles Way and a series of other footpaths to explore the area. As well as the lovely Suffolk Broads scenery there's a huge variety of interesting wildlife. Look out for birds of prey including marsh harrier, barn owl and hobby. There's also lots of interesting plants including marsh orchid, marsh marigold and ragged-robin. You can start your walk from the Oulton Broad car park or from Oulton Broad South railway station. From here you can pick up the Angles Way footpath which will take you into the reserve. Trails then take you along the waterways including various dykes and the River Waveney. There's also nice views across the large expanse of water and marsh that is Oulton Broad. Look out for a variety of watersports taking place on the water. The broad is a popular tourist spot with lots of restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars and shops. View Full Details>> |
| Oxford Island | 1 miles (2 km) | Visit this beautiful nature reserve on the shores of Lough Neagh on this easy circular walk. There's 282 acres (113 hectares) to explore on a series of good footpaths and walking trails. Habitats in the reserve include reed beds, open water, species rich wet grassland, wildlife ponds and wildflower meadows. There's lots of wildlife to look out including a variety of butterflies and birds such as Lapwing, Curlew and Goldeneye. You can also have a stroll along the pretty Kinnego Marina and enjoy wonderful views over Lough Neagh. National Cycle Network route 9 runs right to the reserve so it's easy to visit by bike. The Loughshore Trail which runs right around the Lough also passes Oxford Island on the way. To extend your walking in the area you could visit the nearby Peatlands Park. View Full Details>> |
| Oxhey Woods | 2 miles (3 km) | These peaceful woods near Watford have nice footpaths and a popular sculpture trail to follow. You can park at the Oxhey Woods car park off Oxhey Drive which runs through the centre of the woods. There are lots of trails in the woods but the main attraction is the excellent sculpture trail. Along the 1km trail you will find numerous carved wooden sculptures of the wildlife you can see in the area. Watch the video below to see the pieces being carved. The woods are also a local nature reserve so look out for a variety of interesting flora and fauna. Plants includes bluebells, anemones and violets amongst the ancient woodland. There's also a rhododendron trail running through the southern section of the site near the sculpture trail. Wildlife includes the tiny pipistrelle bat and a variety of woodland birdlife. The London Loop passes through the wood so there is scope for extending your walk in the area. If you head east the trail will take you to Harrow Weald Common, Bentley Priory Nature Reserve and Stanmore Common. The commons have nice woodland trails, heathland and wildlife including muntjac deer to look out for. View Full Details>> |
| Oxleas Wood | 1 miles (2 km) | This lovely park in south east London has good footpaths through bluebell woodland, a terraced garden, a rose garden and parkland. The area is in an elevated position on Shooter's Hill so there are great views of the city of London and the surrounding countryside to enjoy. In the park you will find ancient woodland including oak, silver birch, hornbeam and coppice hazel. There's nice wide lawns where you can enjoy a picnic and the far ranging views. In Castle Wood you will find the 18th century Severndroog Castle. The impressive Gothic-style castle has a viewing platform from which you can see several of the surrounding counties on a clear day. The park also has good facilities with a car park and a nice cafe. The Green Chain Walk passes right through the park so you can pick this up to extend your walking in the area. Heading north will take you through Eltham Common and Woolwich Common before coming to the River Thames in Greenwich. Head east and you will soon come to Bostall Woods where there are more nice walking trails to try. Adjacent to Bostall Woods is the fine Lesnes Abbey Woods where you can explore the ruins of the 12th century abbey and visit the lovely ornamental garden and arboretum. View Full Details>> |
| Pagham Harbour | 6 miles (10 km) | Enjoy a walk around this lovely coastal nature reserve and look out for thousands of wading birds. The RSPB reserve is located a few miles south of Chichester, near the village of Pagham. You can park at the reserve car park, just off the Chichester Road. From here you can pick up the waterside footpaths to Sidlesham Quay and then around the site to Pagham Lagoon. There's a wide variety of habitats with salt marsh, mudflats, farmland, copses, lagoons, reed beds and shingle beaches. Look out for birds including little egrets, ringed plovers and lapwings. To extend your walking in the area you can pick up the New Lipchis Way at nearby West Wittering. The long distance path will take you along the Chichester Channel in to Chichester. Just to the south of the harbour you will find Selsey Bill. The coastal headland is the southernmost point of Sussex. Around Birdham you can also pick up the Chichester Canal and enjoy a waterside walk along the towpath. Just to the south of the harbour you will find the headland at Selsey Bill. It is the southernmost point of Sussex and has a nice beach and fish huts selling fine fresh fish. View Full Details>> |
| Park Lime Pits | 1 miles (2 km) | Enjoy a short walk around this country park and nature reserve in Walsall. In the park you will find tranquil pools, mature woodland, streams and over 300 species of plants. It's also a nature reserve so look out for a variety of birds including lapwings and yellowhammers. The park is located on the Beacon Way so there is the option of continuing your walk along the Rushall canal which runs past the park. Just to the south you will find the lovely Walsall Arboretum where there are nice surfaced paths to follow around the 80 acre park. View Full Details>> |
| Parkland Walk | 3 miles (5.5 km) | This walk in London follows the course of an old railway line running between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Park. The whole route is actually a local nature reserve and is the longest of its type in London. With lots of flora and fauna to look out for on the way, it's a great place to enjoy an easy stroll in an urban environment. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife including hedgehogs, foxes and also butterflies around the many wildflowers you can see on the route. In fact, more than three hundred species of wild flowers have been recorded on the Parkland Walk. The walk starts from the western end of Finsbury Park, just to the north of Finsbury Park station. You can enjoy a walk around the public park before you start. It contains a pretty lake, open ground, formal gardens, avenues of mature trees and an arboretum. After leaving the park the route heads west to Crouch End. On this section look out for the old station master's house which still survives at road level. There are no longer any trace of the track or road-side station buildings, which were destroyed in a fire in 1967. You can also visit Crouch Hill Park and look out for the old platforms of Crouch End Station which are still visible, though somewhat overgrown. The route then continues on nice woodland trails through Queen's Wood and Highgate Wood. The final section takes you through Muswell Hill to Alexandra Park before finishing at Alexandra Palace. The park is also a nice place to extend your exercise. It includes a boating lake, a Victorian style greenhouse, a deer enclosure with a small herd of fallow deer and a 10 hole pitch and putt golf course. View Full Details>> |
| Parndon Wood | 1 miles (1.5 km) | This lovely nature reserve in Harlow has a 1.5km nature trail to try. It's located on the southern outskirts of the town and consists of ancient woodland, 3 bird watching hides, a large pond and a conservation centre. It's great for wildlife with deer, squirrels, and various woodland birds to look out for. You can enjoy refreshments in the centre after your walk. Two long distance walking trails run past the reserve. You can pick up the Forest Way and the Stort Valley Way to further explore the area. For example you could follow the trail south west and visit Epping Forest and Waltham Abbey. View Full Details>> |
| Paxton Pits | 3 miles (5 km) | Visit this delightful nature reserve in Little Paxton and enjoy a series of well laid out, waterside walking trails. The paths run around a series of pretty ponds and lakes with a riverside stretch along the River Great Ouse to enjoy too. There's nearly 200 acres to explore with habitats including meadow, reedbed, scrub and woodland. It's great for wildlife with a heronry plus nightingales and cormorants to look out for. There's two, short waymarked trails to follow around the site. The Heron Trail runs for about 2 miles with a surfaced path for the first mile. The circular trail visits two bird hides where you can watch the Cormorants and Herons roosting on the islands. The 1.5 mile Meadow Trail visits the southern part of the reserve. You'll pass lakes and meadows with a variety of wildflowers such as Wild Roses and Hawthorn blossom. The Ouse Valley Way runs through the reserve so you can pick this up to extend yor walk. If you head south along the river you will soon come to St Neots. Head north and you will come to Godmanchester and Huntingdon. View Full Details>> |
| Pegsdon Hills | 2 miles (4 km) | Enjoy a climb to Deacon Hill and enjoy wonderful views over the Chilterns on this walk in the Pegsdon Hills. The hills are also a designated nature reserve so there's lots of intersting flora and fauna to see as well. There's a series of footpaths to follow across the site where you will find chalk hills and wildflower meadows with orchids and moschatels. In the summer months the flowers attract butterflies such as dingy and grizzled skippers. There are fine views of the surrounding Chiltern Hills from the high points which reach nearly 172 metres at Deacon Hill. Start the walk from the car park on the Pirton Road just to the east of the site. From here you can pick up the Icknield Way Path and follow it towards Deacon Hill where there's a trig point and wonderful views to enjoy. The route then follows other footpaths across the hills before picking up the Icknield Way to return you to the car park. On your walk you may see a deer and various birds including skylark, buzzard and fieldfare. View Full Details>> |
| Penrhos Coastal Park | 2 miles (3.5 km) | This lovely coastal park consists of woodland trails and nice coastal views. The area is a country park and nature reserve with waymarked nature trails and lots of wildlife to look out for. Highlights are the resident red squirrels, badgers and various wildfowl around the two large ponds. You can also enjoy a stroll to Penrhos beach. Here you can enjoy splendid views across the bay and study some interesting rock formations. Cyclists can visit the reserve by following National Cycle Route 8 from Holyhead. It's a lovely ride passing Penrhos beach before arriving at the park. This route starts at the car park at Penrhos beach and follows a cycling and walking trail through the park to Beddmanarch Bay. The Anglesey Coast Path runs through the park so you can pick this up to extend your walk. If you follow it along the coast you will come to Breakwater Country Park where you can climb Holyhead Mountain for wonderful views over Anglesey, the Isle of Man, the Skerries and the mountains of Ireland. View Full Details>> |
| Pensthorpe | 1 miles (2 km) | This 700 acre natural park in Fakenham has miles of nice walking trails to try. There's lots to see with a number of pretty lakes and ponds with waterside trails to enjoy. There's also large areas of woodland, beautiful gardens, water features, wildflower meadows, views of the River Wensum and lots of wildlife to look out for. Keep your eyes peeled for Grey-Crowned Cranes, Red Squirrels, Cormorant and Lapwing. To continue your wildlife watching in North Norfolk you could head to the wonderful Holkham National Nature Reserve. View Full Details>> |
| Point of Ayr | 1 miles (1 km) | This beautiful coastal Nature Reserve on the Dee Estuary is a great place for a walk with splendid views and an abundance of wildlife. There are nice sandy paths through the dunes with thousands of feeding birds to look out for. These include Curlew, Peregrine and Oystercatcher. Also look out for natterjack toads. You can also enjoy a walk along the lovely Talacre beach and visit the 18th century Point of Ayr lighthouse providing it is not high tide! Talacre beach has miles of golden sand with great views over the Irish Sea. View Full Details>> |
| Portishead Nature Reserve Walk | 2 miles (4 km) | An easy circular walk around the Portsbury Wharf Nature Reserve in Portishead. The attractive 113 acre site provides a vital buffer of green land between Portishead and the Portbury Dock industrial complex. View Full Details>> |
| Potteric Carr Nature Reserve | 2 miles (4 km) | Follow a network of footpaths around this large nature reserve in Doncaster. There are nearly 500 acres to explore with habitats including marsh, scrub, waterways, grassland and woodland. Over 230 species of bird have been spotted in the reserve including Bittern, Greater Spotted Woodpecker and Kingfisher. Also look out for other wildlife including Roe Deer and Grass Snakes. There is an abundance of interesting plantlife in the reserve too. Yellow iris and pink violets can be seen near the waterways while hawthorn blossom lines the pathways. The reserve also has very good on site facilities including a Visitor centre and cafe. It is located less than 2 miles south of the centre of Doncaster. View Full Details>> |
| Powerstock Common | 2 miles (3 km) | This pretty nature reserve is located close to the town of Bridport in Dorset. There's a series of nice footpaths to follow through woodland and grassland with lots of interesting flora and fauna to look out for. You can start your walk from the car park off Barrowland Lane. From here you can pick up the trails heading south east through Wytherston Wood. On the way look out for wildlife including fallow deer, willow warbler and chiffchaff. You can also enjoy views of the coast from the elevated position of the common. The common is located just north of Eggardon Hill where there is an Iron Age Hillfort and fine views over the Marshwood Vale. View Full Details>> |
| Rainham Marshes | 7 miles (11.5 km) | This circular walk or cycle explores the RSPB Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve in London. View Full Details>> |
| Redhill and Earlswood Common | 3 miles (4.9 km) | This circular walk explores Redhill and Earlswood Commons in Surrey. The commons have miles of good footpaths taking you to ponds, lakes, woodland and grassland with lots of wildlife to look out for on the way. The walk starts at the car park at the southern end of Earlswood Common, off Woodhatch Road. You could also start from Earlswood train station which is very close to the commons. From the car park you head around Earlswood Lakes and north across the common to the little hamlet of St John's. It's a very pretty area with a Grade II listed church, a school and little cottages. After passing through St John's you come to Redhill Common where there's more footpaths to follow. The area is great for wildlife with various woodland birds, Roe deer, rabbits and foxes to see. View Full Details>> |
| Reigate Heath | 2 miles (2.5 km) | This walk explores Reigate Heath on the western side of the town. The heath is criss crossed with a number of footpaths taking you across heather and acid grassland. There's also a number of Bronze Age burial mounds and the Reigate Heath Windmill. The building has been restored as a chapel and is thought to be the only windmill in the world which is also a consecrated church. Start the walk from the car park on Flanchford Road. From here you can pick up various footpaths taking you around the heath and the golf course. You'll pass an information board with a map and details of what you can expect to find on the heath. It's a really pretty area and ideal for an easy afternoon stroll. View Full Details>> |
| Risley Moss | 1 miles (1.6 km) | This circular walk visits a wildlife rich nature reserve and country park in Birchwood, Warrington. View Full Details>> |
| Rivelin Valley Nature Trail | 2 miles (4 km) | This walk takes you through the lovely Rivelin River valley in Sheffield. The nature trail runs along the side of the rushing river which is surrounded by attractive woodland. Along the way you'll pass a series of weirs, and little waterfalls with a variety of interesting flora and fauna. The walk starts at the car park off the Rivelin Valley Road and picks up the waterside trail to the pretty Rivelin Park. The park has a cafe, toilets and play area. You then follow the riverside path for about 2.5 miles with pretty ponds and stepping stones to look out for on the way. The area has a rich milling history with a series of dams and wheel pits dotted along the route. To extend your walking in the area you can head east to the pretty Rivelin Dams. Here you can pick up a delightful waterside trail through the Wyming Brook Nature Reserve. This will lead you to the Redmires Reservoirs. These three interestingly shaped reservoirs have a great circular walking trail with woodland paths, climbs across the Peak District Moors and a wide variety of wildfowl and waders to look out for on the water. View Full Details>> |
| Riverside Park Nature Reserve | 2 miles (3 km) | This lovely nature reserve in Guildford has nice boardwalks and footpaths to follow through the site. The reserve is located next to the River Wey and has a man made lake, a woodland area and lots of wildlife to look out for. There's lots of interesting flora with wildflowers including ox-eye daisies, bluebells and the white flowered meadow sweet, yellow flag iris and bright rose-pink flowers of the willow herb. Water loving birds such as Great crested grebe, water-rails, herons and reed buntings can also be seen in the wetlands area. Keep and eye out for roe deer and rabbits in the woods. National Cycle Network route 223 runs through the reserve so you can bring your bike too. The route runs from Guildford town centre right to the reserve so it's easy to visit by bike. View Full Details>> |
| Romney Marsh | 9 miles (15 km) | This expansive area of wetland in Kent is ideal for walking with miles of flat footpaths, quiet villages and beautiful scenery to enjoy. The wetland, rivers and streams on the marsh also attract a huge variety of wildlife, so keep your eyes peeled for Herons, Great Crested Grebes and the Bar Talied Godwit as you make your way through the area. This circular walk starts and ends in the town of New Romney on the edge of Romney Marsh. It visits the villages of St Mary in the Marsh, Ivychurch and Old Romney before returning to the town. Highlights on the route include the 12th century church in St Mary in the Marsh where Edith Nesbit, author of The Railway Children, is buried. At Ivychurch there is also a wonderful old church known as the 'Cathedral of Romney Marsh'. The main body of the church dates from 1360 and includes an impressive nave. To visit the marsh by bike you can follow National Cycle Network Route 2 from nearby Lydd or Hythe. There's lots of good options for extending your walking in the area. You could head to the splendid Dungeness Nature Reserve near Lydd. It's a fantastic area with coastal paths, lakes, lagoons and a huge variety of wildlife to look out for. Also nearby is the lovely waterside walk along the Royal Military Canal Path and the beautiful nature reserve at Rye Harbour. View Full Details>> |
| Rostherne Mere | 1 miles (1 km) | Visit this pretty natural lake in the village of Rostherne, Cheshire. The area is a designated nature reserve where you can look out for a variety of wildfowl on the water. The reserve has no public access but there is a public footpath and viewpoint to the west of the mere. This is on Rostherne Lane and is shown on the google street view link below. It's an attractive area with the peaceful mere surrounded by woodland and countryside. Bring your binoculars and look out for cormorants, great crested grebe, tufted duck, pochard, goldeneye, teal and wigeon. The drone video below shows St Mary's Church in the village of Rostherne and a bird's eye view of the mere and surrounding countryside. For cyclists Regional Cycle Route 70 runs through the village of Rostherne just to the south of the mere. You can then follow country lanes around the water. View Full Details>> |
| Roydon Common | 1 miles (1.5 km) | This lovely large area of heathland has some nice walking trails to try. The best time to visit is in late summer when the beautiful purple heather is out. The common is also a nature reserve so look out for a variety of wildlife as you make your way along the paths. Highlights include over 30 species of butterfly and Dartmoor Ponies which can be seen grazing on the common. There's also some nice woodland trails with birds such as nightjars and woodlarks to keep an eye out for. The reserve is located a few miles north east of King's Lynn where you can pick up a number of different walks. Just to the south of the reserve you can visit Bawsey Pits Country Park where there are nice trails around birch covered hills and a Scandinavian style lake. View Full Details>> |
| Salcombe and Kingsbridge Estuary | 2 miles (3 km) | Enjoy a walk along the beautiful Salcombe and Kingsbridge Estuary Nature Reserve on this walk in Devon. Start your walk from the car park at Lincombe Cross just to the north east of Salcombe. From here you can pick up footpaths along the estuary to Tosnos Point and Snapes Point at the southern end. Reed beds, mudflats and eelgrass beds all help to support an abundance of wildlife on the estuary. Look out for dolphins, seals, basking sharks and a variety of wading birds as you make your way along the paths. To continue your walking in the area you could try our Salcombe and Bolt Head Circular Walk which visits some lovely cliff tops and woodland near the town. Heading north will take you to the town of Kingsbridge itself, where there are nice footpaths to follow from the town to the delightful Bowcombe Creek. You can also catch the ferry over the estuary from Salcombe to East Portlemouth and follow the coast path to Prawle Point, the southernmost point of Devon. View Full Details>> |
| Scadbury Park | 2 miles (3.5 km) | This pretty Local Nature Reserve in Bromley has some nice footpaths to try. There's 300 acres of ancient woodland, grassland and ponds to explore. Also of interest is the working farm and the ruins of Scadbury Manor. The playwright Christopher Marlowe is known to have stayed at Scadbury Manor just before his death in 1593. It was then owned by Marlowe's patron Sir Thomas Walsingham, a courtier to Queen Elizabeth I. This circular walk runs around the edge of the park for just over 2 miles but there are other footpaths to try as well. The Acorn Nature Trail is a waymarked walk taking you around the site. Look out for green ring-necked parakeets and a variety of butterflies near the fruit trees. Interesting vegetation includes bluebells, yellow archangel and wood anemones. The London Loop runs through Scadbury Park so you can pick this up to extend your walk. Heading south will take you through Petts Wood and Jubilee Country Park. Here you'll find more woodland trails and wildlife including amphibians, birds, butterflies, insects, mammals and reptiles. If you head north east along the London Loop you will soon come to Foots Cray Meadows where you will find 250 acres of parkland and woodland. View Full Details>> |
| Seaton Marshes | 2 miles (3.5 km) | Follow the Seaton Tramway Walk from Seaton to Colyford through the beautiful Seaton Marshes on this walk in East Devon. The area is part of the Seaton Wetlands Nature Reserve which includes the marshes and Colyford Common. The reserve is located just to the north of the town and includes ditches and ponds that attract large variety of wildfowl, waders and butterflies. There's also numerous creeks and lagoons with Little Egrets, Curlew and White Shelducks to look out for. The marshes are positioned next to the Axe Estuary so there are also great views across the river to the Axe Marsh on the other side. The reserve has very good facilities with a car park, viewing platforms, picnic tables and a discovery hut. You can extend the walk by continuing on to Colyton. Seaton Marshes is located just to the west of the wonderful Undercliff National Nature Reserve. You can visit the reserve on the Lyme Regis to Seaton Undercliff Walk. It's a wonderful clifftop path with a wide variety of rare flora and fauna. The stretch of coast is also of high geological significance with rocks from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods of geological time. It is a great place to extend your walking in the Seaton area. You could also follow the South West Coast Path west and visit the villages of Beer and Branscombe. Here you can try the wonderful Branscombe to Beer Walk which takes you past the stunning Hooken Cliffs, Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site. View Full Details>> |
| Selsdon Wood | 2 miles (3 km) | This woodland and nature reserve in Croydon is criss crossed with a number of nice footpaths and walking trails. The reserve includes 200 acres of ponds, open meadows and ancient woodland including oak, beech, ash and sweet chestnut. There's two colour coded waymarked trails which you can pick up from the car park. The area is also known as the Bird Sanctuary with birds such as Blackcap, Buzzard, Cuckoo and Chiffchaff to look out for. Also keep your eyes peeled for Roe Deer, various insects and the rare White Squirrel. It's great for flora too with 130 flowering plants to see. These include Crocus, Red Campion, Bluebell and Cowslip. The London Loop and the Vanguard Way pass through the wood so you can pick these long distance footpaths up and extend your walk. One option is to follow the trails north to Littleheath Woods and then on to Addington Hills. This lovely park includes London's largest area of heathland and a great viewpoint with views towards Parliament Hill and Docklands. Just to the west of Addington Hills is Croham Hurst Woods where you'll find ancient woodland and a climb to Breackneck Hill. Heading east from Selsdon Wood will take you to Frith Wood and Frylands Wood. Heading south will take you into Surrey, passing Greatpark Wood, Holt Wood and Chelsham. View Full Details>> |
| Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve | 2 miles (3 km) | Follow a series of well laid out footpaths around this lovely nature reserve on this short walk in Sevenoaks. The site covers 71 hectares (175 acres) and includes several lakes, ponds, reedbed and woodlands. The reserve attracts a wide variety of birds including Greylag Goose, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Moorhen, Coot, Great Crested Grebe and Tufted Duck. Waymarked trails take you around the lakes where you can stop and look out for the birds from one of the hides. You can also visit the pretty elemental gardens with wild flowers, orchids and habitats designed to attract various insects and butterflies. There's also a very good visitor centre with a wealth of information and touch tables where you can handle birds nests and birds feathers. If you would like to extend your walk you could head a couple of miles south and visit Knole Park. Here you will find 500 resident deer, ancient woodland, dry heathland, acid grassland and wood pasture. There's another great wildlife watching spot near Sevenoaks at Bough Beech Reservoir. The reserve is located a few miles south of the town and includes nice bluebells woods and lots of birdlife to look out for on the water. Just to the west is Chipstead Lake where there's more nice waterside trails to try. View Full Details>> |
| Shapwick Heath | 2 miles (3 km) | Explore this lovely nature reserve in the Somerset's Levels. Part of the Avalon Marshes, Shapwick Heath is one of several nature reserves in the area. There's reedbeds, wildflower meadows, fens, woods and lots of open water. It's great for wildlife with egrets, bitterns, otters, great-crested grebes and white admiral butterfly to look out for. There's nearly 1000 acres to explore on a number of a walking trails and a cycle trail. It's a splendid place for a walk with such a wide variety of habitats and wildlife to enjoy. You can start your walk from the Avalon Marshes Visitor Centre on Shapwick Road. It has a large car park and a wealth of information about the area. It is just a short walk from here to the nice waterside stroll along the South Drain Path. Just south of that is the Sweet Track which runs along ancient wooden trackways. The reserve is located just a few miles west of Glastonbury. You could visit the site by bike by following National Cycle Network Roue 3 from Glastonbury. You could also follow the River Brue to Meare and Oxenpill at the northern edge of the reserve or the Glastonbury Canal. To extend your walking you could visit the adjacent Ham Wall Nature Reserve where there are several more trails to try. View Full Details>> |
| Sharkham Point Nature Reserve | 1 miles (1.5 km) | Enjoy a short circular walk around this delightful coastal nature reserve in Brixham, Devon. The reserve has a good sized parking area at the end of St Mary's Road in Higher Brixham. From here you can pick up the footpaths to take you to Sharkham Point and along the coastal headland. It's a great viewpoint with nice views down to St Mary's beach and along the coast. The area is fantastic for wildlife watching with ospreys in the skies above and dolphins in the beautiful turquoise waters below. To extend your walk follow the South West Coast Path north around St Mary's Bay to the splendid Berry Head Country Park. Here you can see a wide variety of coastal plantlife and a large Guillemot colony. View Full Details>> |
| Skipwith Common | 5 miles (7.5 km) | This large open space near Selby has three colour coded, waymarked walks to try. There's 270 hectares of open heath, ponds, reed-bed and woodland to explore on miles of trails. The common is a nature reserve so look out for a wide variety of flora and fauna. Of particular note are the Exmoor ponies and a herd of wild fallow deer and roe deer. There are also a number of rare plants, including the unusual sundew, which is only found in the peat bogs and damp moorland of the common. The site includes boardwalks and viewing platforms from which to conveniently observe the plantlife and wildlife. You can also visit the nearby village of Skipwith with its church of St. Helen which dates back to the 10th century. Also of note are the Danes Hills Bronze age burial mounds and a number of pretty ponds. View Full Details>> |
| Slapton Ley | 6 miles (10 km) | This walk takes you along Slapton Sands and the Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve in Devon. The lagoon at Slapton Ley is the largest natural freshwater lake in South West England. It's a beautiful area with the lovely shingle beach and the ocean on one side and the stunning lake on the other. There are a number of walking trails taking you through the reserve, including a family trail which takes about 45 minutes. You can also easily continue to the nearby village of Slapton. The reserve is fantastic for wildlife with a number of bird hides around the lake. Look out for Cetti's warbler, Swallows, Badgers and Otters as you make your way through the reserve. For cyclists there is a super coastal road taking you past the lake and Slapton sands. The South West Coast Path runs past the site so there is scope for continuing your walk along the coast towards Dartmouth or Salcombe. If you head west you can visit Start Point where you can look out for seals and basking sharks before enjoying an interesting tour of the lighthouse. View Full Details>> |
| Slimbridge Wetland Centre | 1 miles (2 km) | Enjoy a stroll around this super nature reserve between Bristol and Gloucester. There are 120 acres to explore on good footpaths and boardwalks which pass over the lakes. The reserve boasts the largest collection of amphibians in the UK and the splendid Flamingo lagoon with the UK’s largest flock of flamingos. You can view the birds from a fantasic sunken observatory. There is a well equipped bird hide and a wonderful rain garden which featured at the Chelsea Flower Show. You can also climb the Sloane Observation Tower for fantastic views of the Cotswolds and the River Severn. The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and the Severn Way pass the site so it's easy to continue your waterside walking in this lovely area. View Full Details>> |
| Smardale Gill Viadiuct | 3 miles (5 km) | This walk takes you through the pretty Smardale Gill along the trackbed of a disused railway line. It leads to the magnificent Smardale Viaduct. The viaduct was part of the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway and has 14 arches, is 90 ft (27 m) high and 550 ft (170 m) long. It's an impressive sight with the structure surrounded by the lovely countryside of the Cumbrian hills and the pretty Smardale Beck which runs through the gill. The area is also a managed nature reserve with wildlflowers, woodland and grassland. Look out for flora such as bluebells, primrose and early purple orchid. Wildlife includes goldfinch, field fare and redwing with lots of butterflies around the wildflowers in the summer months. Red squirrels and roe deer can also be seen in the reserve. To extend your walking in the area you could climb Smardale Fell or Crosby Garrett Fell for wonderful views over the surrounding area. You can also approach the viaduct from the south from the pretty villages of Newbiggin On Lune and Ravenstonedale. In nearby Kirkby Stephen you can enjoy lovely walks along the River Eden. View Full Details>> |
| Spurn Point | 8 miles (13 km) | This walk explores the splendid Spurn Point National Nature Reserve on the tip of the coast of the East Riding of Yorkshire. The narrow sand spit stretches for over 3 miles into the the Humber estuary. It's a special place, perfect for a coastal walk or cycle with dramatic scenery and huge variety of wildlife. There's much to enjoy with pretty beaches, sand-dunes, marshland and the striking effects of the changing tides. You can park at the car park at Kilnsea to start your walk/ride. Then head south passing the Spurn Bird Observatory and Kilnsea Warren, with fine views across Kilnsea Clays. You continue along the peninsula to Spurn Head at the tip of the reserve. Here you will find the RNLI lifeboat station and two disused lighthouses. As you make your way through the reserve look out for a large variety of birdlife. This includes rare birds such as the cliff swallow from North America, a lanceolated warbler from Siberia and a black-browed albatross from the Southern Ocean. More common birds include wheatears, whinchats, common redstarts and flycatchers. Several thousand birds can be seen in and around the reserve on a good day. You may also spot common seals and grey seals feeding and interacting in the month of September. It's a wonderful sight as the seals come right up to the coast so you can spot them without the need for binoculars. NB please check tide times before visiting the reserve as it is dangerous to walk to the end of the spit at high tide. To continue your exercise in the Hull area you could visit Humber Bridge Country Park and enjoy great views over the River Humber to Barton Upon Humber. The Trans Pennine Trail also runs through Hull so you could pick up the trail and enjoy a waterside walk along the Humber to Hessle. If you head up the coast to Hornsea you can enjoy a walk along the pretty Hornsea Mere which is another great place for birdwatching. View Full Details>> |
| Staines Moor | 4 miles (6 km) | This walk takes you across the Staines Moor Site of Special Scientific Interest in Surrey. The walk follows the Colne Valley Way from the River Thames in Staines to Wraysbury Reservoir, near Horton. You'll enjoy nice views of the River Colne and the King George VI Reservoir as you pass across the moor. You'll also pass through the village of Stanwell Moor before walking alongside Wraysbury Reservoir. You can return on the same path or there is a footpath along the Wraysbury River. This would take you back into Staines and turn it into a circular walk. The moor is a very pretty area with unimproved grassland which is covered in pretty wildflowers in the summer months. There's also a series of streams, rivers, ponds and lakes attracting birdlife such as tufted ducks, pochard, goosander and common goldeneye. On the rich pasture of the moor you can also see grazing horses and cattle. The start of the walk can be reached from car parks in the centre of Staines or from the nearby Staines train station. To extend your walk you could continue along the Colne Valley Way to Colnbrook. You can also pick up the Thames Path and enjoy a riverside stroll to Windsor. Just to the south west of the moor you can head to Runnymede Park and visit the birthplace of the Magna Carta. View Full Details>> |
| Stanney Woods | 1 miles (2 km) | Enjoy a series of woodland trails in this country park and nature reserve in Ellesmere Port. In the park you'll find ancient woodland of oak and silver birch and a wide variety of birdlife. View Full Details>> |
| Stanpit Marsh | 2 miles (2.5 km) | Enjoy lovely coastal views and a variety of wading birds in this nature reserve in Christchurch. It's a delightful area with lagoons, marshland, reed beds and splendid views back to Christchurch Harbour and Priory. It's great for wildlife with over 300 birds spotted at the site. Look out for Curlew, Little Egret, Black-tailed Godwits and Herons. Also keep an eye out for rabbits and the resident horses and their foals. You can park at the Stanpit Recreation Ground car park and then pick up the walking trails through the reserve. National Cycle Network Route 2 runs from Christchurch to the reserve on a nice traffic free path too. To extend your walking in the area you can pick up the Stour Valley Way or the Avon Valley Path which run through Christchurch. Also nearby is the splendid Mudeford Quay and Hengistbury Head where you can enjoy coastal views towards the Purbeck Hills and the Isle of Wight. To reach Hengistbury Head you can walk east to Mudeford Quay and catch the ferry to Mudeford. The Bournemouth Coast Path also runs past the reserve so you can pick this up and head along the coast to Highcliffe Castle and Coast too. View Full Details>> |
| Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve | 4 miles (6.5 km) | This delightful nature reserve near Canterbury boasts the largest reedbeeds in the South East of England. There are miles of well laid out footpaths taking you past the reedbeds, wet grazing meadows and lagoons where you will see a wide variety of wildlife. Look out for bearded reedlings, bitterns, marsh harriers, sandpipers, grebes, kingfishers and rare garganey ducks. You may also see water voles, weasels or even an otter. There are also several bird hides and an observation mound. The Stour Valley Walk also runs through the reserve so you could follow this footpath along the River Great Stour towards Canterbury which lies a few miles to the west of Stodmarsh. View Full Details>> |
| Studland Heath Nature Reserve | 7 miles (11 km) | Enjoy a lovely walk around this coastal nature reserve in Poole, Dorset. The walk begins next to the Sandbanks to Shell Bay chain ferry where parking is available. You then head into the reserve on walking trails some of which are way-marked. The trails take you through dunes and heathland where you will find a variety of birdlife flying between the trees and bushes. The purple bell heather and yellow gorse are particularly delightful in the summer months. The walk also visits the Little Sea - a large lake which attracts water loving birds. You can observe them in one of the bird hides on the edge of this lovely peaceful place. There are fabulous views of the islands of Poole Harbour including Brownsea Island, Furzey Island and Green Island. On a clear day you should also be able to see Bournemouth Pier and the Isle of Wight. The South West Coast Path passes the reserve so you could pick this up and head towards Old Harry Rocks and Swanage. From Sandbanks you can catch the ferry to Brownsea Island where you can enjoy more peaceful walking and wildlife. You are also very close to Rempstone Heath and Godlingstone Heath where there are more nice heathland trails to try. The latter includes the noteworthy Agglestone Rock. The large sandstone block commands wonderful views across the heaths to the coast. View Full Details>> |
| Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve | 7 miles (11.5 km) | This delightful coastal nature reserve is situated around the village of Walberswick in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It's an easy walk taking you past a wide variety of habitats including heathland, reed beds, grassland, woodlands, shingle, lagoons, mudflats and the salt marshes of the Blyth estuary. The reserve is great for wildlife watching. Look out for March Harrier, Bearded Tit, Water Rail and Bittern as you make your way along the waymarked paths. This walk starts from Walberswick but you could also park at the car park off Lodge Road just west of the village. From the village you follow the Suffolk Coast Path west along the beach before coming to the Dunwich River, which guides you into the reserve. Footpaths then take you past Westwood Marshes and Fen Hill before skirting the edge of Dunwich Forest. You then follow other trails past Westwood Lodge before following a country lane to the woodland at Hoist Covert. The final section returns to Walberswick along the coast path. If you would like to extend your walking in this lovely area then you could head south and visit Minsmere Nature Reserve and Dunwich Heath which are great for peaceful walks and wildlife. Also nearby is the town of Southwold where you can follow the Suffolk Coast Path along the shingle beach and the River Blyth. The Sandlings Walk also starts from the town. View Full Details>> |
| Sutton Park | 4 miles (7 km) | This splendid park in Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham is the largest urban park in Europe and the largest outside a capital city. It covers 2,000 acres and includes numerous cycling and walking trails. A National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Sutton Park is a mixture of open heathland, woodlands, wetlands, marshes and lakes. For walkers there are currently 5 self-guided routes around the site. Cyclists please note that National Cycle Route 534 travels through the park and is part of an extensive new route between Sutton Coldfield and Castle Vale. There is an excellent visitor centre with gift shop, interpretive displays and maps. Sutton Park is located about six miles north of Birmingham City Centre. If you would like to extend your outing then you could visit the nearby New Hall Valley Country Park and Pype Hayes Park where you will find more good cycling and walking trails. View Full Details>> |
| Swanwick Lakes | 1 miles (1.6 km) | This walk visits the Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve in the Hampshire village of Swanwick. View Full Details>> |
| Tamar Estuary | 2 miles (2.5 km) | Explore the Tamar Estuary Nature Reserve on this short walk near Saltash. The reserve is located a couple of miles north of Saltash. You can follow a footpath along the estuary from Cargreen to Landulph. Look out for wildlife including avocet, shelduck and large numbers of waders. You can see a great view of the estuary at Cargreen using the google street view link below. It's a lovely spot with lots of sailboats and the Cornish countryside in the background. To explore the beautiful Tamar Valley further you can pick up the Tamar Valley Discovery Trail and visit the lovely Lopwell Dam Nature Reserve. View Full Details>> |
| Testwood Lakes | 2 miles (2.5 km) | Enjoy an easy, waterside walk around these two pretty lakes in Totton, on the eastern edge of the New Forest. There are well surfaced footpaths all the way around the lakes. The area is managed as a nature reserve so you will find a variety of interesting wild flowers and woodland around the lakes. You can also look out for various wildfowl and waders on the water using the two bird hides. There are good facilities with a Visitor centre, toilets and parking. If you'd like to extend your walk you could pick up the Test Way and follow the River Test to the nearby Lower Test Nature Reserve. View Full Details>> |
| Thatcham Discovery Centre | 1 miles (2 km) | This delightful nature reserve in Thatcham is the perfect place for an easy waterside stroll in Berkshire. There are well laid out footpaths taking you to several lakes, reedbeds, along the Kennet and Avon Canal and to the Thatcham Community Orchard. There are very good facilities with a car park, bird hides, picnic area, a lakeside cafe and an excellent visitor centre with interactive wildlife and natural history displays. The reserve is a great place for wildlife. Look out for birds including fieldfare and redwing. The wildflowers attract various butterflies such as garden tiger, butterbur, waved black, holly blue, and gatekeeper. The reserve is also accessible by public transport. You could follow the canal from Thatcham train station which is located just a mile to the east. To extend your walk you could head south of the reserve to Bowdown Woods and Greenham Common. At Bowdown Woods Nature Reserve you will find exceptionally rich woodland and a variety of wildlife including birds, reptiles, dragonflies and butterflies. Greenham Common is covered in heather and gorse and has nice wide footpaths to follow. There's also wildflower filled grasslands and wetland areas which attract dragonflies and birdlife. The woods and common are located just half a mile south of Thatcham Discovery Centre. Just to the north east there's miles of trails in the expansive Bucklebury Common. View Full Details>> |
| The Chase Nature Reserve | 2 miles (2.5 km) | This National Trust owned nature reserve has 143 acres of woodland to explore on a number of footpaths. It is located near to the villages of Woolton Hill and Enborne Row on the Hampshire/Berkshire border. The area consists of broadleaf and coniferous woodland with streams and lots of interesting flora and fauna to look out for. The snowdrops in early spring are particularly lovely. There is a car park just off station road which gives direct access to the trails. It's easy to extend your walking in the area by heading into the adjacent Penwood forest. You can also visit the real Downton Abbey and climb to the viewpoint on Beacon Hill at Highclere Castle just to the south of the reserve. Walbury Hill and Pilot Hill, the highest points in Berkshire and Hampshire respectivley, are also close by. View Full Details>> |
| Thursley National Nature Reserve | 5 miles (7.5 km) | This lovely nature reserve has miles of boardwalks and footpaths taking you to fine heathland, ponds, lakes and deciduous woodland. It's one of the finest areas in the country for wildlife with birds including woodlark, Dartford warbler, nightjar, stonechat, whinchat and curlew. Also look out for some very rare butterflies including silver-studded blue, white-letter hairstreak and purple emperor. In the heathland area you may see reptiles such as the rare sand lizard and smooth snake. Rare dragonfly and damselfly can be spotted around the pools and lakes. In the fen and open water area you can see various water loving birds such as great crested grebe, mute swan, coot, water rail and little grebe. Finally in the woodland area you can see woodpeckers, woodcock, redstart, tawny owl, nightingale and hawfinch. This circular walk starts at the Moat car park and takes you across Thursley Common to Silkmill Pond and Warren Mere. You then head across Ockley Common and pass Pudmore Pond before returning to the car park. If you would like to continue your walk you could head to the nearby Frensham Country Park where there are miles of cycling and walking trails. The Devil's Punch Bowl and Gibbet Hill is also a great option with more cycling and walking trails through a natural nature reserve, filled with heathland, streams and woodland. The Greensand Way long distance footpath also runs through the common so you could pick this up to continue your walk. View Full Details>> |
| Thurstaston Common and Coast | 5 miles (8 km) | This walk explores Thurstaston Common before heading to Wirral Country Park on the coast. It's a varied walk with woodland trails, pretty heather, hill climbs and wonderful coastal scenery to enjoy. You can start the walk from the car park in Royden Park and then pick up the footpaths heading south across the common. Here you'll find woodland, heathland and a viewpoint at Thurstaston Hill. There's lovely views over the Dee Estuary, the city of Liverpool and the Welsh coast from here. Also look out for the striking Thor's Stone, a large sandstone outcrop and a place of romantic legend. After taking in the views the route descends to Thurstaston Hall where you follow Station Road to Wirral Country Park. View Full Details>> |
| Titchfield Haven | 6 miles (9 km) | Explore this beautiful coastal nature reserve and enjoy a stroll along the Titchfield Canal on this circular walk near Fareham. The reserve boasts 369 acres of River, fen, pools, reedbed and meadow. These habitats attract a wide range of water loving wildlife. Look out for Reed Warblers, Bearded Tits, Water rails and Bittern around the reedbeds and Otters by the River Meon. There are a number of hides from which you can observe the wildlife. Other facilities include the Titchfield Haven Visitor Centre, tea room and exhibition about the history of the Solent area. This walk starts at the car park near Hillhead Harbour and takes you along the coast passing the Meon Shore chalets. You then turn inland and pass Bromwich Pond and some nice countryside before coming to the village of Titchfield. Here you could head north of the village and visit the interesting 13th century Titchfield Abbey. There are attractive grounds with ponds and major remains of the abbey to see. From Titchfield a waterside section along the Titchfield Canal and the River Meon takes you back to the car park. The Solent Way passes the reserve so you could pick this up to continue your walk. View Full Details>> |
| Titchmarsh Nature Reserve | 4 miles (6 km) | Enjoy waterside walking in this nature reserve in Thrapston, near Kettering. There are several large lakes to stroll around and you can also follow the Nene Way along the River Nene which runs through the reserve. Large numbers of wildfowl can be seen on the water including heron, goosander, wigeon, gadwal, reed warbler and sedge warbler. Along the river Nene you can look out for butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. If you would like to continue your walking in the area then you could follow the Nene Way to Stanwick Lakes and Rushden Lakes for more birdlife and lovely waterside walks. View Full Details>> |
| Trimley Marshes | 5 miles (8.5 km) | Follow the circular trail around this lovely nature reserve near Felixstowe. There's over 200 acres to explore on a series of good footpaths. It's one of the premiere wildlife watching spots in England with a huge variety of water loving birds to look out for. This includes coot, tufted duck, teal, pochard, cormorant, little egrets, gadwall and shoveler. The reserve includes a series of lagoons and lakes with additional waterside paths along the River Orwell. There's also large areas of reedbeds and lovely views across the estuary to enjoy. You can park at the car park at the end of Codry's Lane and pick up the paths from here. Trimley St Mary rail station is also very close by. The Stour and Orwell Walk runs through the reserve so you can continue along this path to extend your walk. Heading west will take you to Levington and then on to Orwell Country Park. Here you'll find over 200 acres of woodland and parkland with more nice footpaths to follow. Also nearby is the delightful Nacton Shores with its beach and river views. View Full Details>> |
| Two Tree Island | 2 miles (3 km) | This expansive nature reserve in Leigh-on-Sea covers 257 hectares (640 acres). The site is located just a few miles along the coast from Southend and contains miles of nice walking trails. View Full Details>> |
| Warburg Nature Reserve | 2 miles (2.5 km) | This delightful nature reserve near Henley-on-Thames has some lovely woodland trails to try. It's a splendid place for flora and fauna with lots of bluebells and wood anemones in the spring. In the summer months the site is rich with orchids including fly orchid and bird's-nest orchid. Look out for wildlife including rare butterflies and a variety of woodland birds. All in all over 2,000 species of plants, fungi and animals have been recorded here. The reserve has good facilities with a visitors centre, a picnic area and two bird hides. There's also a car park where you can start your walk. You could also start off from the nearby village of Nettlebed and follow paths past Nettlebed Common to the site. The Chiltern Way and the Oxfordshire Way both pass the reserve. You can easily pick up either of these long distance trails to extend your walk. Heading south will take you to Nettlebed Woods where there are more nice bluebell trails. If you follow the Oxfordshire way south east it will take you to Henley-on-Thames where you can enjoy a nice riverside walk. Our Turville Circular Walk also visits the reserve from the nearby village. It passes the famous Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Windmill and then takes you to the attractive 13th century Stonor Estate just to the east of the reserve. View Full Details>> |
| Warton Crag | 3 miles (5 km) | Enjoy a circular walk around Warton Crag on this lovely route in Lancashire. The limestone hill near Carnforth stands at 163 metres (535 ft) making it the highest point in the Arnside and Silverdale AONB. View Full Details>> |
| Watchtree Nature Reserve | 2 miles (4 km) | This super Nature Reserve near Carlisle has a series of cycling and walking trails to try. View Full Details>> |
| Weir Wood Reservoir | 5 miles (8.5 km) | This 280 acre reservoir has a super circular walking path to try.
The path runs quite close to the lake along the northern side with country trails to follow around the eastern and southern side. The western end of the reservoir is a protected nature reserve and bird sanctuary designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Habitats include strips of open grassland, scrub and woodland. Low lying meadows also form part of the reserve. Look out for kingfisher, tern, osprey, teal swifts, swallows and whitethroat. The reservoir is located just to the west of Forest Row and about 7 miles north east of Haywards Heath. The Forest Way and the Sussex Border Path both run past the reservoir so you could easily pick up either of these trails if you'd like to continue your walk. If you head north you'll soon come to the National Trust owned Standen House. The Standen Estate has 100 acres of parkland, gardens and woodland to explore and is well worth a visit. View Full Details>> |
| Welney WWT | 9 miles (14.5 km) | Enjoy waterside footpaths along the New Bedford River on this easy circular walk at the Welney Wetland Centre. View Full Details>> |
| Whisby Nature Park | 3 miles (5.5 km) | This large nature reserve near Lincoln has miles of lovely walking trails to follow around a series of lakes. The reserve also consists of grassland, marsh, scrub and a small area of woodland. It's great for wildlife with birds such as Great crested grebe, Coot and Nightingale to look out for. There are six waymarked walks taking you around Thorpe Lake, Coot Lake, Grebe Lake and the Dragonfly Lakes. There's also a number of smaller ponds and a large area of grazing marsh. Look out for interesting flora such as the pretty purple marsh orchid and various wildlflowers. Facilities are very good with car parking, an informative visitor centre and a nice cafe. There's also a number of bird hides from which to observe the wide variety of wildlife. To continue your walking in the area you could head to the nearby Hartsholme Country Park. View Full Details>> |
| Whitbarrow National Nature Reserve | 7 miles (11 km) | Enjoy wonderful limestone scenery, ancient woodland and rich ground flora in this nature reserve near Witherslack in the Lake District National Park. The walk starts at Mill Side and heads to Whitbarrow Scar on footpaths and quiet country lanes. You then climb to the high point known as the Lord's seat where you will find a large obelisk shaped cairn. From here there are marvellous panoramic views of the River Kent Estuary and Morecambe Bay. The return leg is a gentle descent along woodland paths passing Wakebarrow, Rough Hill Wood, Windy Howe and Watson's Wood before returning to Mill Side. Features in the reserve include a small traditional orchard with Westmorland damson and apple trees and pretty bluebell woodland. Wildlife lovers should look out for roe and red deer at Howe Ridding Wood. Birdlife includes buzzard, raven, sparrowhawk, woodcock, great spotted woodpecker, redstart and nuthatch. Alfred Wainwright praises Whitbarrow in his book 'The Outlying Fells of Lakeland' describing it as 'the most beautiful [walk] in this book, beautiful it is every step of the way. ... All is fair to the eye on Whitbarrow.' Whitbarrow can be easily reached from Kendal which is about 5 miles to the north east. Here you can extend your walking by trying our Kendal Castle and River Walk. The climb to Cartmel Fell is located just to the west of the reserve where there are more fine views over the Lyth Valley. View Full Details>> |
| Whiteford Sands | 4 miles (6 km) | This beautiful nature reserve on the North Gower coast has lovely walking trails through woodland and sand dunes with nice coastal views. View Full Details>> |
| Wicken Fen | 9 miles (14 km) | Enjoy a walk or cycle through the beautiful Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire. National Cycle Route 11 runs right through Wicken Fen and there are some peaceful country lanes around the reserve. Bike hire is available from just £5. The route below starts at the pretty village of Wicken before passing through the reserve and into the surrounding countryside. You follow quiet lanes to Upware, located on the River Cam, before returning to Wicken Village. In the reserve you will find flowering meadows, reedbeds and waterways where you can see a variety of wildlife such as hen harriers, water voles and bitterns. In the Baker's Fen area you can also see konik ponies, highland cattle, lapwings and barn owls. If you're on foot you can follow the Boardwalk Trail or the longer Nature Trail while stopping off at one of the many bird hides. In the summer months you can also enjoy a 50 minute boat trip along the waterways of Wicken Fen. A number of options are available if you would like to continue your outing. If you're on foot you could follow the Fen Rivers Way along the River Great Ouse to Ely. For cyclists National Route 11 runs along quiet roads and the River Great Ouse to Ely. Or you can head east towards Newmarket via Burwell. View Full Details>> |
| Willow Tree Fen | 2 miles (3 km) | This pretty nature reserve near Spalding has three colour coded walking trails to try. The reserve is located on the River Glen so there are nice waterside paths to follow. It is a typical fenland setting with meres, flooded pastures, hay meadows and reedbeds. Look out for lots of water loving wildlife such as black tailed godwit, marsh harriers, wigeon, teal, lapwing, redshank and snipe. You may also spot an otter or water vole by the river. The Macmillan Way runs through the reserve along the river so there is scope for extending your walk. Heading west will take you towards Thurlby while heading east takes you into Pinchbeck near Spalding. Also nearby is Bourne Woods where there are miles of walking and cycling trails through ancient woodland with a mixture of conifers and broad-leaved trees, ponds and sculptures. View Full Details>> |
| Winnall Moors Nature Reserve | 2 miles (2.5 km) | Enjoy a short stroll around this pretty nature reserve in Winchester. In the reserve you will find wetland with chalk stream, reedbeds and grassland. View Full Details>> |
| Wolfscote Dale | 7 miles (12 km) | This walk visits Wolfscote Dale in the Dove Dale area of the Peak District. You can start the walk from the village of Hartington just north of the dale. There's a car park and cafe in the village so it makes a good start and end point for the walk. The footpaths then head south to Beresford Dale Nature Reserve where there's riverside paths, weirs, woodland, wildflowers and birdlife to enjoy. The route then crosses a wooden footbridge and leads you into the Wolfscote Dale Nature Reserve. The footpath winds its way along the River Dove with woodland sections and a number of weirs to enjoy. It's a beautiful area with the option of continuing south along the river to Milldale and then on to Dovedale. You could also visit the nearby Ilam Park where there are beautiful gardens and views of the River Manifold. Just to the east of Wolfscote Dale is the Biggin Dale Nature Reserve. You could return to Hartington on the footpath through the reserve. It's a lovely area with lots of interesting plants and flowers to look out for. The dale is located near to the pretty village of Alstonefield which makes a worthy alternative start point for the walk. View Full Details>> |
| Woodwalton Fen | 4 miles (6 km) | Enjoy a short walk around this beautiful national nature reserve in Cambridgeshire. There are 500 acres to explore with habitats including wildflower meadows, mixed fen, marsh, reedbed, scrub, open water and woodland. There are several waymarked walking trails taking you around the reserve on wide grassy paths. You can stop at the bird hides and look out for a wide variety of wildlife before heading to Rothschild Bungalow - Charles Rothschild, a successful banker and wildlife enthusiast bought Woodwalton Fen in 1910 to preserve this lovely area. If you would like to continue your walk you could head to the nearby Holme Fen National Nature Reserve. Woodwalton Fen is located between Peterborough and Huntingdon. View Full Details>> |
| Wye Downs | 3 miles (5 km) | Explore this lovely area of chalk downland and woodland near Wye in Kent. Wye Downs is a nature reserve with several dramatic coombes formed in the ice age. This includes the Devil's Kneading Trough, a steep-sided valley with views of Romney Marsh, the Weald and the English Channel. The area is also home to interesting flora and fauna including several species of rare orchid. View Full Details>> |
| Wyming Brook | 1 miles (1.5 km) | Enjoy a waterside walk through the pretty Wyming Brook Nature Reserve on this route near Sheffield. The popular footpath takes you through peaceful woodland with a babbling brook, mossy crags, stone steps and wooden bridges. You can start your walk from the car park off Redmires Road just north of the lower reservoir and the Redmires woodland plantation. You then head north through the reserve to Rivelin Dams. The area is also a designated nature reserve with lots of interesting flora and fauna. Look out for birds including crossbills, redstarts, wood warblers and pied flycatchers as you make your way along the popular trail. If you prefer the walk could also be started from the Rivelin Lower Reservoir car park and completed from north to south. You could also turn it into a circular walk by heading east along Wyming Brook Drive to Reddicar Clough and then The brook links Redmires Reservoir and the Rivelin Dams so it's easy to extend your walk. Wyming Brook Drive runs just south of Rivelin Dams and is a good track for walking with more attractive woodland. You're also not far from the Rivelin Valley Nature Trail. It's a similar walk taking you through a wooded gorge with a rushing river. View Full Details>> |