Make this winter one to remember with our pick of the best family friendly walks.
Beatrix Potter Walk, Lake District
With 2016 the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter, what better place to take your children than the Lake District, the home of Miss Potter for over 40 years.
A magical walk around the shores of Lake Windermere will bring you to the villages of Hawkshead and Sawrey, where your family can soak up the same inspiration that influenced the stories of Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck.
You can make this walk as short or long as you wish. If the kids get tired along the way, there are plenty of shuttle or ferry buses to suit your itinerary.
Keep your eyes peeled for Jack Snipes who will be flying around the wetland areas and flooded marshland dotted around the trail. If you’re feeling generous, you can even leave them something to nibble on. Our friends at Kennedy Wild Bird Food recommend dried mealworms.
Killerton Garden Walk, Devon
Killerton has a wealth of different walks, however for the ultimate family experience, the Acland walk is our favourite. This walk is buggy friendly and follows a circular path through the gardens, parkland and chapel grounds, which serves as the perfect interlude in to Killerton. The little ones will adore the Bear Hut, formerly home to the Aclands family’s most exotic pet.
On leaving the Bear Hut, take a right towards the memorial cross, which was erected in memory of Sir Thomas Acland and his favourite viewpoint. Once you reach the cross, take a moment to catch your breath and admire the surrounding views of Dartmoor. On a clear day, you can even see Cosdon Beacon, 20 miles away and 1,800 feet above sea level.
Sherborne Orienteering Trail, Gloucestershire
This walk is ideal for families. The walk itself is graded as ‘easy and fun’, but you can also discover a mystery two-part word by finding 13 hidden letters throughout the walk, which commences at Ewe Pen Barn and finishes by the Pleasure Ground.
As your little ones indulge in the mystery, you yourself can indulge in the views of the beech trees which decorate the driveway to the magnificent Sherborne House.
Coughton Court family walk, Warwickshire
Get your boots on and go for a gentle walk at Coughton Court. The trail will take you across a meadow and into a bluebell wood. If you have little ones with you then you can retrace your steps. If not then go on to a bigger adventure through a field to discover a ford.
The River Arrow is great for playing pooh sticks – simply choose your stick, throw it in from the bridge, then go to the other side to see whose stick wins. This walk is also famous for the variety of wildlife on offer: From deers, butterflies and even kingfishers. Don’t forget to pack some wild bird seed, as the cold months can be tough on the birds.
The Giant’s Causeway Green Trail, County Antrim
Giant’s Causeway needs no introduction, as it is already world renowned for its columns of layered basalt. The Causeway is also the only World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland, which was formed from the result of a volcanic eruption around 60 million years ago.
With four family- friendly trails, you will marvel at the vast natural beauty and fantastical landscape of the coast. The Green Trail (our recommendation) is buggy friendly and fenced off from the clifftop, meaning your kids can roam in plain sight.
