Category Archives: walking

Take a Trip Back to Childhood in Hartfield & Ashdown Forest

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As people grow older, they frequently leave behind their childhood friends, and their faces, voices, and all the things that they used to do together are forgotten. The same is true of the stories and books that we enjoy as children. As we grow older they are left behind for another generation to enjoy.

Hartfield, in East Sussex, gives you the opportunity to recapture all the magic and delight of childhood once more, by allowing you to wander through a place that’s brought a sense of wonder and adventure into children’s lives for decades and decades. The stories of that are set in the nearby Ashdown Forest are those of Winnie-the-Pooh, and the forest is better known to fans of those stories as Hundred Acre Wood (although, actually, Hundred Acre Wood was just a section of the forests that Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends inhabited. The forest itself can be more accurately referred to as ‘Pooh’s Wood’).

Hartfield can be reached from any East Sussex hotel, and from there a twenty minute walk can take you into the forest. Once you’re between the trees, setting out to find the famous locations from the Winnie-the-Pooh stories is perfectly possible. The areas that Christopher Robin and his possibly-make-believe friends visited were all based on the areas that the A.A. Milne’s (ie. The author’s) son (ie. The real Christopher Robin, who was also called Christopher Robin) went to explore. This means that visitors to the forest can play Pooh-sticks on Pooh-sticks Bridge, visit Galleon’s Lap (in reality called Gill’s lap, and a spot from which an excellent Pooh walk starts, which takes people around most of what they wish to see), the Heffalump Trap, Roo’s Sandy Pit and, of course, Eeyore’s Sad and Gloomy Place.

It might be worth starting from one of the forest car parks rather than Hartfield itself, and these are easily accessed from anywhere in East Sussex, including cottages or a Rye hotel.

Enjoy Nature’s Wonders in the Peak District – Birdwatching

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Getting back in touch with nature is enjoyable for almost everyone. Some people like to take one week a year to do it, whereas others will make it a permanent hobby, going out week after week to submerge themselves in all of the wonders that the natural world produces. Whether you’re a weekend rambler or a full-time, nature loving, live in a tree and eat berries hermit, the Peak District has something to offer you.

One of the most popular activities in the Peak District is bird watching, and people will rent out Peak District cottages in order to do just that. There are plenty where birds can be viewed from the window, without any additional equipment needed, and even if you’re not a regular bird watcher, putting out a feeder and watching the various types of bird congregate can be very fulfilling and relaxing, but if you want to spot some of the rarer ones you’ll have to put on your walking boots, grab your binoculars, and very quietly creep through the countryside.

Of course, you’re not entirely without help when looking for some winged friends, there are plenty of guides, groups, clubs and events designed to help people track down the best  spots for bird watching, as well as make people aware (but not too many people) of roosting sites for some of the birds.

With a bit of forethought, you can look for cottages in the Peak District that will allow you to take advantage of all the possibilities for bird watching that the Peak District has to offer.

Wild Walks in Cornwall

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Please note before you carry on reading this blog post that the use of “wild” in the title refers to the fact they are nature-focussed, not that they are “crazy”, “wicked”, or “out of this world, man”. With that firmly established, let’s explore exactly what draws people on their cottage holidays to take part in one of these wild walks.

Firstly, what is a wild walk exactly? The Wild Walks website has plenty of information about them, but the general idea is that you are walked along a set route, occasionally moving off it to find various plants, and all the while are informed of which are edible, how to absolutely guarantee that you have correctly identified the plant, and potential things you can do with them once you’ve found them.

The idea behind the walks is that by giving people the knowledge they need to forage in the wild, they can reduce how much waste their household produces, cut down on their food bills and learn a few more tasty recipes.

The walks have taken place in a variety of locations, and each one offers different foods. The time of year is also important, as different plants will produce edible goods at different times, meaning that whenever you decide to stay in one of the Cornwall cottages you’ll be able to participate in one of these walks and discover something new and exciting.

Activities like this just go to show that although Cornwall is best known for its beaches, there’s a lot more to do in the county for those willing to look.

Bath Walk Named Country’s Best

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bath

The Bath Skyline walk has proved the most popular amongst users of the National Trust website with more downloads of its 6-mile guide than any other walk.

The route takes in woodlands, meadows, Roman remains, an 18th century folly, an abundance of wildlife and an Iron Age fort on its trail around the World Heritage City.

One highlight of the walk is Little Solsbury Hill, which offers wonderful views over Bath. The Site of an Iron Age fort has gentle grassland slopes, which is home to a number of plants and wildlife.

The beautiful Prior Park is another highlight of this walk. The stunning landscape garden contains the famous Palladian Bridge, one of only four found in the world.

During the last year downloads from the National Trust site for walking routes more than doubled to 250,000. The site currently has 130 walks to download, a number that is set to increase to 1,000 in just two years time. The huge demeaned on the site just goes to show that people are eager to get out into the beautiful British countryside and explore all that it has to offer.

It’s hardly surprising that Bath has become the most popular amongst walkers, the city and beautiful surrounding countryside just has so much to offer.

If you are planning on taking a short break in Bath then why not download the guide yourself and try the walk out to discover all that Bath has to offer.

Kite Flying on Dunstable Downs

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Kite Flying

This weekend, why not step outside and take a brisk walk along Dunstable Downs, Bedfordshire? This beautiful countryside will provide an exhilarating walk for you and your family if you are looking for things to do in Bedfordshire. Along the way you will discover diverse wildlife, Iron Age hill forts and burial mounds but make particular effort to look out for Five Knolls, a scheduled ancient monument which is the largest round barrow cemetery in Bedfordshire. Lying on the edge of the Downs, there are visible burial mounds which are seen as bumps belonging to the late Neolithic and bronze age. Drovers Way is part of a network of tracks and paths which were traditionally used to take livestock to market by Drovers. Wildlife is especially interesting as the chalk grasslands support a wide range of rare wild flowers and butterflies like the chalk hill blue and Duke of Burgundy.

But if you and your family are looking for something a bit more exciting then Dunstable Downs can facilitate, set so high, it provides a fantastic opportunity for kite flyers and Para gliders and has become famous for it. The National Trust has a Visitors Centre at the very top of the Downs where you can buy a kite and get some advice on constructing it and also tips on how to fly it. Their selection offers something for beginners right up to professionals so there is something for all levels. Anyone that is on a Bedfordshire Holiday shouldn’t be allowed to leave until they have flown a kite on the Dunstable Downs. The challenge has been set.

Island Squirrels

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The Red Squirrel has been decreasing in numbers for years and fewer than 140, 000 individuals are thought to be left. Approximately 85% reside in Scotland but the remainder are scattered across other parts of the UK. A large part of their decrease is due to the introduction of the grey squirrels from North America, these grey squirrels carry a deadly virus for Red Squirrels, Squirrel pox, and as a result it is illegal to bring in a grey squirrel to red squirrel territory.

The Isle of Wight, a firm favourite for holiday makers staying in a bed and breakfast Isle of Wight, is an important strong hold for Red Squirrels as the solent acts as a barrier to keep the grey squirrel out. The woodland on the island can provide habitation for around 3, 500 red squirrels and they now occupy broadleaved woodland across the island.

The Wight Project, is a charity based on the island working to help keep Red Squirrels from extinction. They tackle anything to do with squirrels from contentious planning applications to campaigning for ‘Squirrel road crossings’. From fundraising to sponsorship they also offer Squirrel Events throughout the year for people on Isle of Wight breaks or locals who have an interest in the beautiful red squirrel. It is a sad fact that a large percentage of people, especially the younger generation, have never seen the Red Squirrel, the only squirrel native to the UK. Chances to see them in their native environment through event walks and talks with the likes of The Wight Project should be taken at any given opportunity and if there is a chance you could help to keep charities like the Wight Project going through help with funding and sponsorship then it would be greatly beneficial to the Red Squirrels.

Walking in the Peak District

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The Peak District is, as you might have guessed from the name, full of peaks.

Well, they’re peaks in one sense of the word. The district actually only has two peaks, the white and dark. The former consists mostly of limestone and has the flowing hills and valleys associated with that, and the latter consists mostly of gritstone rock and shale, giving it a much harsher appearance, with tors, moorland and bear rocks jutting up. It all makes for fantastic views for the Peak District cottages that are available to rent there.

The “peaks” of the tors, rocks, and hills, though are all a draw. And as with anything high, most people feel a compulsion to get to the top of it. The best way to manage this in the Peak district is normally the most simple: walking.

The district was the first national park, created in 1951, and since then has drawn millions of visitors to participate in all sorts of activities, but walking has always been one of the favourites, Coleridge and Wordsworth both spent much of their lives there, walking around and generally being inspired by the beauty of the landscape, something which you can also experience on your own Peak District holiday.

Walking can be exhausting, so it’s very important to make sure you’re properly equipped. Comfortable shoes, and enough food and water to get you through however long your trip may be are a must. Hopefully, this will have convinced you to take a healthy walking holiday somewhere, possibly even the Peak District.

Dartmoor Leats – A Walk an’ an ‘alf

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Dartmoor is well-known as a tourist attraction, especially in the summer. It has beautiful views of both a serene and dramatic nature, and can provide warm, sun-soaked riversides for picnics and relaxation. Plenty of people taking Devon holidays visit the moor every year, and it’s no wonder why.

It’s also known for pony trekking, horse riding, and walking without any other animal involved: on foot. Walks across Dartmoor can be challenging, gruelling affairs, such as the Ten Tors or Dartmoor Beast challenges, but holiday-makers will find that the moor offers them something too. More relaxed and pleasant walks can be taken, and one of the best ways of doing this is to follow the route of a leat.

Leats are man-made water channels that were designed to carry water away from its natural route. Along the leat or at its destination, it could supply water for drinking, washing or farming, or power industrial equipment, even producing electricity. The leats were made using incredibly slight gradients, designed to keep the water travelling fast enough that it didn’t stagnate, but slow enough that it didn’t flood. One of the results of this is that in places the water appears to be flowing uphill.

Because of the way the leats are made, they provide excellent, gentle walking routes, and are easy enough to follow, especially if still filled with water. This makes them ideal for the slower gait of children, perhaps those who might stay with their family in a Devon holiday park. Along the route, walkers will see things such as sheep leaps, two granite platforms jutting out over the leat to allow sheep to jump across the water, and possibly a Bullseye stone, granite blocks with a hole through them that is the right size to divert just the right amount of water off a leat for use somewhere else.

Winter Safety in Scotland

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The Scottish Avalanche Information Service is now live for this winter period, monitoring the areas that could be affected by avalanches. People staying near these regions for cottage holidays in Scotland, or any sort of holiday for that matter, should keep an eye on weather reports and this, especially if they’re thinking of venturing into the mountains.

The areas monitored are Lochaber in the Nevis range, Creag Meagaidh, South Cairngorms, North Cairngorms and Glencoe in Argyll, which should provide you with piece of mind if you’re staying in one of the many Argyll cottages anytime this winter.

The Seven Sisters

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Year after year, visitors come to the Seven Sisters for their holidays, and we’re not talking about taking a trip to see the mythical daughters of Atlas and Pleione. That would be weird.

If sea-views, undisturbed cliffs, rolling river valleys and beautiful open grassland sound like a draw to you, then the Seven Sisters Country Park may well be for you. Located in the south of the Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the park brings people from all over to enjoy cycling or walking through it, or to spend a weekend camping there. Some people will even visit it as part of a Rye weekend break, as it’s not too far to travel.

The cliffs themselves have also been seen on the big screen in films such as Atonement, the Harry Potter films, and on the small screen in the Channel 4 comedy Green Wing. Due to their unspoilt chalk faces, they often stand in for the more heavily built up white cliffs of Dover.

The cliffs themselves rise and fall again and again, and each peak and trough has its own name. Haven Brow drops to Short Bottom, which rises to Short Brow, which falls to Limekiln Bottom, which leads up to Rough Brow, which declines into Rough Bottom, which inclines into Brass Point, which descends into Gap Bottom, which ascends into Flagstaff Point, which leads down to Flagstaff Bottom, which curves upwards into Flat Hill, which enjoys a downhill slope into Flathill Bottom, which has an upward gradient into Baily’s Hill, which lowers into Michel Dean, and finally heads up into Went Hill Brow. Luckily, that’s the end of the Seven Sisters, as I was running out of interesting synonyms for “goes up” and “goes down”.

Whilst plenty of people do camp in the area, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy increased comfort by staying in an East Sussex hotel, so remember that there’s a multitude of ways to experience the Seven Sisters.