Looking for something to do with the kids (and a dog) during the half term holiday? With great weather predicted, we all want to get outside and enjoy it so where better than the great British countryside? I have asked around to find the best woodland walks in the UK, recommended by families who love the great outdoors as much as we do. Why not take a look through and find one to explore near you?
South of England
We only discovered the woodland walk at Cliveden, during the Easter holidays. We have visited the main site many times and participated in the Pantomime Trail and Easter Egg Hunt, but didn’t realise that there is a whole other area to explore, a short drive down the road! We were invited to join a group of friends and their dogs for a morning of walking and exploring around the Cliveden woodland trails.
With my kids two favourite things being dogs and climbing trees, this was the perfect excuse to get out of the house and stretch our legs! With various trails to explore, including a fitness trail and play trail, there were lots of different routes to take and plenty of beautiful woodland and breathtaking views to enjoy.
Last summer we visited Swinley Forest (Bracknell) as part of our day at the Discovery Centre. The kids had great fun building bivouacs and exploring.
Éva from Captain Bobcat recommends The Gruffalo Trail in Alice Holt (Hampshire) where there are lots of great playgrounds for children of all ages to explore. There is a Go Ape and an activity centre here too so I’m definitely planning a visit sometime over the summer!
South East of England
Slindon Bottom in west Sussex is recommended by Lauren over at ‘ScrapBook’. “It’s about a 5 mile walk, including both uphill and downhill treks, wide lanes, narrow paths, shady woods and grassy fields! You also walk through Slindon Bottom, a paleolithic beach! It’s so strange to be walking where cavemen once would have been hunting their prey (according to the signage there anyway!)” continue reading…….
Naomi from Not a Perfect Parent, loves Pepenbury Woodland Walk (West Kent) as it’s perfect for little legs and you’re able to do a really short walk to the play area in the woods or there are longer trails. You can read more about it here.
South West of England
Hayley from ‘Devon Mama‘: “I love Langdon Hill which is part of the Golden Cap Estate just outside of Lyme Regis (Dorset). It’s a lovely wide, flat, circular walk through the woods with gorgeous views over the sea and along the coast. It’s perfect for prams and there’s plenty of room for the dog (and child) to run free!”
Emma-Louise has written about their adventure at Moors Valley in Dorset. “This year they have the gruffalo trail which is brilliant for young kids. My daughter who usually complains when walking more than a few minutes had a fantastic time darting from clue to clue and finding the characters from the story through the magic of mummy’s phone!” Take a look at her full review on ‘Even Angels Fall‘.
West of England
Danielle from ‘Someone’ s Mum‘ loves Worcester Woods County Park. Dogs are allowed and it is right next to a brilliant cafe and play park.
Jade from ‘Raw Childhood‘ recommends Lymm Dam in Cheshire, “We love it there when it’s been raining especially because there’s loads of muddy parts!” There are plenty of picnic spots around and dogs are allowed here too!
Scolton Manor (near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire) comes highly recommended by Elizabeth, from ‘Where Roots and Wings Entwine’. It has a manor house, museum, beekeeping centre and walled gardens, all set in 60 acres of country park and woodlands. The woods are great for exploring, building dens and having adventures in, as well as discovering wooden sculptures of myths and legends! There are wooden play areas, play park and even an outdoor musical sensory area. Dogs are allowed and there are plenty of picnic tables. Pop over to Elizabeth’s blog to read her review.
Fforest Fawr sculpture trail in Tongwynlais, on the edge of Cardiff, is one of Cathryn from ‘Cardiff Mummy Says’, favourite places for a woodland walk. It’s really family-friendly with a flat, circular route, and a sculpture trail of amazing carved creatures and other objects. Cathryn’s review includes some fab picture of their adventure!!
Sarah, recently went to Brock Bottom near Preston, where you can enjoy a lovely walk in the woods, a picnic area and a river to play in! Dogs are allowed but it’s worth noting that there are no bins, so you’ll need to take everything home with you. ‘Toby Goes Bananas’ has the full review!
Simone from ‘Married to a Geek’ recommends a couple of areas: “We’ve always loved St Ives in Bingley or the fabulous Judy Woods in Low Moor/Woodside area of Bradford. Really pretty and bluebell filled in the warmer months.”
Nicola from ‘A Blogs Life’ recommends Ogden Waters, Halifax (ish), which has an amazing trail! “You can take the easy way straight round the water or for more adventurous people, you can hike all the way up to the Moore. In the summer we take picnics with us and feed the ducks and squirrels. It’s stunning in the autumn and winter, especially after a dusting if snow, and they also do trails for the kids at Halloween!”
North of England
Rachel from ‘The Daisy Pages’ has taken some stunning photos of their favourite woodland walk, through Lanthwaite Wood in the Lake District. “It absolutely takes your breath away and the kids adore it too!” Dogs are also allowed.
Victoria from ‘Parental Chi’ recommends The Hermitage. “It’s just off the A9 in Perthshire and is an amazing walk. It has falls and of course, the hermitage, as well as some glorious nooks and crannies to discover.”
Debbie at ‘My Boys Club’ has written a great review of the New Lanark World Heritage Site and the Falls of Clyde, where there’s a brilliant woodland walk between the two! Definitely worth a visit, if you are in the area!
So, those are my highly recommended UK woodland walks. I’m sure there are loads more to discover! Have you visited any of these or do you have a fantastic woodland walk that you would recommend?