Is there anything more Autumnal than wrapping up warm and going for a walk in the woods? Kicking up the leaves, hunting for mushrooms and stopping for a hot chocolate. There are so many beautiful woodlands in Bucks and Berkshire. In fact Burnham Beeches is one of the finest ancient woodland tracts in Britain.
Basildon Park Play Trail
Basildon Park is a beautiful National Trust property in Berkshire, near Reading. On first glance you might think there’s not much for the kids here, but let me show you what we discovered! When you first arrive there are a couple of ball trails near the entrance which the kids loved! But if you head up the hill to the woods there is a much bigger play trail to discover. They no longer advertise it because it isn’t maintained. It used to be called the Wild Play Trail and several parts of it still remain.
The Grove Musical Trail and Wildflowers
The musical trail at The Grove Hotel was one of our favourite lockdown discoveries and we’ve been so many times since! It’s fun, a perfect length for little legs and has the bonus of being a great spot for bluebells and wildflowers too.
South Bucks Way
This section of the South Bucks Way is every horse lovers dream as there are horses along almost the entire route. In parts you are walking in the same field as the horses and right past their feeding stations so often end up very close to them.
Hampden House & Keepershill Wood Walk
Last weekend we did a lovely walk that took us through Keepershill Wood, where we found wild garlic, up across some open fields and past Hampden House. Lots of you asked me to share the route so here it is.
Widmer End Monster Zoo
*THIS HAS NOW CLOSED PERMANENTLY**
The monsters of Widmer End have relocated and found a new home at the Monster Zoo. Local farmer AJ has given the monsters a home at the forest school on his land. You’ll find over 70 monsters in the Monster Zoo, with new additions being added all the time. Plus there’s an added bonus of them being next to a field of pigs with some gorgeous little piglets.
Flackwell Heath and Little Marlow Walk
We took the opportunity to combine our daily walk with a visit to Home Roots charity stall in Flackwell Heath to pick up some of their incredible sausage rolls. At the stall you’ll also find carrot cake and soup, but you need to get there early as it sells out quickly! The walk itself is full of incredible views, a field full of sheep and woodland.
Tips for Finding New Local Walks
Since we’re stuck in a lockdown and not able to travel far I thought I’d share with you some great resources for finding local walks. It can get a bit monotonous doing the same walks over and over so hopefully this will help expand your options without having to travel far.
Everything You Need for a Muddy Walk!
Is it just me or does everywhere seem extra muddy this year? With everything closed and restrictions in place we have been embracing the mud and getting stuck into our daily walks. The bonus is that Ashley, like most toddlers, absolutely loves the mud, the muddier the better! She’s far more likely to walk on our walks (rather than demand to be carried) if there’s mud to jump in. So I’ve put together a list of everything we use on our walks to stay warm, protected from the mud and to make our lives easier.
Hodgemoor Woods
Sometimes it takes a lockdown to make us slow down and appreciate the local walks that surround us. If you’ve followed me for a while you’ll know I love to fit in loads of activities every week! I’m also quite happy driving up to an hour to get there, so we end up here there and everywhere. As the tier 4 guidance is to stay local we’ve been having lazier mornings and getting out for a walk or trip to the park in the afternoon. Today we went to Hodgemoor Woods which is between Amersham, Chalfont St Giles and Seer Green.