From winter wildlife spectacles and seasonal walks to taking in the sheer beauty of snowy and frosty landscapes, it will soon be the season to wrap up warm and enjoy nature’s latest show. So, for those keen to explore wintry wonders, here are a few suggestions for some top seasonal spots.
Seal the season
Lincolnshire’s Donna Nook Nature Reserve offers one of the UK’s most accessible places to experience `a winter wildlife spectacle – the berthing of grey seal pups. Adult animals return every winter to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes – with around 2,000 born there each year. The reserve has a designated viewing area close to the dunes, while an online weekly ‘pupdate’ keeps a running total on the numbers. Visitors should stay on designated paths and viewing areas, never touch or approach the seals, and if possible, visit during the week to avoid weekends when the narrow lanes, car park and viewing area get very congested.
Clifftop rambles and winter wildlife in East Yorkshire
Summer sees the coastal cliffs of East Yorkshire come alive with nesting sea birds, earning the RSPB Bempton Cliffs nature reserve the nickname of “Seabird City’. With seabirds largely departed, the coastal clifftop paths may not seem like the place to be for a winter wander, but while a quiet time of year, the bracing cliff top walks are probably the best in Yorkshire. Along with great views, there is winter wildlife to spot, too, including short-eared and barn owls on the nearby fields. Further south Flamborough Head, with its spectacular chalk cliffs, arches and caves, is also a great place for a coastal stroll and a spot of sea-watching. Plus, there are great beach walks, anytime of the year.
Roam one of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown’s finest parklands
The free-to-enter parkland surrounding one of England’s greatest Elizabethan houses offers a chance to stroll through the Deer Park landscaped by Capability Brown. While Burghley House and Gardens may be closed, the free car park and parkland remain open throughout the year. Along with views of the House itself – which recently featured as a real-life movie location for Netflix’s Frankenstein – there are also sweeping vistas down to the spires of Stamford, said to be England’s finest stone town, just a mile-and-a-half walk through the park.
Winter Wanderlust
Head for almost anywhere in the Lincolnshire Wolds, and you’ll be hard pressed not to find a walk to suit, whatever the season, but a dusting of snow, or a frosty morning, certainly adds to the charm. Choose from an array of trails or simply take time to enjoy gentle rolling hills and hidden valleys.
Ponies in the Snow…
Explore the New Forest National Park, in Hampshire, and Lyndhurst the ‘capital’ of the National Park on the Lyndhurst Parish Walk, a 8.4-mile circular route. Stop off at the iconic Bolton’s Bench where you will be welcomed by the famous New Forest wild ponies. Elsewhere in the New Forest, Whitefield Moor provides some spectacular seasonal scenery during the winter months with two trails from the car park.
Plan some festive footsteps…
It’s never too early to start seasonal planning, and for those looking to blow away the Christmas cobwebs and get outdoors during the festivities, Visit Hampshire has put its own spin on the famous The Twelve Days of Christmas song by coming up with The Twelve Walks of Christmas. From ‘On the twelfth day of Christmas Visit Hampshire gave to me… 12 Deer are Grazing’ to ‘6 Jane Austen Novels…’ (in a year marking the 250th anniversary of the Hampshire author’s birth), the walks range from flat circular pushchair friendly routes to more adventurous routes offering hilly climbs and stunning views.
