Snowdrop walks

February in the UK sees the arrival of the snowdrop to our gardens, parks, woodland margins and quiet country lanes.

Many of the country houses around the country use this time of the year to get a few people through the doors ahead of the official Easter re-opening.

Here are a few open days or places to see snowdrops that we are aware of.

If we have missed any then please get in touch with the details via our contact us form.

Snowdrop open days

Colesbourne Park – Thousands of snowdrops in the gardens

Cambo Estate, Fife. New for 2010 - Snowdrops by Starlight
Enjoy the famous Cambo Snowdrops as never seen before! Walk through the snowdrop woods under a starlit sky in a magical wonderland created by light and sound.

East Lambrook Manor Gardens, South Petherton, Somerset

Lytham Hall in Lancashire

Scottish Snowdrop festival

Stowe Landscape Gardens – Buckinghamshire

Attingham Park – Shropshire

Belton House – Lincolnshire

Painswick Rococo Garden, Gloucestershire

Assorted National Trust properties

Hodsock Priory Gardens, nr Worksop, Nottinghamshire

Easton Walled Gardens, Grantham, Lincolnshire

Welford Park, Berkshire

Shape up for New Year and discover stunning Scottish scenery

To help shape up and work off the Christmas excess, why not take to the saddle and explore Scotland’s spectacular countryside over the New Year?

Sustrans, the UK’s leading sustainable transport charity, has launched a map for a new National Cycle Network route, number 754, to help you discover the stunning, historic scenery between Edinburgh and Glasgow along the Union and Forth and Clyde Canals.

This new colour map is jam-packed with useful information on attractions to visit along the way, including the engineering marvel of the Falkirk Wheel and Muiravonside Country Park, an area rich in historic and wildlife interests.

Crossing over dramatic aqueducts along the line of the Antonine Wall, this new route offers a range of places to eat and drink which are all marked on the map to help you plan those all important refreshment stops.

The ‘Forth and Clyde Cycle Routes Map‘ has been produced by Sustrans in partnership with the Scottish Government and British Waterways Scotland.

Retailing at £6.99, the map is available from the Sustrans website: www.sustrans.org.uk, or by calling the Information Line on 0845 113 00 65.  It is also available from Tourist Information Centres and local book shops.

The routes in the area are peaceful, flat and mainly traffic-free making them ideal for a relaxing afternoon stroll or leisurely cycle.

The definitive map features National Cycle Network routes between Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Cowal Peninsula as well as accommodation suggestions in the area and advice on how to combine cycling and walking with train travel.

Katharine Taylor, Sustrans’ National Cycle Network Development Manager in Scotland, said: “This fantastic new map is an excellent guide to the cycling and walking routes in our area and shows just how easy it is to explore beautiful countryside by bike and on foot.”

Steve Dunlop, Director, British Waterways Scotland, said:  ”As New Year resolutions come around, choosing to cycle Route 754 would be a great challenge to set for 2010.

Step out, or cycle onto, your local canal and stretch yourself from small sections through to the full tour between Edinburgh and Glasgow.Feel the burn whilst at the same time experiencing the fabulous wildlife, scenery and awesome heritage peppered along the canal network which has already attracted 18.3 million visits over the last year.”

The main routes on the ‘Forth and Clyde Cycle Routes Map’ are all part of the National Cycle Network which now runs within one mile of half the UK population.

The routes are free to use and open to everyone, making them a great way for all ages to stay fit and healthy while enjoying a breath of fresh air.

For Wheelchairs and Buggies

A husband and wife team based in Wiltshire have created two great websites aimed specifically for people who want to get out and about with wheelchairs or prams and buggies.

Marie founded the idea while walking in the Peak District, she became increasingly frustrated with the lack of freely available information on walks suitable for those with access challenges and after some research decided to create www.walkswithbuggies.com and its sister site www.walkswithwheelchairs.com.

These websites are simple to operate, with search facilities to narrow your search by area, distance, gradient and terrain.

Results from the search are displayed in an easy to follow left side navigation box which will further break down the walks into areas, miles and even give a user rating guide.

The site is free to use by registration and you can even add your own walks or ratings.

Visit the sites;

Walks with Wheelchairs.com

Walks with buggies .com

Bitts Park Crocus Walk, Carlisle

This short walk will take about half an hour at a gentle pace and allow you to take in the wonderful crocuses planted along the central tree lined avenue.

By car, you can park in the car park just between Carlisle Castle and Bitts Park.

Access by wheelchair or for those with children is easy along the wide tarmac paths which snake their way around the park.

You can take a circular route around the park if you start with the tennis courts to your left.  At the river bear right and follow the path which leads along the river bank.

At the steps and tunnel again bear right and you will return to your starting point and the car park.

Here is an aerial map of the area.

A statue of Queen Victoria unveiled in 1902 takes pride of place on manicured lawns, giving the park the local name of “Victoria Park”.

On one side you will have the River Eden with mounds of snowdrops and wild garlic starting to appear along its banks and views to the North of the City.

The centre of the park has well maintained herbaceous borders containing evergreens, willow and azaleas, which look amazing in May, but are equally beautiful at his time of year,

The recently completed flood defences are much more architectural than previously existed and give easy access to the park from Castle Way.  These have now been planted up with new trees and herbaceous perennials.

Crocuses are very short lived and will only last about one week, we caught these in bloom on the last day of February 2009.  For those who may miss this display we have added a gallery below.

Where to see Crocuses;

The Garden House, near Yelverton, Devon.

Howick Gardens, Alnwick, Northumberland.

Kew Gardens. Richmond, Surrey.

Do you have any favourite places to see Crocuses?  Send us your pictures.

Lake District Viewpoints

 

The lake District National Park  has listed the following routes as suitable for wheelchair users. Most are very limited in terms of distance and often follow minor roads, offering some great viewpoints.

As with many areas of the Lake District, parking can be limited.

 

Hammerbank, Windermere

Grid Ref 405991
East shore of lake Windermere, just north of Bowness. Provides great views across the lakeshore. A recently installed information panel gives details of the view.

Beech Hill, Windermere

Grid Ref 388920
Situated on the East shore of lake windermere, south of Bowness. The location gives unrivaled views across the lake to the rugged Lake District Fells beyond. Parking is available next to the Beech Hill hotel.

 

Borrans Park, Waterhead

Grid Ref 375034.
Leave your car in the National Park car park opposite Waterhead Pier, follow the road north of the Pier to a gate giving access to the park. In the field next to Borrans Park are the remains of a Roman settlement, Galava.

There are also great views across Lake Windermere.

 

Brown Howe, Coniston

Grid Ref 292910
This is a sloping grassy lakeshore area which once formed part of the Duke of Buccleuch’s summer Estate. Situated to the south of Coniston village the area provides excellent views up Coniston water.

 

Jenkins’ Field, Glenridding

Grid Ref 387168
Use the National Park car park and take the road down to the steamer pier.

Jenkins Field is adjacent to the pier and is the perfect place to picnic, many use this area for bird watching.  A memorial plaque adjacent to the Pier House denotes the original slipway used by Donald Campbell.  One of the last Wild Red Deer herds can be seen grazing on the slopes of Place Fell on the opposite shore in the autumn.

Go to the Lake District National Park Website for more information

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