Go in search of Montague Mouse and his woodland friends during a woodland walk at Wigton just outside of Carlisle.

30 Woodland Folk live in these tree stump houses

Montague Mouse and his friends, Sebastian Shrew, Maudie Mole and Willie Water Vole live, along with a host of other characters, amongst the trees and shrubs of High Hall Nurseryaround 12 miles south-west of Carlisle just off the A595.

In the car park,  a large noticeboard showed what you may expect to see and a map of the trail ahead.

This walk is great for children young and old!

Red squirrels can occasionally be seen scampering around and the sound of birdsong tells you that Chaffinches, Chiff Chaff, Blue and Great Tits are nearby.

The woodland has been carefully restored by the removal of pine trees and the re-introduction of native species.

Pathways are well maintained, but good walking footwear is recommended.

     

The nursery …

A small wooden bridge crosses a moat, designed to keep deer away from this area of the garden, where the plant nursery can be found.

WORTH A VISIT.

If you are looking for a simple, easy, non complicated way to spend a couple of hours then High Hall Nursery is ideal.  

It is slightly off the beaten track and you will not find toilets or a cafe but  you are assured of a friendly welcome and it offers something different and unique from the run of the mill gardening hypermarkets.

Entrance to the woodland walk and nursery is free (at time of posting).

The walk is just under ½ mile in length and takes you through woodland, which in Spring is full of bluebells, ramsons, and foxgloves, not to mention a variety of fungi.

Website A well written website with some great contents and many  links. You can also download audio files of birdsong and get details of membership of The Friends of the Woodland Folk.  http://www.highhallnursery.co.uk

The address is High Hall Nursery & Woodland Walk, Westward, nr Wigton, Cumbria, CA7 8NQ,

Telephone number 016973 44 308

Brochure available here

Opening Times (2009) available here

GPS data 

• Postcode: CA7 8NQ , 
• Grid Reference: NY269436 , 
• Latitude: 54:46:57N (54.7825)
• Longitude: 3:08:12W (-3.1367)

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