Take in the splendours of the season by visiting these outdoor spaces in Mid Norfolk for some fresh air.
Nothing beats a leisurely walk surrounded by nature in the great outdoors for an enjoyable and inexpensive day out. There are plenty of great places in Mid Norfolk to take elderly loved ones to stretch their legs and soak in the ambience, but if you’re pressed for ideas these suggestions should help you get moving.
There are plenty of easy access walks to choose from as well as a series of Norfolk Easy Ambles, dementia-friendly walking routes created by Active Norfolk. These routes are tailor-made for people living with dementia and their carers to enjoy with flat hard surfaces underfoot, handrails along any inclines, lots of seating to rest and blue badge car parks nearby.
Noted for its variety of bird life, spring flowers and autumn fungi, the arboretum is the perfect place to enjoy some peace and quiet. Lynford Arboretum’s Easy Access Trail has seating areas at regular intervals along its path so you can stop, enjoy the view and the peaceful forest. This trail is well surfaced and suitable for wheelchairs, trampers, and buggies as well as benches at regular intervals.
Pensthorpe is a 700-acre nature reserve and woodland conservation park, the ultimate destination for discovery for the whole family. Here you can explore magical gardens, take a trail through our internationally recognised reserve, and get up close with feathered friends, spot the red squirrels and flamingos. Don’t forget to wet your beak at the café and stop off at the shop too.
Located in the Wensum Valley, this extensive reserve is perfect for the avid birdwatcher, boasting 7 hides across a range of managed landscapes including meadow, wood, fen, and wetland habitats. With well-kept, even boardwalks and easy access birdwatching hides, the reserve is wheelchair friendly and fully accessible for all, making for an easy-going day out. There are feeders at each one of the hides, if you’re quiet and calm you get to see the birds up close.
For an atmospheric ancient woodland location visit Wayland Wood near Watton, the alleged site of the ‘Babes in the Wood’ legend. Walking around the densely packed trees on a winter’s afternoon, it’s easy to believe there’s some truth in the dark tale, though the reality is that the dense woodland is down to the traditional coppice woodland management techniques used to benefit wildlife. The wood has a history of coppicing going back to the 10th century.
Good numbers of common woodland birds are present, with more unusual residents including breeding nuthatch, marsh tit and bullfinch. The wood is excellent for invertebrates with more than 250 species of moth recorded. The perfect place for an easy and calming walk.
Litcham Common is a County Wildlife Site and Local Nature Reserve on the beautiful Nar Valley Way long-distance path. Elsewhere, much of the common is covered by either gorse, bracken and hawthorn scrub or broad-leaved semi-natural woodland of silver and downy birch, oak, crab apple and rowan, with honeysuckle occasionally entwined through the trees. With luck you may also sight the resident Dartmoor ponies.
A truly special place of unspoilt charm and natural beauty, Mid Norfolk offers fabulous countryside, incredible beaches, and historic towns. There’s lots to see and enjoy in any outing, so be sure to bring your loved ones to these amazing places to exercise and get them some much-needed fresh air.