Enjoy the best of our national treasures
TO CELEBRATE National Parks Week, which starts tomorrow,
KATIE ROWE rounds up some of the best things to see and do in England’s natural playgrounds…
BOATING IN THE BROADS
THE Broads National Park is a vast watery playground, home to endless miles of lock-free cruising. Soak up the area’s unique sense of tranquillity, and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life by following the rhythms of the tides. Look out for the wide variety of wildlife that calls the Broads home, from topaz kingfishers to the otters that occasionally disturb the peace with their playful splashes. Not sure where to start? Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden in South Walsham offers daily boat trips on its very own private stretch of the Broads from April until October.
SLEUTHING ON DARTMOOR
DARTMOOR is perfect hiking country and has also been a muse for writers throughout the centuries. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is said to have been inspired to write The Hound Of The Baskervilles after hearing tales of Squire Richard Cabell while staying at the Duchy Hotel in Princetown – now the High Moorland Visitor Centre.
Cabell, who had a passion for hunting, was infamous for his wicked ways, and legend has it that when he died in 1677, a pack of black hounds ran howling across Dartmoor.
Buried in the picturesque mill town of Buckfastleigh, Cabell’s coffin was placed beneath a heavy stone in a solid altar tomb and enclosed behind iron bars to prevent his escape. Take a look at the eerie structure for yourself – but be sure to keep an eye out for his hounds!
RAMBLING ON EXMOOR
THERE are few locations more beguiling than Exmoor National Park, and if it’s remoteness you’re after, it doesn’t get much more wild than Exmoor’s Chains, a high plateau on the westerly moors and source of many rivers including the Exe, Barle and West Lyn. The six-mile walk starting at Goat Hill is even and easy-going, taking you across moorland and on to a rocky outcrop alongside the perfect picnic spots of the River Barle. Carry on up the next gentle hill and you’ll come across Pinkery Pond, a remote lake flittering with dragonflies and croaking with frogs.
Butlin’s at Minehead makes a great base for exploring both Exmoor National Park and the Somerset coast. There’s also plenty to enjoy at the park itself: children can make a beeline for the traditional fairground while you relax on the veranda of your luxury lakeside chalet.
FLOWER-SPOTTING IN THE NEW FOREST
THE bursts of colour from azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias that flourish at Exbury Gardens are pretty remarkable by themselves, but add a steam locomotive into the mix and this floral haven becomes even more spectacular. Climb aboard the miniature railway and travel along the mile-and-a-quarter route lined with towering oaks and themed gardens. Afterwards, pop into Mr Eddy’s Tea Rooms for a cuppa and a slice of cake.
NEED A PLACE TO STAY?
VILLAGE Hotels has a range of chic hotels nationwide, and many are close to the countryside – for example, Village Hotel Bournemouth is just a 30-minute drive from heart of the New Forest. Visit village-hotels. co.uk to find a great summer deal.