With Mother’s Day the perfect excuse for spoiling mum (do we need one?!), spending time with the woman who offers so much and does so much for is the perfect gift. Of course, it might be your aunt who is the significant woman in your life, your Gran, next door neighbour, step-Mum or foster Mum. Whoever your special Mum is, enjoy a woodland walk together this March – it’s also World Forestry Day on the 21st, so if you can’t get there for Mother’s day, then there’s always another excuse!
Grizedale, Cumbria
If you are both fit, then this strenuous uphill hike will be perfect especially as the views from the top are simply fantastic. You’ll have panoramic views of the Lakeland Fells from the highest peak (only 314 metres!). But if you don’t fancy hiking up the top, there are some easier, less strenuous trails that are a delight, including the Millwood Trail. Enjoy the mile-long walk streamside and plenty of shade.
Return home to a roast served up at an immaculately laid farmhouse table, complete with a bottle of bubbly.
Ankerwycke, Surrey
Close to Runnymede, a great stopover point if ever there was one, this woodland parkland is a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Just watch the stress roll off Mum (and you too!) as you gently stroll along clearly marked pathways bordered by spring flowers. Rest awhile in the shade of the 2,500-year old Ankerwycke yew, under which Henry VIII is said to have courted Anne Boleyn.
Kielder Forest, Northumberland
Why walk during the day when you could admire the twinkling stars of the night sky? Kielder is said to have the darkest night sky in England so why not enjoy a night time walk with Mum, returning home to enjoy a cup of delicious hot chocolate and a cheeky nightcap? Daytime strolls include the two-mile Duchess Trail or why not hike to the 571-metre summit of Deadwater fell, if you are both feeling a little more adventurous? Keep an eye out for red squirrels too.
Hackfall Wood, North Yorkshire
Described by a 19th-century writer as a ‘beautiful wilderness’, Hackfall Wood is not actually a wood or a forest but a rambling Grade I listed garden. William Wordsworth included Hackfall in his ‘Guide to Tourists’ book and no wonder! Filled with follies and surprising waterfalls, this is a fantastic place to explore. There is a mix of trails including gentle ambles and more ambitious ones, such as the 17-mile Aislabie Walk.
Hatfield Forest, Essex
With over 3,00 species of wildlife, if your Mum loves the outdoors, then this is surely the must-do walk on the list. One of the only surviving medieval royal hunting forests left, it is cultivated and managed by humans over the years to produce the beautiful place that it is today. With ancient trees, it is a perfect walk with your mum this weekend.
Or, if you don’t fancy travelling to a woodland, why not enjoy a stroll in your own local neighbourhood? Better still, if the weather is fine, there is no reason why you can’t enjoy the great outdoors by dining al fresco at an outdoor table, complete with your comfy, indoor coloured dining chairs giving it a classy, elegant look.