With most of the country currently basking in sunshine, many will be itching to explore the great outdoors. Learning outside the classroom should not be confined to school hours. It is important to emphasise the importance of getting outside to both pupils and parents, especially with the summer holidays quickly approaching.
Many have a strange conception that leaving the house costs money, but it doesn’t have to. Discovering Britain is a fantastic resource by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), created to help people learn more about the geographical stories behind Britain’s rich and varied landscapes. All you need is yourself, a pair of trainers, water to keep hydrated and of course sun protection should the weather continue to treat us so kindly!
The website contains details on free self-guided walks, trails and viewpoints around the country, with detailed directions as well as explaining the history and geography of the landmarks you will encounter along the way. Not only does this get children outside, probably to somewhere they’ve never seen before, but it also gets them exercising and learning at the same time.
We have covered several of Discovering Britain’s walks before, including: the maritime development of Greenwich, seaside traditions in Weymouth, a magical mini mountain in Shropshire, and walking the streets of London to discover how the British Empire shaped our country.
This time we will focus on the historic town of Warwick, which could be tied into a trip to Warwick Castle. Discovering Britain’s self-guided walk around Warwick ‘From Castle to County Town’ explores how Warwick has developed over the last thousand years, visiting the town’s historic landmarks and hidden treasures. You will learn how the streets and buildings have evolved and how town planning shapes the future and preserves the past. The walk is 3.5 miles and is a gentle walk involving a town centre route with the occasional hill.
You may find our ‘Walking with Your Class in a City Environment’ article useful should you be planning to utilise any of Discovering Britain’s walks based in a city/town environment. Although Warwick is not a city, it can get busy, similarly to many other large towns in the country.
