Nature Trail

Nature Trail

What is it? 

A nature trail is a planned outdoor walking route, along which are posts marking varying points of interest for people to stop and observe. They can include things such as nature, environmental features and objects of technological and cultural importance, and generally the marker posts have some information displayed for the walkers’ perusal.

What does it involve?

These sorts of trails can involve many different things, but they are all generally based around walking on a circuitous route or from point A to B. The lengths of the trails can vary from reasonably short 30 minute walks to taking many hours to complete – there are different types to include all sorts of different features.

Why do it and what are the benefits?

A nature trail is a great and easy way to get interested in the surrounding environment! The presented information means it requires no research on the things around you, so it’s hassle free and a alternative way of learning.

What equipment do we need?

You shouldn’t need any equipment other than appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear!

Who is it suitable for?

As long as you make sure the length and intensity of the nature trail is suitable for the ages of the students, it should be suitable for pretty much anyone!

Costs?

Most nature trails are generally free to access, but more specialist walks may have a guide available, which would have some costs! Make sure to check ahead of time.

Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)

Nature trails can take you a reasonable distance away from any towns, so if you have students with unpredictable medical conditions you must ensure you can call for medical help and that assistance can access your location easily! Also, young children should always be supervised carefully when in an unsecured outdoor location!

How do we include?

The nature of the outdoors means that the terrain can be rough or unpredictable, so those with physical disabilities may have issues navigating the route. Check with the trail’s organisers to find out the specific details.

Doing it abroad?

Foreign nature trails will be fascinating! They can give you a chance to see and learn about some of the features of different countries while seeing them in real life as opposed to pictures in books. Do some research beforehand to see what is going to be available in the area!

Main website: 

See specific venue websites for information about their nature trails.

 

See the list below for venues and providers who deliver this activity:

Goddards

An intimate Arts and Crafts style family home and complementary gardens
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Discover the cherished family home of Noel Goddard Terry, owner of the famous chocolate-making firm Terry’s of York. The house was designed by architect Walter Brierley in the Arts and Crafts style and is complemented by four acres of gardens, designed by George Dillistone. A hidden gem - only a stone's throw away from York City Centre.

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Mount Stewart

Venue Type: 
Parks and Gardens
Overall Rating: 
0

The exotic luxuriance of Mount Stewart's celebrated gardens, created in the 1920s by Edith, Lady Londonderry has helped make it one of Northern Ireland's most popular Trust's properties with all the family. Nominated as a world heritage site, the impressive landscape garden makes the most of the unique microclimate of the Ards peninsula and boasts magnificent views across Strangford Lough from the romantically idyllic Temple of the Winds.

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Escot Park

There's a natural surprise waiting around every corner
Venue Type: 
Wildlife and Nature
Overall Rating: 
0

For all lovers of nature and the great outdoors, Escot is a unique experience and offers a great day out.

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Kellie Castle & Garden

Venue Type: 
Castles
Overall Rating: 
0

Kellie Castle in Fife dates from as early as the 14th century and has magnificent plaster ceilings, painted panelling and fine furniture designed by Sir Robert Lorimer.

There are excellent facilities for school groups, including a fully equipped education room, adjacent to the walled garden.

A range of Living History tours are available, and art-based and nature-based activities are available to suit primary and secondary school age ranges. Both half and full-day programmes are available.

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Lanlay Meadows

A landscape abandoned by a generation of progress
Venue Type: 
Wildlife and Nature
Overall Rating: 
0

A step into Lanlay Meadows is a step back in time, where sprawling, unkempt hedgerows meet gnarled, twisted old oak trees.

Farmed for centuries, this small fragment of land has lain unchanged for decades, avoiding the wrath of today's flail hedge trimmers and fertilisers and becoming a rare haven for a huge array of wildlife.

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Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve

Venue Type: 
Wildlife and Nature
Overall Rating: 
0

The Reserve covers 369 acres of the Meon Valley, encompassing a mosaic of natural habitats. River, fen, pools, reedbed and meadow are carefully managed, giving protection to a range of special wildlife.

Educational Visits

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Cliveden Gardens and Maze

Glorious gardens overlooking the River Thames.
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Set high above the Thames with far-reaching views, Cliveden’s impressive gardens and majestic woodlands capture the grandeur of a bygone age.

Follow in the footsteps of dukes, earls and royalty as you explore a series of gardens, each with their own special charm. From the formality of the Parterre with its vibrant floral displays to the quirky statuary and topiary in the Long Garden, the gardens will delight you in every season.

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Middleton Hall

Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Middleton Hall is a "unique" Grade II-listed country house in Staffordshire. The hall shows evidence of several phases of English domestic architecture from the late thirteenth to the early nineteenth century. There is a fine Great Hall that is of Tudor origin, which makes a classic setting for weddings, for performances and for parties.

The Hall was the home of some notable people and was visited by many figures from history. Included among these is Queen Elizabeth I, who certainly spent two nights under its roof after the festivities at Kenilworth in 1575.

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National Botanic Garden of Wales

Venue Type: 
Parks and Gardens
Overall Rating: 
0

Welcome to the National Botanic Garden of Wales. The first botanic garden of the new millennium is 568 acres of beautiful Carmarthenshire countryside, about an hour west of Cardiff. It is easy to get to but hard to forget.

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Felbrigg Hall, Gardens and Estate

Truly a hidden gem
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

One of the most elegant country houses in East Anglia, the Hall is a place of surprises and delights, a mixture of opulence and homeliness where each room has something to feed the imagination. From the stained glass windows in the great hall to the nodding mandarins in the chinese bedroom; from Queen Mary's teapot in the dining room to the copper pans in the kitchen. Story boxes for the children help explain some of the history of the house.

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