Inspiration

In the rolling Yorkshire countryside, not far from the city of York, sits the majestic Castle Howard, a member of the Historic Houses Association. Its vast parkland and estate stretches way beyond the grand house and gardens, and this easy-to-moderate circular walk meanders through villages and forests of ancient oak trees and past the Great Lake before leading you up the impressive tree-lined Avenue to the famed Obelisk. Beautiful at any time of the year, it looks even prettier with a sprinkle of frost.

How to find it: this is a North York Moors walk and is available to download for free on NorthYorkMoors.org

Members of the HHA can enjoy one free visit to Castle Howard annually, as per the terms and conditions listed on the HHA website. They also receive a discount when joining the Castle Howard Friends membership scheme.

With the summer crowds gone, winter is the perfect time to explore the ancient landscape at Avebury in Wiltshire. Not quite so well known as its neighbour Stonehenge, Avebury’s treasures are, nevertheless, impressive. On this walk, you’ll start in the car park (free to National Trust and English Heritage members) before taking in the stone circle that all but encompasses this pretty village and heading uphill for views of the mysterious Silbury Hill. Continuing on, you’ll reach the Ridgeway, a well-trodden path known as Britain’s oldest road. Walk along this for a while (and taking in those vistas) before heading back down into the village, although we would definitely recommend taking a detour to see the sarsen stones – sandstone blocks deposited by a glacier and now littered in their hundreds across several fields. Find them by turning right at the point on the map where you reach Overton Down.

How to find it: the map and step by step walking trail are available to download from the National Trust here. 

This easy, circular walk combines two famous landmarks: the former royal hunting grounds of Richmond Park (which include Henry’s Mound, where Henry VIII supposedly stood to see a rocket being fired from the Tower of London to mark the execution of Ann Boleyn) and the Iron Age site often misleadingly called Caesar’s Camp on Wimbledon Common. The open, deer-filled spaces of the parkland contrast starkly with the rambling, woody heath of the common, popular today with dog-walkers and horse-riders alike, but at one time, a favourite place for duelling.

How to find it: for a free-to-download map of this walk, click here.

There are plenty of lovely coastal walks around the seaside town of Southport, but this one encompasses both coast and countryside as it veers onto the the Trans Pennine Trail at times. A real blow-the-cobwebs type of winter walk, this route takes you along the blustery coastal path, over sand dunes and through a National Nature Reserve, and on a clear day, offers spectacular views back to Liverpool and the Welsh mountains.

How to find it: for a free-to-download OS map, just click here.

Surrounding the narrow inlet of sea that is Strangford Lough (just south of Belfast) is the Ards peninsula. In winter, the mud flats that are exposed at low tide become a magnet for seabirds and wild fowl, making these two National Trust guided walks a favourite for nature lovers with binoculars in hand. Our Neptune Belfast team couldn’t pick between two trails so we’ve included them both. Each is on the shorter side – Nugent’s Wood walk is just 1.5 miles and Orlock Point is three – though go for the latter if you’re a history buff and like the notion of stumbling upon evidence of Vikings, smugglers and Second World War defences.

How to find it: simply head to the National Trust’s website and a step-by-step guide for each walk awaits – Orlock Point or Nugent’s Wood.