British Travel Journal | Autumn/Winter 2022

IMAGES © ANDY ROUSE/2020VISION / ROSS HODDINOTT/2020VISION / TERRY WHITTAKER/2020VISION / DANNY GREEN/2020VISION / MARK HAMBLIN/2020VISION / CHRIS GOMERSALL/2020VISION
prevent canal pollution. Plus, there’s a café – we all
know the best walks end with cake.
I’ve barely scraped the surface of Britain’s
wildlife walks, but that in itself is a comfort. There
will always be a new adventure or something to
discover, even at a nature reserve you were sure
you’d investigated from top to bottom. Keep
exploring. Keep walking.
Wildlife Walks: Get
back to nature at more
than 475 of the UK's
best wild places
Wildlife Walks is a companion
to your discovery of nature
across the UK. Charlotte
Varela has created a definitive guide to Britain's
stunning natural heritage, including woods,
heaths, moors and wetlands all owned and
managed by the unique network of Wildlife Trusts.
With details about everything you could need to
plan a walk at each nature reserve, plus hundreds
of beautiful photographs, you’re guaranteed to
find your next happy place.
Charlotte Varela is the author of Wildlife Walks:
Get back to nature at more than 475 of the UK's best
wild places, published by Bloomsbury Wildlife and out
now (paperback: £16.99).
WALKS ON THE WILD SIDE
—
When was the last time you went for a walk? A proper walk.
Not plodding along, head down, but casting your eyes over
every surface, breathing in deep lungfulls of fresh air, and
most importantly, pausing to just listen and enjoy becoming
a part of the landscape to the wildlife around you. Here are
some more wild spots not to be missed from around the UK:
Brownsea Island, Dorset
Among the best birdwatching spots in the South West, a
breathtaking retreat for people and a haven for red squirrels.
The Isles of Scilly
An enchanting archipelago, home to dizzyingly diverse plant,
animal and birdlife, from seabirds and dwarf pansies on the
cliffs to dolphins in the crystal-clear ocean.
Sandwich and Pegwell Bay, Kent
One of the best places in the UK to see migrating birds, such
as nightingales, cuckoos, sanderlings and waxwings.
Cley and Salthouse Marshes, Norfolk
The oldest Wildlife Trust nature reserve and one of the best
birdwatching spots in the UK.
Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire
A spectacular stretch of unspoilt coastline, with sweeping
views out to sea and a dazzling diversity of life.
Moseley Bog, Birmingham
The childhood playground of J. R. R. Tolkien, where fungi fill
the woods in autumn and Bronze Age burnt mounds allude
to a fascinating social history.
Wigan Flashes, Lancashire
Lakes formed from mining subsidence form part of a wild
mosaic of reedbed, fen, grassland and woodland. Look out
for rare willow tits.
Loch of the Lowes, Perth and Kinross
Loch of the Lowes is famous for its breeding ospreys,
and their eyrie sits just 150m from the nature reserve’s
viewing hide.
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