We are so lucky to live in the wonderful walking territory of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Here are the Lockdown 2 regulations that apply to walking:
You can exercise or visit outdoor public places with:
- the people you live with
- your support bubble
- or, when on your own, one person from another household. (Children under five, as well as disabled people dependent on round-the-clock care are not counted towards the limit on two people meeting outside.)
Outdoor public places include:
- neighbourhood streets, parks, beaches, and the countryside
- public gardens and grounds (whether or not you pay to enter them)
- allotments
- outdoor playgrounds
Local Walks
Donnington Castle & Snelsmore Common (near Newbury)
Interactive map of North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offers lots of walks, cycle and riding routes
Hungerford to Ham circular walk
Walks (based on distance) from The Crown & Anchor pub in Ham, in the middle of the AONB.
Local Walking Books
Walking in the North Wessex Downs Steve Davison £12.95
Pub Walks near Hungerford Alex Milne-White £7.99
Shorter Walks near Hungerford Alex Milne-White £9.99
Local Walking Groups
Local walking groups to join when regulations allow:
How to Get Kids to Walk in Winter
It’s not always easy to get kids outside when it’s wet and cold. But as they say there’s no such thing as bad weather if you are dressed appropriately. You can also have a few tricks up your sleeve to tempt them out:
1.set a treasure hunt – challenge them to find a list of unusual things eg a stone with a hole in it, a piece of string, hearing a bird sing, an empty nutshell that has been gnawed by a squirrel, animal tracks in mud
2. bake potatos, wrap them in foil and put one in each coat pocket to keep hands warm – with the bonus that they can be eaten at the end of the walk!
3. puddle jumping – over or in the puddles! If you’re wearing wellies and perhaps waterproof trousers, you can splash as much as you like…
4. dog or farm animal bingo, where you have to spot different breeds and species
5. now the nights are drawing in early, think about going out after dark: nature spotting with a torch, hot water bottles in the garden for star gazing, toast marshmallows on the barbecue.
If you have any more suggestions please comment below!
