Find the best places to spot hares this spring. Traditionally a fertility symbol, hares are better known today for their mad March behaviour which remains one of Britain’s great wildlife spectacles.
The National Trust has lots of places where you can see hares in the wild. The best time to see one is in the evening on open grassland, especially near arable land. Although they are usually solitary, you may be lucky enough to see a mysterious circle of hares. And during the spring breeding season, hares box as part of their courtship ritual – the 'boxing' is actually females battling off unwanted advances from the males.
There are three types of hare in the UK:
Join the National Trust this spring and see them all.
Brown Hares
Lyme Park in Cheshire is home to a thriving population of brown hares. Venture out into the wider estate and keep your eyes open for those familiar long ears and powerful hind legs.
Buscot and Coleshill Estate in Oxfordshire is another prime location. The hectares of farmland that surrounds these two traditional agricultural villages is the ideal habitat for the brown hare.
© National Trust
Arlington Court in Devon is a large estate on the edge of Exmoor with extensive farmland. Take a stride out of the house grounds and you might just see some hares.
Begwns in Powis is a beautiful upland common between Hay-on-Wye and Painscastle. Make sure you keep your eyes open for brown hares while you take in the panoramic views of the Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons and the Carmarthen Fans. Another place in Wales where you can see these animals is Anglesey.
Orford Ness in Suffolk is an unusual spot for the brown hare, but it seems the local population have decided that the distinctly stony ground is an ideal place to set up home and numbers are booming.
Malham Tarn in Yorkshire is part of a moorland landscape with outstanding limestone features. Hiding amongst the stunning scenery you should be able to spot a brown hare or two.
Mountain Hare
High Peak Estate in Derbyshire is the ideal location to spot a real rarity - the mountain hare. It is the only place outside of Scotland and the Isle of Man where you can see this creature.
© National Trust
Irish Hares
Ballyquintin in County Down is set amid rolling countryside at the southern tip of the Ards Peninsula. The land is let for farming and is managed to provide habitats suitable for the Irish Hare.
Rathlin Island off the coast of County Antrim is another spot where the Irish Hare flourishes. Separate from the mainland, Rathlin has become a wildlife haven and is home to lots of beautiful wildlife.
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