Springtime and wildlife in Hardwick park

This time of year sees some of nature's best moments and when it comes to a show, Hardwick's park is a great theatre for all kinds of wildlife.

Bursting buds

Splashes of yellow from daffodils, catkins on trees and buds bursting into life brighten the view. As the season progesses, wild garlic or ransoms, line the paths to Lady Spencer's Walk. You'll smell it before you see it. During May, our scone of the month will be cheese and wild garlic, using the plants grown at Hardwick, discover this delicious seasonal treat.

Wild garlic
Wild garlic
Wild garlic
Lambs and their mums can be spotted resting across the Park at Hardwick in the spring
A lamb and sheep rest by a tree in the Park at Hardwick, Derbyshire
Lambs and their mums can be spotted resting across the Park at Hardwick in the spring

Bouncing bairns

Across the park you might spot some of the newly born lambs from our herd of sheep, while down at the ponds there'll be ducklings out for a swim with mum. Ask at visitor reception for a walking map to the ponds to see the variety of wildlife.

Down at the ponds you might see one of the mallard families out for a pootle
A mallard with her ducklings on the ponds at Hardwick
Down at the ponds you might see one of the mallard families out for a pootle

Bird life

In Lady Spencer's Wood, and other parts of woodland, amongst the birds you might spot are great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, robin, wren, blackbird, nuthatch and treecreeper. An extra special treat might be the sighting of a goldcrest.

On the ponds we have many visitors of the feathered kind, including mute swan, mallard, Canada goose, coot, moorhen, goosander, tufted duck, and black-headed gulls. We also get kingfishers, so if you're very quiet and very lucky you might catch a glimpse of one of these colourful chaps.

Visitors to the ponds at Hardwick include grebes
A pair of grebes on the pond at Hardwick
Visitors to the ponds at Hardwick include grebes

50 things to do before you’re 11¾

If you haven't had a go at some of the '50 things to do before you're 11¾' activities then springtime in the outdoors is the perfect opportunity to get started. Some activities to enjoy at Hardwick include 'Get to know a tree', 'Roll down a big hill' and 'Build a den'. Download or print off the full list at home and bring it along to complete on your day out.

A family pond dipping at Cragside, Northumberland

Download the '50 things' activity guide 

If you want to download a PDF of the whole '50 things to do before you’re 11¾' list, then here it is.