Wildlife and nature walks in the Midlands

There's nothing better than heading into the great outdoors, except perhaps knowing the best places to see something special. These walks are a chance to see Mother Nature at her finest.

Autumnal fungi at National Trust Calke Abbey in Derbyshire
Walking trail

Calke Park wildlife walk 

Look out for red deer and kites in the wood before pausing to admire The Old Man of Calke. He may be wrinkly but at 1,200 years old, he’s a beauty.

Look for wildlife at Calke
gardens, Dudmaston
Walking trail

Dudmaston three pools walk 

Find secluded pools nestled in green glades, their surfaces broken by darting dragonflies.

Explore the three pools
Aerial view of the remains of Bratoft Manor
Walking trail

Gunby Hall to Bratoft Manor walk 

Cross the former East Lincolnshire Line and discover the site where a grand moated home once stood, now reclaimed by nature.

Stroll to Bratoft
Calke park on a frost winter morning
Walking trail

Ancient trees walk at Calke Abbey 

See trees that have survived since the last Ice Age, before pausing to admire The Old Man of Calke. He’s wrinkly but at 1,200 years old, he’s a beauty.

Take the Calke ancient tree walk
Autumn leaves at Dudmaston in Shropshire
Walking trail

Captain Geoffrey’s estate walk, Dudmaston 

A route that winds along the riverside and into the woods, sprinkled with wildflowers in sunny days, smoldering red towards summer’s end.

Take the estate walk
The outside of Monksthorpe Chapel on the Gunby Estate
Walking trail

Monksthorpe Chapel walk 

Venture from the gardens at Gunby Hall into the glorious Lincolnshire countryside and you’ll discover history and nature alike.

Step out toward the chapel