Britain's 10 ​greatest spring walks

Telegraph

21-03-2025

There's no contest: spring is the best of all seasons for walking. The sleepy countryside is awakening from winter's harsh grip and a joyous sense of renewal is in the air. Skylarks sing, flowers unfurl and baby lambs frolic in verdant fields. Wild garlic blossoms, butterflies soar and daffodils dance in the breeze. It's as if nature is in celebration mode: winter is over and times of aplenty are ahead.
Hiking from March to June is a colourful experience too. The palette is vibrant, effervescent and full of hope. Bluebells paint a violet masterpiece across woodland and blooming wildflowers sprinkle a kaleidoscope of yellows, whites, pinks and blues over meadows. Britain's pleasant lands are no longer just green – a colourful tapestry is taking over.
Spring is also a season of perfect compromise. You get longer days and a good chance of sunshine, but without the crowds of summer; and you can blow away the winter cobwebs before the stifling July heat arrives.
For these reasons, springtime strolling is ideal for the whole family, whether you're after a gentle bimble through the bluebells or a wildlife walk along the coast. From Dorset to Edinburgh, here are 10 of Britain's best spring walks.
1. Daffodil Way, Gloucestershire, England
Best for daffodils
In late March ever year, a 'golden triangle' of sleepy Gloucestershire villages displays one of the UK's finest blooms of wild daffodils. Mesmerising in their abundance and colour, the flowers blanket the fields, meadows and woodlands around Dymock, Kempley and Oxenhall, to the north-east of Ross-on-Wye, painting a golden hue of spring splendour across the region. Historically daffodil picking was a big part of the local economy; now the trumpet-shaped florets draw in the tourists.
On the delightful 9.6-mile Daffodil Way, a circular loop between Kempley and Dymock, you can channel your inner Wordsworth and 'wander lonely as a cloud' through the golden-yellow blooms. But William isn't the poet you should be thinking of. Instead spare a thought for the six Dymock Poets – one of the most significant literary groups of the 20 th century, who lived, walked and wrote in the area during the First World War era.
Insider tip
Join an organised group walk during Kempley Daffodil Weekend; daffs.org.uk.
Stay nearby
The Saracens Head Inn (01600 890435; saracensheadinn.co.uk) in Symonds Yat has double rooms from £135 including breakfast.
2. Rannerdale Knotts, Cumbria, England
Best for mountain scenery
Rising majestically between the twin lakes of Crummock Water and Buttermere, Rannerdale Knotts is a rough-hewn hump of Lake District ruggedness. By Cumbrian standards, it's not very high (only 1,160ft), but what it lacks in loftiness it makes up for in drama. Rannerdale Knotts is a beautiful peak, with a pyramidal profile of craggy grandeur. It's idyllic at any time of year, but in spring it transforms into something even more magical.
To the north of the summit, you'll find a hidden little valley blanketed in oceans of bluebells – a violet explosion of flowery fragility amidst Lakeland's rocky roughness. The dichotomy is both striking and achingly pretty. Energetic hikers can combine a climb of Rannerdale Knotts with a visit to the bluebell valley; but a flatter option is this 1.7-mile out-and-back from Cinderdale Common.
Whichever route you take, please stick to the paths – the National Trust, which owns the land, has warned that the bluebells are being 'loved to death' under the trampling feet of over-eager visitors.
Insider tip
Post-hike grab a latte and flapjack at the excellent Syke Farm Tea Room in Buttermere.
Stay nearby
Kirkstile Inn (01900 85219; kirkstile.com) in Loweswater has double rooms from £155 including breakfast.
3. Kingcombe Meadows, Dorset, England
Best for wildflower meadows
For the quintessential springtime experience, it's difficult to beat wandering through a wildflower meadow. Butterflies glide playfully, bees pollinate frantically and the fields are bursting with the vibrant splashes of cowslip, stitchwort, harebell and purple orchid. It's a joyously colourful assault on the senses. Do you fancy it? Then Kingcombe Meadows in Dorset is one of the best places in the UK to bimble aimlessly through the dancing wildflowers.
Managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust, the meadows are billed as a chance to 'step back in time on a traditional working farm' blessed with ancient hedgerows, wet woodlands and vibrant hay meadows. From the visitor centre, which has a cafe and toilets, two short waymarked routes (orange and purple) explore the site. Combine them together for a superb two-mile outing.
Insider tip
The visitor centre runs a programme of wildlife-themed courses and workshops.
Stay nearby
The King's Arms (01305 238238; thekingsarmsdorchester.com) in Dorchester has double rooms from £105.
4. Roseberry Topping, North Yorkshire, England
Best for a grand family adventure
It might be 13,643ft shorter than its Swiss namesake, but the so-called 'Yorkshire Matterhorn' is still an iconic landmark of the North York Moors National Park. Rising to just 1,049ft above sea level, Roseberry Topping is a mountain in miniature, featuring a cone-shaped peak and a jagged cliff-scarred shoulder. It's a surprisingly tough little climb, but one the whole family can enjoy, as long as little ones are determined and grandparents are sprightly.
Located on the Cleveland Way national trail, to the south of Middlesbrough, Roseberry Topping is an adventurous day out at any time of the year, but in spring this distinctive hill explodes with colour. Throughout April and May, the hill's lower flanks – particularly in the mature, broadleaved Newton Wood – are cloaked in a vivid purple quilt of bluebells. You can experience this natural wonder without the car too. Simply hop on a train to Great Ayton, the starting point for this 6.7-mile route.
Insider tip
Look out for beautiful sessile oak, rowan, ash and alder trees in Newton Wood.
Stay nearby
The Star Inn at Harome (01439 770397; thestaratharome.co.uk) near Helmsley has double rooms from £160 including breakfast.
5. Box Hill, Surrey, England
Best for public transport links
Located within striking distance of central London, Box Hill is ideal if you want to quickly flee the city and enjoy some springtime escapism. It'll take just 47 minutes or so from London Waterloo to arrive at Box Hill & Westhumble station – a convenient launch pad for your foray into the leafy Surrey countryside. Mere minutes after stepping off the train, you'll find yourself ambling through chalk downlands and atmospheric woodlands, and before you know it the stresses of city life will have floated away on the breeze.
Box Hill is blessed with a myriad of short hiking routes, but why rush? If you have time, spend a day exploring the whole country park on this 8.8-mile route, which takes in Norbury Park, Mickleham, Juniper Bottom and the famed North Downs Way stepping stones over the River Mole. From March to May, bluebells, woodland anemones and wild garlic will be in bloom, and migrant chiffchaffs and peacock butterflies can be spotted.
Insider tip
Take a side trip to Box Hill's Old Fort, built in the late 1890s in defence of London.
Stay nearby
6. Gower Peninsula, Swansea, Wales
Best for wildlife
Has the long harsh winter sent you a little crazed? Well, you're not the only one – by the start of spring the 'mad March hares' of Wales' Gower Peninsula are similarly wild with excess energy. Commonly spotted 'boxing' in open fields, raised up on their hind legs in a near-lunatic blur of confrontation, what you're actually witnessing is fearless females fighting off the unwanted advances of amorous males. Ramblers, the walking charity, says the Gower Peninsula is 'one of the best places to witness this curious spectacle' in the whole of the UK.
Whether you manage to spot the hostile hares or not, this walk around Rhossili, to the west of Swansea, is always a springtime delight. Here the Gower Peninsula climaxes in a rugged flourish of limestone cliffs, gorse-flecked heathlands, the serpentine promontory of Worms Head and the sweeping golden curve of Rhossili Bay. Time it right and the clifftops will be alive with primroses, blue spring squill and pink sea thrift, and you might even see dolphins playing in the surf.
Insider tip
Pack a swimsuit and a towel – you can go for a paddle or swim at Rhossili Bay's stunning beach.
Stay nearby
The King's Head Inn (01792 386212; kingsheadgower.co.uk) in Llangennith has double rooms from £135 including breakfast
7. Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland
Is there anywhere else in the world where you can stand but a stone's throw from the heart of a capital city and still feel like you're mountain climbing? Arthur's Seat, an ancient volcano, is the highest point of Holyrood Park, and perhaps Britain's number one choice for a city-based, bite-sized, surprisingly-adventurous hike. Artisan cafe at 8am, summit hike at 10am, castle tour by midday – you really can have it all in Edinburgh.
Spring is a great time to climb Arthur's Seat, which soars with unapologetic ruggedness 822ft above Holyrood Palace, the King's official city residence. The hill's upper reaches glow yellow with blossoming gorse while the lower meadows are lined with purple and yellow crocuses. Don't expect quiet trails, it's a very popular hill – and not just with humans. Every spring thousands of toads hibernating in the nooks and crannies of Arthur's Seat wake up and migrate en masse to nearby Dunsapie Loch to spawn.
Insider tip
Grab a post-hike coffee or meal at top-rated Guajira Cafe & Coffee Shop.
Stay nearby
The Balmoral (0131 5562414, roccofortehotels.com) in Edinburgh has double rooms from £225.
8. Muker, North Yorkshire, England
Best for flowering hay meadows
Rural Yorkshire is never more charming than during spring's hay meadow transformations. Fields of muted colours suddenly explode into life, as wildflowers add dazzling bursts of yellow, orange, pink and red to the landscape. It's a multi-coloured metamorphosis of natural beauty, which serves only to enhance the charm of man's influence here. Next to the vibrant flowers, Yorkshire's golden-coloured hay barns, flagstone paths and wobbly dry stone walls look even more idyllic.
There's nowhere better to experience this spectacle than in Swaledale during May or June, where a 5.8-mile loop between the villages of Muker and Keld is quintessential Yorkshire at its finest. Alongside the eye-catching hay meadows, you'll amble next to the River Swale, explore shady woodland and visit Kisdon Force waterfall. If the sun is shining across God's Own Country, you can even split up the walk with a beer garden pint at Keld Lodge, a former shooting lodge turned traditional inn.
Insider tip
Finish your walk with a visit to The Old School Art Gallery & Craft Centre in Muker.
Stay nearby
Simonstone Hall (01969 667255; simonstonehall.com) in Hawes has double rooms from £179 including breakfast.
9. Seven Sisters, East Sussex, England
Best for coastal views
Perhaps the most dramatic section of the whole South Downs Way national trail, the walk from Birling Gap to Cuckmere Haven via the undulating chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters is unforgettable. The rhythmic undulations of the white sea cliffs, which rise and fall as if mirroring the waves far below, make for a surprisingly challenging hike. This is no flat seaside bimble. But power through the seven ups and downs and you'll experience some of the best littoral views of the entire South Coast.
In springtime there's 'always something new to spot' at the Seven Sisters, according rangers at the South Downs National Park. As nature moves from survival to breeding mode, you'll hear the sweet two-toned calls of chiffchaffs, see rare Adonis Blue butterflies flutter along the banks of the chalk grasslands, and walk amongst fields carpeted in wildflowers at their most riotous and colourful. To make the walk circular, the best option is to return to Birling Gap via Friston Forest.
Insider tip
You can hire kayaks and paddle boards from Buzz Active Cuckmere.
Stay nearby
Port Hotel (01323 438526; porthotel.co.uk) in Eastbourne has double rooms from £130 including breakfast.
10. Maes Hiraddug Nature Reserve, Denbighshire, Wales
Best for tranquillity
This nature reserve is a hidden gem. Managed as a hay meadow by a dedicated team of volunteers from North Wales Wildlife Trust, Maes Hiraddug is living proof of how traditional practices – which are otherwise at-risk of dying out – can rejuvenate a landscape's biodiversity. While 97 per cent of the UK's wildflower meadows have been destroyed since the 1940s, this site of special scientific interest (SSSI) is flourishing with abundance.
More than 142 plant species have been recorded on Maes Hiraddug's grasslands and nearby woodlands, while pollinators – including honeybees, bumblebees and numerous species of butterfly – are similarly thriving. Visit in spring (or summer) and the meadow will display a 'multicoloured carpet of wildflowers', including the yellows of bird's-foot trefoil and the soft pinks of common spotted-orchids. This 3.4-mile walk explores the best of the reserve's meadows, as well as visiting Dyserth Waterfall and climbing the 502ft hill of Graig Fawr.
Insider tip
Treat yourself to a post-hike dairy ice cream from the Waterfall Shop in Dyserth.