Walks Around Britain is the dedicated walking website whose innovative walking videos are causing quite a stir amongst the online outdoor community. With impeccable production values and keen historical insight, the videos provide a great introduction into some of the UK’s best walks and will be of interest to new and experienced walkers alike. We caught up with Walks Around Britain main man Andrew White to learn a bit more about what makes his website such a great addition to the online outdoor scene.

How and when did Walks Around Britain start?

Walks Around Britain started in 2010 but I’d had the idea for several years before. My company produces documentary programmes for other labels to release and we were making DVDs about trains and trams when I first had the idea of walking videos. So I contacted the labels we were making the programmes for and suggested the idea to them – and they all said no. I was a bit disappointed about that, as I really thought it would be a good idea. Then, Julia Bradbury walked through the Lake District and suddenly the idea was re-born – although this time I decided to do it myself – and Walks Around Britain was born.

The narration accompanying your videos is always rich in information; how long do you spend on research?

Thank you – We pride ourselves on the research in our walking videos, and it does take quite a long time to get all the information together. The research happens in two stages. When we first decide on a walk, or a walk is suggested to us, we undertake preliminary research so we know what to film and so the presenter can have some links to record to the camera. Then, when the rough edit of the video is finished, we do more research to write the script for the voice-over. Overall, it takes around a week to do the research for a walking video.

The trusty Walks Around Britain camera takes in an overcast seaside view

Watching the Coombs Dale video you seem fascinated by the supernatural…had any eerie experiences whilst out walking?

Hehe, well the Coombs Dale walk does have a fair few macabre elements to its history – and that’s the sort of thing we’re interested in when we take on a walk. It might have a bloody past with battles, or a mysterious history, but it has to have story around it. I can’t actually say as though I’ve had a spooky experience, although the Coombs Dale walk was really interesting.

What impact do you think social media is having on the UK outdoor scene?

I think social media is having a profound effect of the UK Outdoors scene. I think it is helping people get together in communities online to chat, discuss and share ideas, views and places in a way never before possible. We certainly wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing even 5 years ago – social media has involved so quickly.

Give us a couple of your favourite UK walks…

Ohhh, a couple of favourite walks? That’s so difficult. Well, for an easier longish trek I like the Monsal Trail in the Peak District. I filmed a walk along part of it with skier Ellie Koynader last year, and I love the way you’re reminded it was an old railway line – and now they’ve opened up the tunnels too it’s a great trek to do for pushchairs too. The walk through the Valency Valley and Boscastle to the coast is spectacular, as is the Angelsey Coastal Walk. Talking of coastal walks, I’ve only had chance to walk part of the Isle of Man’s coastal walk, but that is truly amazing. There’s so many great walks in the UK, it is so difficult to pick out a few!

Walks Around Britain's Andrew White

Any plans to take Walks Around Britain idea further afield?

Well, the small team here are working on Walks Around Ireland and Great World Walks too, so the three sites should keep us very busy!

What’s next for Walks Around Britain?

We launched a blog in January, and we regularly post outdoor news, reviews, mini walking routes, photos, our latest videos etc on there, and in March we also launched the first edition of our new monthly walking and outdoor podcast – which is 25 mins long and comes out on the 1st of every month. That has interviews, news, audio walks, details about walking festivals and much much more. It’s available every month on our blog and you can subscribe to it on iTunes – just search for Walks Around Britain in the podcasts section.

Check out the spooky Coombs Dale video here…if you dare!

MyOutdoors.co.uk is one of the internet’s most dependable sources of outdoor-related information. Bringing together up-to-date news stories, expert reviews and informed comment, all anchored in the wisdom of experience, MyOutdoors is essential reading for anyone interested in the outdoors. We caught up with MyOutdoors’ main man Dave Mycroft to find out more about what makes MyOutdoors such a vital part of the UK outdoor scene.

How and when did My Outdoors come to be?

MyOutdoors came about by accident when funding for a similar site I was developing fell through suddenly in October 2010. My eldest son, Matt, is  a website developer and programmer whilst the youngest, Chris, is in the final year of a Business Management and Law degree and we decided to combine our skills and continue the project rather than waste the months of work already put in.

Technically we cover all outdoor leisure activities but in practice our main focus is on hill walking and mountaineering in the UK, though we also stray into climbing, caving and kayaking at regular intervals. Our main objective is to report the latest news right across the outdoors world, whether that’s new products, new climbs and routes or government and political decisions impacting on the great outdoors.

Dave MyOutdoors: always at the rockface

Judging by your tweets you spend a lot of time out on the hills; do you prefer to work ‘on location’?

Living on the edge of the Peak District the hills are a second office and one that keeps us sane. When testing equipment “on location” time is essential to give a real world product review, but we’re also strong advocates of John Muir’s philosophy that simply being out there on a regular basis is essential to our wellbeing.

For someone who lives on the edge of the Peak District, and has always considered it as “home” it may not come as a surprise that my personal favourite is the River Wye between Buxton and Bakewell. Much of the walk has been transformed over the last year with the re-opening of the railway tunnels along the Monsal Trail, but the old route down by the river bank still exists and even in the height of summer can provide a peaceful, tranquil, alternative to the formal trail above. The walk from Blackwell Mill to Monsal Head, along the river, showcases the best of the White Peak from the trout filled river to the towering white cliffs of Water cum Jolly Dale and Ravenstor. Wild flowers flourish along the route, thanks to years of work by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, and recent improvements to the Monsal Trail have been carried out sympathetically to open the route up without putting excessive pressure on a fragile environment.

To be honest I’m not sure there’s any more real “interest” in the outdoors now than there was a decade ago. Sure there may be more people camping and walking, but I’m not entirely convinced this is down to an increase in interest – I see it more as an economic necessity. With money tight families are looking for cheaper alternatives to foreign holidays and it’s only natural that attention turns closer to home. The increase in “staycations” is very much a double-edged sword, bringing much needed income to rural areas but putting increased pressure on our National Parks. Managing these two factors is going to become increasingly important over coming years, particularly with funding from government slashed.

As a business there’s nothing to compare to the annual Trade show at Friedrichshafen in Germany, where the next season’s kit gets a first showing, but from a personal point of view it’s a toss-up between Kendal and Cliffhanger. Kendal Mountain Festival is far and away the biggest event on the outdoors calendar and probably the best mountain festival in the world while Cliffhanger is the biggest “outdoors” event for outdoors people and has an amazing atmosphere. Both are firm favourites and we’ll be at both this year, next year and every year ahead.

Click here for MyOutdoors.co.uk

A leather hide undergoes treatment

Leather is the single most important factor in determining a boot’s waterproof credentials. Good quality leather will give longer lasting waterproofing than any other material. Although bad leather can be waterproofed by adding synthetic lining it will only remain waterproof as long as the synthetic fibre lasts: there really is no substitute for good quality leather.

The best leather is known as ‘full grain’ leather, a term that is only correctly applied to the upper layer of leather from the unblemished hides of the best kept cows. Full grain leather gets its waterproofing qualities from the hide’s tough upper layer. Known as the epidermis, this is upper layer is where the skin’s tiny air holes narrow to the point where water cannot penetrate. The thicker the epidermis, the better quality and more waterproof the leather: simple as. Full grain leather can be buffed to make full grain nubuck which takes very well to waterproofing protective wax and is equally durable.

Full grain leather under the microscope: notice the small pores

Since its introduction as a useful term for distinguishing top quality leather, the term ‘full grain’ has fallen into misuse, in many cases being used in place of the old seal of quality ‘100% real leather’. Although many of the leathers described as ‘full grain’ are of good quality, the term should only be used in reference to the very best leather.

Often sold as full grain leather, ‘grain’ leather is the next rung down on the leather quality scale. Still perfectly OK for making boots, grain leather comes from thinner skinned cows (often from hotter countries) and has a thinner protective epidermis and hence is more susceptible to water. Boots made from lesser leathers tend to rely more heavily on supplementary synthetic waterproofing which, although effective for a while, will eventually fail leaving you in the long grass with wet feet.

Further down the scale are leather ‘splits’ which are taken from the inward facing side of the hide. What makes this leather worse than ‘full grain’? The answer lies in the skin’s tiny air holes mentioned earlier. Whereas with full grain leather the air holes become narrow and waterproof at the epidermis, leather splits, shorn of the epidermis, have air holes wide enough to let in water. Although comfortable and stylish (suede leather is made from leather ‘splits’) this makes split leather a poor material for boot manufacture. That said it can be, and often is, combined with synthetic material to bodge together a nearly-waterproof upper for cheaper boots.

Alternatives to full grain may be waterproof for a while but no ammount of synthetic insulation can substitute for the long term waterproof protection provided by quality full grain leather: bear this in mind when you’re next buying boots.

A modern OS Explorer Map

Interestingly, Ordnance Survey maps have their roots in the Jacobite rebellions of the 18^th century. Fearing the wrath of the Scottish Clan, the British government sanctioned the mapping of Scotland in order to give nervous British generals a strategic advantage in the event of further uprisings.

An olde Ordnance Survey map shows the historic town of Finchley which still exists to this day.

With Jacobite enthusiasm waning after defeat at Colluden, Ordnance Survey broadened its survey. Throughout the 19^th century OS charted the whole of the UK and, during the First World War, mapped areas of strategic importance in Europe. The Second World War saw their cartographic remit extend to Germany, France and the rest of Europe in preparation for the allied invasion.

Bumped from warfare’s centre stage by improved technology and the significantly reduced risk of Nazi invasion, Ordnance Survey focussed on the leisure market in the latter part of the 20^th century with their ‘Landranger’ and larger scale ‘Explorer’ maps.

Since the dawn of the GPS era many feared the death of paper OS maps but, as is always the case, the many were proved wrong. Hard-learnt lessons from the early days of the satnav era have seen many conscientious orienteers back up their hi-tech handhelds with a paper counterpart which has helped keep traditional map n’ compass navigation alive and well in the 21^st century.

In service of this time-honoured tradition, Loving Outdoors is now offering a range of Explorer OS maps in both standard and plastic coated ‘Active’ format; check them out by clicking here. If you can’t find the map you want give us a call on 0161 241 5500 and we’ll get it for you.

How can I begin to talk about Dunham Massey? What’s not to love?  I’ll start by saying it is in fact one of the gems of South Manchester. If you have not already been, why not?

I have visited Dunham Massey a few times now and each time it has been a very different day out. The first time I decided to go the forecast was bleak. The day started with rain and ended with even more rain. Needless to say I was soaked, but that did not stop me having one of my best days out in a long time.

If you have never seen deer in the wild and want to see or perhaps even get close to some fallow deer this is the place to go. Overall the park is not huge which is handy as the deer tend to move around quite a lot, avoiding the kids that tend to think its a good idea to scream and run at a 80kg Buck.

The main aim of my trip to was to photograph deer for my portfolio. I wanted to get shots as natural as possible with little human impact which meant getting closer to the deer sanctuary areas. As with all wildlife photography you can never be certain how the day will end. I’ve spent many days sat in the cold not moving waiting for that perfect shot, only to be left pointing my camera at grass where an animal once was.

The deer were surprisingly cooperative and obviously did not mind having their photo taken. The first time I went I came back with the shots I had envisioned, although there was a bit of running round to be done along with crawling through mud in the wet; but that’s all part of the fun. The best advice I can give anyone wanting to photograph deer is to not wear anything that makes too much noise as their hearing is incredibly sensitive and they can often disappear before you have even lifted the camera to your face.

Stay still, be patient and don’t push your luck. If the deer don’t want you pointing your camera at them, move on and find another deer. Personally I found the large bucks were less bothered about me snapping away. I took a couple of thousand photos and narrowed it down to my favourite twenty or so.

If you find you want a break from chasing deer around the park there is always a nice little cafe where you can grab a bite, or maybe you’ll want to see the gardens and house, especially if its wet and miserable outside.  There is an additional charge to enter the house and garden areas.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your walking boots and give Dunham Massey a visit, I promise you won’t be disappointed

Thank you for taking your time to read through my article and let me know how you get on.

Best times to visit : Autumn although I had great success in October

Car Park Charges : £5

House and garden: adult £10 , child £5 (£4.50), family £25 (£22.60).

Garden: adult £7 (£6.35), child £3.50 (£3.15), family £17.50 (£15.85).

Estate entry – cars : adult £5.

To see more of Ryan’s work visit www.flickr.com/rtjdesign

The Loving Outdoors team pre race

On Wednesday the Loving Outdoors team went sailing on Redesmere in Cheshire. We arrived at 2pm to a deserted lake and glorious sunshine. Peeling the covers off 2 boats of the GP14 class- a 2-berth dinghy with 2 sails- we watched as Scott talked us through rigging up the sails. We then piled in one boat for a tentative lap of the lake with Scott at the helm. After a tentative lap of the lake we retuned to the jetty to sail for real. Luckily, by this time one of the club members had arrived who was able to correct the errors in our attempted rigging. Couldn’t help noticing he was wearing a pair of Regatta Formation, “hmmm, nifty” I thought to myself and with that we set sail.

Within minutes both parties had mastered the art of sailing and were making headway up and down the lake at a good speed of 6 knots. After a few minutes’ tranquil sailing a race was proposed: up the lake, round the buoy, past the club house and back. A stiff gust of wind marked the beginning of the race and both boats were off to a flying start. The aggressive manoeuvres of our competitors soon made it clear that sport was not the main agenda for this race. Cutting across the wind they turned into our starboard side threatening a ramming manoeuvre- we called their bluff and held our course forcing our rivals into second place.

After rounding the first buoy a fortuitous gust of wind fills our sails to give us a comfortable lead. Lost in the thrill of the race we’re oblivious to the water pouring in through the unstanched plug hole and lapping at our ankles. Our opponents’ superior straight-line speed let us know something might be wrong. They pass us on the starboard side and throw a sarcastic wave in the direction of our struggling craft. We fix the leak, bail out the water and soon we’re back on the pace terrorizing our rivals’ stern. They round the second buoy slightly ahead of us but a poorly thought-out turn exit sees us sail right by leaving them for spray. With victory in our sights we head for the club house and the finish line.

Suddenly the wind drops and starts up in the other direction. Our sail flapping madly our sturdy 6 knots dwindles and we’re blown into the shallows. Seeing the sandy bottom of the lake just six inches below the surface we retract the centre board and get the oars out- we need to take immediate evasive action or we’ll be fish food. We apply full right rudder and spin ourselves away from the shore with a couple of stiff oar strokes. A lucky gust puts us momentarily back in running before our opponents cross the finish line. We coast home, soaking up the last of the day’s sun before admitting defeat and heading back to the jetty.

All in all it was a nice day and although we may have been bettered by our opponents, the true winner of the day was sailing. It’s a relaxing activity best experienced at a relaxed pace and not under race conditions.

Well, I’ve now done 14 weeks in this country and my feelings havw completely changed. If I look back, during my two first weeks I’d never felt so lost in all my life. I wasn’t able to understand anybody in Manchester and my only wish was to take a plane as quick as possible and never come back. The problem now is, I still have 10 weeks in England and I’m enjoying it so much I think it won’t be enough!

Why Manchester? My choice was based on music, I play the cornet and I knew that around Manchester there is many Brass Bands to play with. I found one and I’m enjoying a lot of events with English people. Music offered a great opportunity because, with the school I was before you can only meet other foreigners and have no chance to have some really English experiences. People in England are very friendly, they made me feel at home in a short time and are always helpful.

The UK is a beautiful country, I’ve visited some other places since April and every city I’ve went to was exciting. A month ago I visited London, it’s a too big a city for me- I’m not used to it- but I saw a lot of very interesting things. I had the chance to be at the Buckingham Palace during the changing of the guard, went to Wembley stadium and enjoyed a nice party in a traditional English pub. I didn’t see as many things as I could in London because I went to watch the England vs Switzerland football match on the Saturday and wasn’t in a fit state to do much on Sunday. We have a saying in Switzerland that the English are as wet on the inside as the outside- after visiting a traditional English pub I think I understand what this means!

I went also to York, it was a very sunny day (so unusual!). I did really enjoy the tranquillity of the city and the many ancient buildings like York Cathedral, the castle and the city wall. I visited many more things than in London and enjoyed a tour on a boat.

Finally, I visited Northern Ireland from where I have just returned. I can’t feel my feet anymore- I walked all weekend in that wonderful city, with incredible weather throughout. The Northern Irish accent in English was difficult for me to understand but they were still friendly even with my difficulty understanding.

As for Manchester, it’s not an especially beautiful city but you’re never bored. Every day something happens, if you don’t know what to do just go to Piccadilly Gardens, walk in any direction and you’ll see something interesting. For example, people singing or playing any instruments or if you just want to speak with someone, just go to a pub take a pint and start talking. It might be surprising, but I’m not going to moan too much about the weather or food in England (I’m not sure many other foreigners would agree with me). Of course, at the beginning it took time to get used to the food, but if you forget your stereotype about it your can find some good English dishes. I really like the English breakfast, fish and chips, meat pies, etc… The only problem, it’s all very unhealthy!

If I was writing this piece two months ago it would not be so positive but now I’m sure that England will never stop surprising me and making me enjoying it.

Loïc

Hi, my name is Loïc, I’m from the wonderful Swiss countryside on the French-speaking west-side of Switzerland. I’ve been in Manchester for 3 month at a language school and now I’m doing an internship with the Loving Outdoors Team where I will stay for a further 3 months trying to improve my English. When my colleagues told me: “Hey, you can write a blog about outdoors activities in your country!”, I just thought: “What a huge subject!!”.

Switzerland has much more than just mountains, banks, cheese and chocolate…  there’s also a lot of activities in the summer, like on the beach (I’m not joking, we really have beaches in Switzerland), in our beautiful forests and, of course, in the mountains.

Usually, when I tell someone that I’m from Switzerland, they say: “Is it not too cold to live there?”

But, contrary to what people think, the weather is nice. Yes, in the winter when you are in high altitude it’s freezing but the climate is varied: we have cold winters which bring snow and give the possibility to go skiing but the summer is hot enough to enjoy beaches and swim in the lakes.

So, the Swiss beaches are on lakes where so many activities and events happen. You can swim in the lake, go wake-boarding, water-skiing, play beach-volley or just enjoy the sun.

The SWATCH Free4Style is an internationally renowned sport event which takes place on the beach, where there are four competitions: FMX (freestyle motocross), Wake-board, Jet Ski and Skateboard.

In the forests, you can go rambling or there are adventure parks where you have to move from tree to tree using zip lines and wood bridges that are suspended between 5 and 20 meters from the ground.

When was a young child, I used to go in the forest several times with my father to walk or to go mushroom picking. And, even now, I often go to walk on Sunday in the forest to enjoy nature. If you’re lucky when you go in the forest you might see some animals crossing your way.

And finally, the Swiss mountains! In the summer you can still have a lot of fun in the mountains by climbing, hiking, riding mountain-bikes and paragliding. During all these activities you will enjoy the breathtaking landscapes on the top of the mountain.

The mountains cover a big part of the country. For me the view you see is extraordinary. Another thing which is pleasant is the tranquillity of the mountains- you’re far from the noise of the cities and you can take a breath of fresh air.

The advantage of Switzerland with all these activities is that as the country is small everything is close. (Why are your still reading my blog and not booking a flight to Switzerland?????)

Loïc

Weil’s Disease or Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that can be passed on to humans like you and me by infected animal urine coming into contact with broken skin or mucus membranes such as those found on the human eyes and in the mouth. Once absorbed into the body, the Leptospirosis germs wreak havoc, enlarging the spleen and causing high fever, muscle aches, vomiting and in extreme cases, liver failure.

Leptospirosis

As a water-bound infection, Weil’s disease is chiefly a concern for the more amphibious outdoor-goers with freshwater swimmers and white-water rafters particularly at risk. That’s not to say that land lubbers are entirely safe from horrible Weil’s disease. There have been many reported cases of dogs transmitting infection by licking infected wee and then licking their owner’s eye, mouth or open wound. Man’s best friend? I think not!

Lyme Disease or Lyme borreliosis is a nasty little disease passed on by ticks with symptoms including headaches, fever and, in some cases, mental psychosis.

A tick

Ticks like warm and sticky environments and have a particular fondness for woodland areas and, unfortunately for us
humans, underarm and groin areas. After latching onto the skin, the clever tick injects its own anaesthetic before boring its feeding tube proboscis into the flesh for a macabre feast.

Infection initially manifests itself in flu-like symptoms which develop into high fever as the disease takes hold. The skin around the bite area turns an angry red with blisters forming on other body parts. If left untreated, infection can also spread to the brain causing lasting mental illness.

Fortunately, prevention is easy. Blood is very easy to come by in the countryside- cows have it, sheep have it, even rats and mice have it. Even voles. With all this blood around, ticks never struggle for food so if you make your blood difficult to obtain, chances are ticks will go elsewhere. Trousers, shoes, socks and long sleeves are all ways of guarding your blood from the tick’s greedy proboscis.

Far more susceptible are your pets; ticks particularly enjoy drinking the blood of dogs and will slurp away at Fido without a second thought for his mental health. Though it may be more difficult to guard the blood of dogs, so long as rigorous tick-checks are made after woodland walks, your pooch should be safe.

Horrible liver fluke

Liver Fluke or Fasciola hepatica are small leech-like parasites that pass on infection by chewing their way through their host’s duodenum- charming! Like Leptospirosis, Fasciola hepatica is transmitted through water and can be picked up in streams (particularly those with dead sheep in), sheep droppings (so don’t eat those) and vegetables wet with infected water. Aside from a half-eaten duodenum, long-term effects include liver damage and anaemia. Prevention is easy with water purification tablets coupled with a rigorous food hygiene regime.

We hope our countryside disease factsheet has been informative and helpful. But however important it may be to be aware of countryside dangers, don’t let that awareness turn to worry: plenty of people escape the countryside unharmed every year.

Keep loving outdoors,

Tim

Loving Outdoors      

Alkrington Woods

With ancient woodland, an 18^th century Manor house and a cluster of picturesque lakes and reservoirs, Alkrington Woods is a hugely diverse and beautiful nature spot that provided me with a realm of adventure and discovery on my doorstep. It was in these woods under the watchful eye of the overlooking manor house that I first experienced the rush of sledging, that I first learned to ride a bike and that I was first roughed up by feared local street gang, the Alky* Boys.

In its dense wooded areas ancient oaks and beech trees carpet the ground with their seeds, saplings taking root where the sun breaks through the crowded canopy. A time-worn woodland path through the ancient trees leads to an expanse of raised marshy heath land overlooking the river Irk 100ft below. Here, the many species of grass are home to myriad species of insect making it a great place to spot birds hunting for a bit to eat. On winter mornings the mystery of the silent mists that rise from the heath’s marshlands can’t fail to stop you in your tracks.

Descending to the reservoir one can find families of swans and ducks and, on hot sunny days, fish can be seen basking near the surface. Crossing the river takes you into a maze of lakes and reservoirs separated by narrow footpaths and o’er draped with weeping willows. Herons, teals, moorhens, bluetits and swallows are all common sights here, as are birdwatchers scouting for our lesser-spotted winged friends.

*Slang for Alkrington, not alcoholic, as might have been more appropriate.

Heaton Park

Although not a nature spot per se, Heaton Park is nevertheless a place of beauty enjoyed by Mancunians from Blackley to Bramall and beyond. Originally the site of stately home Heaton Hall, Heaton Park- the largest municipal park in all of Europe- boasts botanical gardens, petting zoo, a boating lake and even the odd rock concert (Ice-T, Oasis, The White Stripes and Northside have all played there) making it one of Manchester’s main attractions.

With all this activity you’d think Heaton Park would be a rather chaotic place offering little respite from the arduous bustle of city life but, of course, you’d be wrong. Although besieged by troops of sunburned topless men on hot days, most of the time Heaton Park is an oasis of Victorian tranquillity, all huge lawns, neat hedgerows and wide walkways. Climbing up to the distinctive Heaton Park ‘Temple’ (the highest point in Manchester) offers panoramic views of the surrounding area- on a clear day it’s possible to see as far as Oldham and, looking the other way, Sainsbury’s.

One of the most intriguing things about Heaton Park is its history. A little detective works reveals the park’s involvement with some of history’s most dramatic chapters- it was used as a training ground and airfield in WW1 and 2 respectively. The park’s historical main event, Heaton Hall, was built in 1790 and evinces that period’s renewed fascination with the natural world. The hall is situated to offer a view of idyllic nature that edited out the ‘Dark Satanic Mills’ of  Manchester’s burgeoning cotton industry. Although now in need of a facelift, the Hall and its recently restored grounds offer a great window on the past making Heaton Park a much valued asset to Manchester.

Chorlton Water Park

Although North Manchester is clearly the better endowed when it comes to urban nature spots, the South side of the city also has its green charms with Chorlton Waterpark its jewel-in-the-crown. Backing onto the Mersey Valley, Chorlton Waterpark is the gateway to a wildlife ‘corridor’ stretching all the way to Sale Water Park. The park’s central lake bustles with all kinds of water sports with armadas of canoes, kayaks and sailboats regular sights. It’s also a popular fishing venue and teems with coarse fish such as Roach and Rudd. Probably best avoided at night though, if rumours are to be believed.

Since first becoming a dedicated nature reserve in the 1950s, Chorlton Water Park has become noted for its biodiversity and the myriad bird species that use the park as a nesting ground throughout the year. Recent years have seen the arrival of pochards as well as increases in heron and, since the launch of the ‘Project Bullfinch’ conservation drive, bullfinch populations to make the Mersey Valley area a big draw amongst birdwatchers. It’s also popular with kids, with the warden’s office running many activities for children during summer holidays. Bird watching taster courses and nature walks offer kids a great introduction to ideas of biodiversity and respect for nature.

We want to know more about the nation’s parks and nature spots. Tell us a little about the parks in your area and we’ll send you something in return: a cap, a book, something like that.