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With longer days and beautiful light evenings, get outside over your four days of Easter holiday! Here are five recommended adventures to make the most of the long weekend and burn off all that chocolate:
1. Take a dip in the spring waters of the Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills in western Gloucestershire rise suddenly and steeply affording views out of proportion to their modest height. The waters were first bottled over 150 years ago and have been drunk by the royal family for more than a century. If you want to drink the water there are over 70 drinking fountains dotted across the hills.
Much of the river Avon is navigable, which means the water is always deep and there are no problems with access, but large boats cannot pass beyond Stratford. Up to the Warwick the river is wild and beautiful.
Marlcliff, Bidford-on-Avon
A Deep wide corner pool beneath cliffs. A mile’s walk downstream from Bidford or signed Marcliff from B4085 (continue down The Bank to parking).
20 mins, 52.1535, -1.8649
From the new edition Wild Swimming
2. Explore the secret wooded Frenchmans’ Creek
Bosahan Cove, Helford
A secluded shingle cove with boathouse, backed by woods. Easy destination on a kayak. The less energetic might prefer to stop for a harbourside beer at The Old Shipwright Arms (TR12 6JX,01326 231235). 1 mile east of Helford village on coast path. 15 mins, 50.0950, -5.1143
Extracted from The Wild Guide to the South West
3. Revitalise with a magical waterfal wild swim in the Lake District
The Esk is renowned for the magical pools and waterfalls along its 15-mile length and the higher you go the more dramatic they become. Go high into the mountain to the legendary ‘Tongue Pot’ and Esk Falls, sampling many of the dips on your way.
Tongue Pot is just beneath the packhorse bridge at the head of the dale, about an hour’s walk from the road. Here, in a cleft of the mountain burn, a long emerald pool has formed beneath a waterfall at the meeting of two rivers.
Climbing higher, through Esk Falls, a series of perfect plunge pools extends right up to the Great Moss mountain plateau above which a shimmering Scafell Pike looms. Each forms a perfect place to lie in the sun as the waters roar by. When the sun is shining there is no better place on earth to be.
Park by telephone at bottom of Hardknott Pass and follow riverside path up through Brotherilkeld Farm for 2 miles to confluence and bridge. 45 mins, 54.4236, -3.1907
Extracted from Wild Swimming
4. Run the beach in North Yorkshire
Robin Hood’s Bay
Distance: 7 miles (11km). Start/finish: Bank Top car park, Robin Hood’s Bay, YO22 4RL. Terrain: Beach, coast path, woodland trail. Toughness: Moderate . Ascent: 406 metres. Navigation: Moderate. Good for: Coast, woodland, national trail. Route info: wildrunning.net/89
A fantastic run, first on the sand and pebble beach along Robin Hood’s Bay, running at the sea’s edge and with great coast views. A contrasting return leg takes in beautiful countryside and scenery, joining the Cleveland Way. From the start, head south and bear left on path down to sea level – it may not be passable at high tide. Run along the beach, passing Boggle Hole and Stoupe Beck Sands before climbing onto rocky platform. Continue as far as Old Peak before ascending steeply up to Ravenscar. From there join the waymarked Cleveland Way north back to Robin Hood’s Bay on perfect running trails across grassy meadows and through tranquil woodland.
Extracted from Wild Running
5. Find a sunset lookout in Somerset
With longer days, the golden hour before sunset is a magical time of day when heat still lingers in the air and the light bathes the landscape in a warm glow. Find a high vantage point and experience the glorious, grand finale of the day. And if you are looking out to sea, you might even see the intriguing ‘green flash’ that occurs in those last few seconds before the sun disappears.
As dusk descends, wrap up and settle down to watch and listen under an indigo sky. At night, the landscape shows its true wild character: familiar outlines blur, nightjars call, glow-worms shine and overhead the stars begin to glitter.
Extracted from The Wild Guide to the South West
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