Woodland Walks - Routes for Little Boots

West Stow Country Park

Dipping our toes over the border into Suffolk! What a great place. We were looking for a cheap afternoon out – this was spot on. We opted for the fab Beowulf and Grendel Trail (1.5km). There are six large themed carved sculptures and information boards that capture the story as well as info about the […]

Knettishall Heath

I’m falling in love with the Brecks a bit at the moment and this was somewhere we’ve wanted to visit for a long while! Knettishall Heath is a SSSI and there are six trails to choose from, ranging from 1.5 – 2.5 miles in distance. We opted for the long riverside trail which was 2.5 […]

Buckenham Woods

Absolutely beautiful little spot. Although I’ve seen pushchairs in the main part of the wood, I would suggest a baby carrier for the bluebell wood section. We came here when my little girl was a toddler and had a lovely time – it was stunning. There is a small car park off Wood Lane but […]

Spixworth

We went along this lovely short walk with friends and loved it. It’s a good length for toddlers and, although the path is quite stony in places, it’s nice and flat so most pushchairs should cope with it. The bluebell carpets in the woods were lovely and the woodland walk was gorgeous with the sun […]

Dunston Common

(Last visited December 2019) We had a great time adventuring here in winter 2019 – so close to Norwich and I never knew it was there! It starts on a small green with little play area and throne! There is a small woodland walk with a little stream running alongside it (it’s not that clearly […]

Danby Wood

This is a beautiful, yet tiny, wood and is a fantastic short walk for toddlers. It was one of my first discoveries in 2017 when we started exploring. The main path gets muddy in winter, but during dry, summer months a pushchair will be able to handle it (although you’ll have to pull it up […]

Sisland Carr

A short but perfectly formed little woodland near Loddon, just off the A146. Only about half a mile round, but great fun – trees to climb up, logs to walk over, leaves to kick, stumps to jump off and fairy doors! Despite visiting in mid-winter after lots of wet weather, we were surprised at how […]

Belmore Woods

What a gorgeous little woodland! Muddy as heck and no clearly defined route, so not one of recommend for pushchairs at the moment. But if you’re local to Norwich, a lovely place to explore with a nice pair of wellies! It’s a short walk from Dussindale Recreation Ground, which is where we parked – there’s […]

Bawdeswell Heath

I had the loveliest afternoon traipsing around this route with my girl and dog. The highlights being some fantastic trees that were a small child’s dream for exploring, climbing in, climbing on, hanging off and peering inside! I didn’t have wheels – the small bridge crossing the stream from the car park looked a bit […]

Barton Broad

A lovely little walk, just a few miles north of Wroxham. It’s about a two mile round trip from the car park, down a (very quiet) country road. The views across the fields on the first stretch before hitting the boardwalk section were beautiful. You then walk around the most magical boardwalk, surrounded by trees […]

Lower Wood, Ashwellthorpe

This is a lovely Norfolk Wildlife Trust woodland reserve about eight miles out of Norwich. Brilliant for den building. Unfortunately the main insect around is Mr. Mosquito in the summer and we were bitten to bits so don’t forget the insect repellent (and keep an eye out for ticks). We took a pushchair in the […]

Bacton Wood

Bacton Wood is one of my favourite woodlands and we’ve been back a fair few times. There are lots of routes – the yellow route is the shortest and the one we’ve visited. There’s a sessile oak which makes a great perch for kids and dens everywhere! Beautiful autumn colours. It’s peaceful and pretty. Sadly […]

Sandringham Estate Country Park

Sandringham Estate Country Park is probably one of my favourite discoveries. I think it might be the one place that has everything – nice café, parking, pushchair friendly, play area, woodland walks of different lengths, sculptures, trees to climb on, baby change, gift shop, free entry (although there are car park charges), dog friendly… I […]

Wayland Wood

What a little beauty! We had a truly magical walk round here in hunt of bluebells. Gorgeous, especially with the sun streaming through. This is a great site. Lots of stroller friendly paths (despite the occasional tree across the odd path). Will be lovely even without the bluebells. There’s a small car park off the […]

Tyrrel’s Wood

(Last visited August 2018) This has become increasingly popular since we first visited a few years ago – if you can, I’d recommend a visit during the week rather than the weekend. Really close (about half a mile drive) to the fantastic Goodies Food Hall which has a café, farm shop, toilets and play area. […]

Secret Garden, How Hill

We absolutely adored this walk. We parked at the main car park (not the one at the house which is reserved for guests) – the walk starts just behind the house. It starts off as a lovely little woodland walk and tucked away further on is the secret garden – a beautiful little boarded walk […]

Holt Country Park

(Last visited January 2020) There are few places that tick all the boxes but this is one of them. I love it here. We have an amazing time every time we visit – it took us forever to walk round the last time as we had about 4000 stoppages for a 4-year-old to engage with […]

Thornham Walks (Suffolk)

This is a new one for me – writing about a walk I haven’t been on! I have been desperate to get down here for ages but haven’t been able to, so my lovely friend Laura has ‘audited’ it for me as it’s bursting with snowdrops in the spring and I wanted to share it […]

The Mystical Woods, Horsford/Felthorpe

(Last visited June 2020) I discovered these after getting a bit accidentally lost here on a run – and I’m so glad I did. We’ve been to the other side of the woods (Horsford side) but, dare I say, this side was even better. Lots of generally accessible paths for buggies (save a few bumpy […]

Roman Camp, West Runton

(Last visited June 2020) What a lovely walk! Beautiful sea views, but about a mile inland. Nice length of walk and the trail was nice and flat and accessible. Lots of the walk was in the shade too which was bliss on a hot day! Lots of paths to explore but we mostly stuck to […]

Smockmill Common

(Last visited July 2020) We had a cracking little walk here in summer 2020 – it’s a beautiful mix of undulating woodland paths with a riverside stretch, with a grassy common tucked in the middle! We could have sat by the river all day. Yet to visit in the winter months to see how it […]

Poringland Wood

(Last visited July 2020) We had a great time adventuring here! It’s about a 1.5 mile woodland walk, many wide paths for pushchairs which opens up into a large basin half-way through the walk. We spent a great deal of time here on an old rope swing and investigating the amazing tree roots! The stream […]

Poringland Community Woodland

Introducing Penelope! 🐍 When we went to Poringland Woods a few weeks prior to visiting here, quite a few people mentioned the other woodland in Poringland… and Penelope! Penelope is a pebble snake that the community have lovingly created and added to over time – she’s pretty long now. The kids loved looking at all […]

Taverham Mill

(Last visited September 2020) I never tire of this place. Covid has meant the blue route we usually take around the lake is now closed for walkers and just open for fishing, so we had to take the longer red route for the first time… Although it is lovely, it’s not quite as magical as […]

Thursford Wood

(Last visited October 2020) Possibly the most magical wood I’ve ever been to – so many hollow trees, we lost count! Our hypothesis that it was a fairy wood was confirmed when we found the fairy window and door inside one of the trees 🧚‍♀️🧚‍♂️ The leaves are starting to turn here and I think […]

Lynford Arboretum

I’ve been meaning to go here for ages and I’m so glad we did eventually visit! It’s a great set of managed trails – one of which is an access-tested trail with good surfaces. There are three trails to choose from – we did a mash-up of all three and there are some lovely beauty […]

Burlingham Woods

(Last visited August 2020) My happy place! Situated between Norwich and Great Yarmouth, this is a beautiful woodland that extends far and wide, connecting Burlingham to local villages across field paths and therefore making the trails ideal to explore further as your child grows. There is a 1.5 mile loop which is accessible for pushchairs […]

Spout Hills

(Last visited August 2020) This is a magical little place – a beautiful pond, a stream for paddling, hills for scrambling, trees for climbing, wildflowers and bulrushes… it’s beautiful. It’s really close to Holt – if you go past the turning to the high street, there’s a lay-by a little further down the road and […]

Ladybelt Country Park

(Last visited October 2019) Ladybelt Country Park is one of my go-to, favourite local-to-Norwich walks. It is a great location all times of the year – a fabulous mix of woodland and grassland, sculptures and an old icehouse. It’s brilliant for a nice dog walk too. The Park has been carefully nurtured back into a […]

Harrison’s Wood

(Last visited November 2019) We first went to Harrison’s Wood in Sprowston in autumn 2018 and it was bursting with different colours – it’s a really diverse woodland and really close to the city. It has woodland surfaces, but they didn’t seem too bad after the rain and apart from a few rooty patches, pushchairs […]

Trowse Woods

(Last visited August 2020) A lovely little wood off Whitlingham Lane – I must have driven past it on the way to Whitlingham so many times and not noticed it! Just over a mile round but definitely “undulating” to put it gently! Some quite steep climbs. Which, of course, my daughter loved and proceeded to […]

Foxley Woods

(Last visited May 2021) This little beauty is mainly known for its beautiful bluebells in May, but we’ve had lovely walks through the woods here in at various times of the year. It’s a Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve – a very straightforward loop through the woodland and back along a track. There was little by […]

The UEA Broad

(Last visited August 2020) This is an absolutely stunning walk! So many different routes to explore off it too. In 2020, the UEA created an official set of waymarked trails to follow called ‘Active Campus’ for students and visitors to explore the campus and learn about its history and heritage, with each trail varying in its […]

Brandon Country Park

(Last visited June 2019) LOVED IT! This had been recommended to me again and again and I’m so pleased we finally made it there! We tagged it onto a mini break to Center Parcs as it’s only 5 mins down the road and I was in need of a walk away from the crowds. It’s […]

Upgate Common (Swannington)

(Last visited March 2021) I adore this walk. It’s one of those places you feel is a bit of a secret and you don’t want to share with the world! But that would be uncharitable of me. There are so many options, although the uneven ground and mud in places doesn’t make it great for […]