5 WALKS IN 5 DAYS // PLACES TO ESCAPE IN TEESSIDE

After setting a New Years goal to adventure the wonderful nature on my doorstep and take a walk at least once a week, in January I kicked it straight off with 5 morning walks for 5 days. Jamie and I decided that, not only would this be great for our health and productivity, but it would also open up our eyes to some places that we hadn't been to for walks together before.

Of course, if you're not from the Teesside or North Yorkshire region, you may not be familiar with these places, however, if you are planning to pass through or stay here one time. this could give you some inspiration. But, if anything, let this encourage you to explore the best country walks in your own region.

The 5 walks that we did span across Monday to Friday and were generally at about 9AM. We experienced the typical British weather twists and turns but I did make sure that, on every walk, I was well equipt with a hat, scarf, windshield coat, gloves and walking boots. Most of the following images were taken on these 5 walks.

MONDAY - HARDWICK COUNTRY PARK

We kicked it off at an Estate Park which is less than a 10-minute drive from us and, despite the very heavy rain, we found some pretty interesting sights. If you've seen this blog post, you'll have already seen some pictures from our trip to this park. We spotted tiny little mushrooms amongst the trees - I was pretty excited to get close up pictures. So, despite the rain, the first walk was lovely.

 TUESDAY - ROSEBERRY TOPPING

Next, we climbed what I describe as North Yorkshire's Mount Everest (OK, I may be over exaggerating... a little). This time, the rain had cleared up and, as you can see in the first image up there, we got a stunning blue sky. Besides that, it was super chilly and the ground was a mixture of frosty and slippy dirt. I've only ever walked this trek when I was very young and couldn't actually remember it so, going up this time, I actually got to realise how surprisingly difficult it is. Nevertheless, the persevered and got up to the very windy summit. 

WEDNESDAY - FAIRY DELL PARK

Having never even heard of the magical sounding 'Fairy Dell' Park we decided that, given it was only a 20-minute drive, we'd give it a go. We were surprised to find a big park with lots of twists and turns to adventure, a quiet beck, chainsaw carvings, lots of different types of trees, and a little mini waterfall. I'm shocked that I didn't know about this place. My only little miff about this place is that, in the winter, it is a bit dark and wet; I suspect that this is a stunning place to visit when all of the trees are thick with bright green leaves and there's a bit less of the cold bleakness. (P.S. How many of you noticed that I captured one of the ducks mid-quack)

THURSDAY - ROPNER PARK

This park goes right back in my childhood memories but, in our 2 years together, Jamie and I have never visited here together. Now, the reason why we went from climbing mountains to wandering around a park is that, as you can see, we got a pretty heavy snowfall overnight. While we did intend to go on a brisk walk alongside a reservoir, we reckoned it just wouldn't be safe enough. Although, this was a grateful choice for the ducks that we fed. 

FRIDAY - STEWART'S PARK

By Friday, we were feeling the light sting of early mornings and with the snow still stalling our plans, we kept it local again and headed to Stewart's Park. This park is a pretty large park and, I'm not going to lie and put a pink fluffy cloud over my life here, we basically got there, walked to the cafe, had a drink, and left. HOWEVER (bear with me), on numerous occasions, we have adored trips to this park. They have animals such as chickens, guinea pigs, goats, and deer as well as 2 ponds full of ducks and moorhens and, if you're lucky (or perhaps unlucky), you can spot a heron. A great place for a stroll, peace and quiet, and a peek at nature. On Friday's trip, I decided to leave the camera at home so that both Jamie and I could take in our surroundings and not be constantly stopping for 'that perfect-shot', so the pictures below are from a summer walk. 

EXTRA PLACES TO GET YOUR BUTT TO...

Of course, there are more than just 5 brilliant places to explore in the Teesside/North Yorkshire region. Here are some extra nature, country trips that you could also venture on.

PRESTON PARK - You may be surprised to hear that this local park includes one of very few all-year-round butterfly parks and by-gosh is it amazing. If you know me, you probably know that I adore this place or at least butterflies. The tropical types that they have here are completely stunning and it's a true honor if you ever have one land on you. Asside from the Butterfly World, there is a Victorian  Museum - the kind where people walk around in gowns and, as a child, I experienced lots of exciting trips there.

GUISBOROUGH FOREST - This somewhat hilly walk isn't always my favourite but has definitely satisfied my walk-craving every now and then. I have fond memories of this place when I was younger because, every year, they have a mini-festival type thing, full of exciting nature activities - I will never forget being the child that was chosen to hop over the fence and hold the barn owl in front of the audience. 

CASTLE EDEN DENE - I introduced this place to Jamie last year and, quite frankly, he couldn't really believe that he'd never been before. Situated a 20-minute drive from home and situated just above Teesside on the map, this National Nature Reserve has everything from huge drops into a scary dene, up and down terrain, little waterfalls, and a bright red bridge. The walk it's self can take around an hour and, although the last bit is a step up-hill climb, it can be very worth it.

COD BECK / OSMOTHERLY - I think it's becoming a little tradition of ours to visit Osmotherly in the summer months with a picnic basket. You see, we know this spot, where people very rarely go, but it has stunning views, tonnes of interesting animals (like rabbits and birds of prey), and is probably the most peaceful yet interesting places that I've visited. Just along the map from here is Cod Beck Reservoir. It's a pretty straightforward walk around the reservoir and along the beck but definitely enjoyable.

CAPTAIN COOK'S MONUMENT - This place is adjacent to Roseberry Topping and is also quite the climb. In 2017, I discovered a new found love for this place when we had a very successful trip blueberry picking there. At the top of the hill, there are lovely views across the region and you can walk from there to Roseberry Topping.

What are the places in your region that you enjoy walking in? 

I would love to know!

TWITTER // INSTA // PINTEREST