24 amazing and fun family walks in the UK

Want to get the kids outside? Check out one of these fun family walks in the UK. I have walked all of them with my children – mostly without complaint.

I love exploring the UK with my family. I try to take the kids to a different area each half term although we often end up returning to places we’ve fallen in love with – North Norfolk and the New Forest are our current favourites. Wherever we go, we try to find a decent family walk. We’ve had lots of success stories and several disasters. I’ve just included the walks which worked in this article!

So, if you’re looking for a family-friendly walk I hope this selection proves useful. I would love to hear from you if there is a brilliant family walk which you have enjoyed – let me know in the comments below.

Are your children reluctant walkers? Read my tips for getting kids walking. I’ve also written an article about outdoor places to go which covers ideas such as sculpture trails, nature reserves and national parks – it proved really useful during the pandemic when we couldn’t meet friends and family indoors.

We also love cycling – we live in Herts so we’ve cycled lots of family bike routes in Hertfordshire. We’re also working our way through some of the best places to cycle with kids across the UK.

Want to know one of the best family walks for little children? I think it’s Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean. Read on for more of our favourite family-friendly walks across the UK.

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Family walks in Bedfordshire

Barton Hills

• Where to park: various on-road free parking in Barton-le-Clay, walk starts at here
• Length of walk: various, including a two mile circular route
• Terrain: hilly
• Refreshments: several pubs in the village
• Toilets: no
• Buggy friendly: no

Based near Hertford, if I want a decent hill to climb I head for the eastern end of the Chilterns. Barton National Nature Reserve is a great area for little kids. One of my boys often complains about going for a walk but when he’s faced with a steep slope, he races up it.

The initial climb on this walk is steep but once you reach the ridge you’re rewarded with incredible views. The walk continues along the ridge and then passes into a beautiful woodland section of silver birch which looks stunning when you visit on a blue sky day.

The walk starts on a bridleway which can be found just after St Nicholas church and ends at the little stream – Barton Springs – with its stepping stones – great fun for kids to spend a bit of time in. And if they get wet, you’re at the end of the walk so it doesn’t matter.

There isn’t a great deal of space for parking near the church. If you head down one of the village side streets there are plenty of on-road parking places and you’ll be within a 10 minute walk of the start.

There are lots of fun family walks in this area of the Chilterns – we’ve also parked in Pegsdon and climbed the hills from there. There’s a bit of parking off the B655, try what3words ///crucially.velocity.partly

Find out more about walking in Barton Hills National Nature Reserve

Walks for families in Cambridgeshire

Wimpole Estate near Royston

• Where to park: National Trust car park
• Length of walk: various, including a four kilometre out and back walk to the folly
• Refreshments: National Trust café
• Toilets: yes
• Buggy friendly: perhaps with an off road buggy as the path is across grassy fields

This vast National Trust estate is a great day out for families. As well as the attractions of the farm and play ground, there is a fun walk of around four kilometres (out and back from the main car park) across the parkland to a ruined folly.

We did this walk when our kids were quite small. It was just after Christmas and the fields were quite exposed to the chilly winter winds. However, the children loved racing across the landscape (it helped that they had a little friend with them for the day) and they enjoyed reaching the mysterious folly with its crumbling walls and the fantastic views back towards the main house.

Read the review (now quite old!) of our trip to Wimpole

Family walks in Cornwall

Although I visited Cornwall lots of times as a child, I haven’t taken my kids there as often I would have liked. I think I’m put off by the traffic jams. However, we did make the journey to the wonderful Isles of Scilly along with my brother’s family and our parents – it is the perfect place for a multi-generational holiday. I’ve written about things to do on the Isles of Scilly with kids and also put together a guide to the Scilly Isles.

Walk to the beach on the island of St Martin

• Where to park: back on the mainland in Penzance!
• Length of walk: various, including the three kilometre round trip hike from the harbour to Great Bay.
• Refreshments: stock up before you set out across the island
• Toilets: none at Great Bay – go at the harbour
• Buggy friendly: you need an off road buggy

The Isles of Scilly are remote and unspoiled and St Martin is particularly beautiful. There’s no transport on the island so visitors have to walk everywhere – and so much the better.

We enjoyed a truly magical day out on St Martin from our main base on the island of St Mary. The ferry took us to the harbour next to Karma St Martin hotel. From there we made our way along the lanes and through the heathery and sandy heathland to the holy grail of Great Bay.

When you see those beach pictures of the Isles of Scilly with captions along the lines of “the Caribbean of the British Isles”, it’s likely to be Great Bay you’re looking at. We visited at the end of July and there was one other visitor on the beach. It is a stunning spot. The water was rather chilly though so bring some wetsuits if you aren’t good with cold water sea swimming.

There are no facilities at Great Bay – it is about half an hour’s walk from anywhere so come prepared!

Holy Vale nature trail on the Island of St Mary’s

• Where to park: we abandoned our bikes in the Holy Vale hamlet
• Length of walk: it’s around a kilometre from Holy Vale to Porth Hellick
• Refreshments: it’s only half an hour’s walk (or 10 minutes by bike) back to Hugh Town
• Toilets: no
• Buggy friendly: no

The island of St Mary’s – the largest of the Scilly Isles – is easily explored by bike or on foot. During one of our days exploring the island we discovered the magical pathway which leads you from the hamlet of Holy Vale to the empty pebbly beach of Porth Hellick (near to the airport).

This little trail is narrow and follows a small stream through a woodland area. You join a boardwalk which passes wildflowers and a wetland area with a bird hide before finally opening out into the cove at Porth Hellick. It’s a short walk of one kilometre each way but it feels longer because it is so scenic and full of character.

We visited Porth Hellick when the tide was out – it’s great fun clambering over the rocks and looking for creatures in amongst the seaweed. The cove is next to the airport so there are quite a few light aircrafts coming in to land. And – as usual for the Scillies – we had it all to ourselves.

Family walks in the Derbyshire

There are many brilliant family walks in the Peak District which we are slowly ticking off on our regular trips to this lovely part of England. There are also several fantastic bike rides, one of which I’ve detailed in my family friendly cycle routes article.

Dovedale stepping stones and Thorpe Cloud circular walk

• Where to park: National Trust Dovedale car park
• Length of walk: 2.5 kilometres
• Refreshments: at the car park
• Toilets: at the car park
• Buggy friendly: no

This is a great walk for children as it takes in two really fun elements – stepping stones over the river and the challenge of a mini peak to summit.

From the car park, the path follows the River Dove for around half a kilometre until you reach the stepping stones. Once natural, the stones have since been reinforced with concrete to make them safer for walkers to cross.

Once over the river, there’s a steep path up the hillside. There’s a few false summits before you reach the top and it is a bit of a hard climb if you have really little legs but the view from the top is worth the slog.

Just be aware that it can be quite windy on the top of the hill, even if it’s calm below. Keep hold of little ones as there’s a few steep drops off the side. It’s quite rocky on the summit so it’s fun for kids who like to clamber around.

Once you’ve had your fill of views, it’s a quick descent down the other side of the hill and a pleasant walk through the fields back to the river which is crossed by bridge back to the car park.

Find out more about Dovedale here

Family walks in Dorset

Lulworth to Durdle Door

• Where to park: Lulworth Cove car park
• Length of walk: two miles return on a linear route
• Refreshments: lots of choice in Lulworth Cove
• Toilets: Lulworth Cove
• Buggy friendly: the steep path would be challenging!

Dorset really does have some of the most stunning coastal scenery. And if you want to give the kids a quick geography lesson the walk from Lulworth to Durdle Door is perfect.

There’s a huge car park at Lulworth Cove along with a good chippy and several ice cream shops – it’s worth buying some ice creams to distract the kids from the steep climb at the start of the walk.

From the car park, there’s a very obvious footpath – part of the South West Coast Path – which slopes up the side of the cliff in a series of wide steps. One of our sons complained bitterly the whole way up the hill but the scenery was so stunning that he eventually tolerated the walk once we were on the flat cliff top path. It takes around 20 minutes to reach Durdle Door from the car park.

This is a very popular walk – if you’re doing it during the school holidays you’ll be with crowds of people. But it’s worth the crowds for the incredible coastal views.

Family walks in Essex

Hatfield Forest, near Bishop’s Stortford

• Where to park: Shell House car park is close to the main facilities, or try the main car park for a longer walk
• Length of walk: various
• Refreshments: yes
• Toilets: yes
• Buggy friendly: yes

The National Trust-run Hatfield Forest is a great day out for families. There’s a decent circular walk taking in the lakeside, woodlands, bird hides and boardwalks – offering enough variety to keep kids entertained. The café sells good value grub and we sat outside munching on bacon sandwiches in the winter sunshine during our visit.

There are a few car parks – we parked at the main entrance and walked in from there but if you have younger children you might prefer the Shell House car park which is closer to the café and toilets.

Bikes are permitted at Hatfield Forest and there are boats for hire on the lake.

Find out more about Hatfield Forest

Family walks in Gloucestershire

Puzzlewood, near the Forest of Dean

• Where to park: dedicated car park
• Length of walk: 1.5 miles of woodland paths
• Refreshments: yes
• Toilets: yes
• Buggy friendly: no

We took our children to this magical woodland near the Forest of Dean when they were tiny – our younger son was only 18 months old and not a big fan of walking. This was his first walk where he was so captivated by his surroundings that he totally forgot to get tired and complain.

Puzzlewood is a dense woodland with gnarled trees, meandering footpaths, narrow wooden bridges and moss-covered rocks. It is perfect for little ones who fancy a magical adventure. Such is the woodland’s otherworldliness, it’s been used as a filming location for countless movies – Star Wars, Doctor Who, Merlin and, most recently the Secret Garden, have all used Puzzlewood.

Puzzlewood does carry quite a hefty entrance fee – ensure you make the most of it by allowing time to visit the resident farm animals and the little play area. There are lots of fun things to do close by, making the Forest of Dean a brilliant destination for a short family break.

Find out more about Puzzlewood here

Family walks in Hampshire

Tennyson Monument walk, Isle of Wight

• Where to park: National Trust car park or Freshwater
• Length of walk: various, including the five kilometre out and back walk detailed below.
• Refreshments: cafes in Freshwater
• Toilets: in Freshwater near car park
• Buggy friendly: no – too steep!

This is a great walk to blow away the cobwebs. We walked a small part of a much longer trail but you still get great views and the kids get to run (or crawl) up a giant hill. It’s a bit of a slog but the kids loved the achievement of reaching the top. We visited on a busy day in May half term so instead of parking at the fairly small National Trust car park we parked in Freshwater and walked up from there. It’s around 2.5 kilometres uphill from Freshwater carpark to the Tennyson Monument.

If you start in the National Trust car park and you have plenty of time and energy you can tackle the seven mile circular Tennyson Down trail. On this one you walk quite close to the cliff edge – not something I’d want to do with my kids at the moment.

Read more about Tennyson Down here

Fleet Pond

• Where to park: Fleet railway station (chargeable but you can use the loos) or Fleet pond car park (free)
• Length of walk: three marked trails of one, two and four kilometres, unsurfaced but flat
• Refreshments: we like the pub Heron on the Lake near the station
• Toilets: at the station
• Buggy friendly: yes

I grew up in Fleet so this was a walk I used to often do with my parents and brother. We often go there now with our kids when we’re visiting my parents. The two kilometre loop of the pond is a decent walk – the kids usually walk twice the distance as us grown ups as they enjoy running up and down the slopes in the woods and playing hide and seek.

Fleet Pond is the largest freshwater lake in Hampshire. I’m not sure if there is a great deal of competition for this crown but the pond looks good when you view it from the various points along the walk.

It’s a really good place to stop if you’re travelling along the M3 – check out my list of family-friendly motorway stop offs for more ideas.

Find out more about Fleet Pond here.

My favourite childhood walk in Alresford

• Where to park: Alresford train station
• Length of walk: two kilometres
• Refreshments: the Tiffin Tea Rooms in Alresford does delicious cakes
• Toilets: at the station (there’s some history there – see below)
• Buggy friendly: yes

We used to regularly visit Alresford when I was a child for a wander along the river and sometimes for a trip along the Watercress Line on a steam train. We’ve taken our kids, with the grandparents, several times too and it’s become a family favourite for everyone.

Alresford is a lovely Hampshire town with colourfully painted houses and lots of independent shops to explore including a very good book shop.

Parking in town can be tricky so I’d recommend parking at the train station. By doing this you can visit the town’s famous toilets – used by the Portland Spy Ring during the Cold War for exchanging secrets. From there, head down Station Road and turn right onto West Street. Turn left onto Broad Street and follow this down to Mill Hill before turning left onto Ladywell Lane. Follow Ladywell Lane round to the right and you’ll find a small section of the Wayfarer’s Walk which leads you to the River Alre.

A footpath follows the river to the New Alresford Memorial Park and to the pretty thatched Mill Cottage which the river runs beneath. From there the path reaches a section of the river which has been opened out to form a shallow pool of water where I used to love to paddle. If it’s not paddling weather, feed the ducks. If you take a look on Google Maps you’ll find Amy’s Duck Food Table marked here. It tends to be well stocked and you can pay a donation to take a small bag of food.

From here, walk back into town via the Dean, turn left onto West Street and you’ll discover the very lovely Tiffin Tea Rooms.

Looking for somewhere to stay near Alresford? We loved our stay in a Watercress Lodge at Ropley.

Read more about all the lovely things to do in Hampshire with kids.

Tall Trees trail in the New Forest

• Where to park: Blackwater car park – free
• Length of walk: 1.4 miles circular walk
• Refreshments: there was an ice cream van in the car park on the two occasions we did this walk (February and June)
• Toilets: in the car park
• Buggy friendly: yes

There are lots of very lovely areas of the New Forest to explore but if you want to wow the kids with some big hitters, head to the Tall Trees Trail. The trees – by British standards – are huge and soar into the sky. Highlights include Douglas firs and two big redwoods.

This short walk is perfect for little kids who need plenty of distractions to keep them going. There are information boards to explain the history of the area and plenty of den building opportunities. It’s a wonderful and beautiful walk.

Find out more about the Tall Trees trail family walk

Family walks in Hertfordshire

I live in Hertfordshire so I’ve explored lots of family walks near me and bike rides in the area – especially on the East Herts side of the county. If you’d like more ideas I detail them all in my Hertfordshire family walks guide. Alternatively, if you’re keen to explore the county by bike, I’ve put together some of the best traffic-free cycle routes for families in Hertfordshire.

Broxbourne Woods National Nature Reserve near Hertford

• Where to park: the east car park is marginally better if you have a buggy due to a slight incline – parking is free
• Length of walk: various, including the one kilometre sculpture trail
• Refreshments: lots of nearby pubs including the Farmers Boy in Brickendon
• Toilets: no
• Buggy friendly: yes

Broxbourne Woods is one of our local woodlands so we’ve been there plenty of times over the years. Unfortunately as most of the sculptures are wooden, some of them are starting to be reclaimed by nature but enough remain for the walk to be a fun outing for little ones.

My favourite sculpture is the majestic stag which is set apart from the path among the trees. It’s form changes depending on the angle you view it from. And its made from metal so it should stand the test of time better than its wooden neighbours.

The woods are great at any time of year – there’s a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees so you’ll have some shelter from the elements.

Families with older children can explore the wider nature reserve at Broxbourne – there are some great trails for cycling!

If you’re looking for a family friendly walk near London, Broxbourne Woods National Nature Reserve is a wonderful day out. There are half hourly trains from Finsbury Park to Bayford and it’s then a one mile walk from there to the reserve via Brickendon village.

Find out more about Broxbourne Woods National Nature Reserve – including map of walks

Mardley Heath family walk near Knebworth

• Where to park: Heath Road free car park
• Length of walk: various
• Refreshments: we love the burgers at the Horns in Datchworth and we also love the hot chocolate at the Secret Truffletier – both a short drive away.
• Toilets: no
• Buggy friendly: yes but can be very muddy

Mardley Heath is a typical gravel quarry-turned nature reserve. There are big scooped out sections which are now covered in a mix of woodland and heath. It’s a brilliant place for kids to run, bike and climb. No matter how reluctant my boys are when I suggest going for a walk, they always have a brilliant time at Mardley Heath.

There are lots of steep little slopes to clamber up and lots of fun paths for cycling. There’s a clearing at Mardley Heath where kids (and possibly adults) make bike jumps – we’ve had a few near misses careering over the mounds of earth.

There are some particularly good trees for climbing at Mardley Heath and if you search long enough you’ll come across the ultimate tree for kids to clamber on.

Read more about Mardley Heath here.

Heartwood Forest near St Albans

• Where to park: free Heartwood Forest car park
• Length of walk: various including the 1.5 mile “Magical Meander” for children
• Refreshments: pubs in nearby Sandridge or the Potting Shed Cafe on the road to St Albans
• Toilets: no
• Buggy friendly: yes

Heartwood is a wonderful mix of new and ancient woodland. The Woodland Trust, with help from lots of volunteers, has planted thousands of trees to create new pockets of woodland on former farmland.

This is a lovely place to come in spring when one of the ancient woodlands puts on a wonderful display of bluebells. More wildflowers appear throughout summer in the meadows which are crisscrossed with well maintained pathways.

Little children will enjoy the den building in the woodland and the newly created “Magical Meander” – a 1.5 mile trail made especially for children.

Find out more about Heartwood Forest here.

Family walks in Norfolk

Holkham beach and woodland

• Where to park: Lady Anne’s Drive
• Length of walk: various, including a 6.5 kilometre route
• Refreshments: at the Lookout and Wells Beach Cafe
• Toilets: at both refreshment stops
• Buggy friendly: no

This is my favourite winter walk. We like to park on Lady Anne’s Drive and walk up to the Lookout – a small interpretation centre with a café and toilets. There are useful boards detailing the background to this stunning landscape and seascape area. From there, boardwalks take you through the pine woods and dunes onto the vast expanse of beach.

Holkham beach looks amazing in all seasons – lovely on a sunny day with blue skies but impressive on a wild autumn or winter day. Sunsets are fantastic and I expect I’d like the sunrises too if I was able to drag myself out of bed early enough. We’ve seen some brilliant starling murmurations here too.

It’s a walk of around three kilometres along the beach from the Lookout to the Beach Café (where there’s a car park and the popular seasonal train into Wells-next-the-Sea). From there, you can either retrace your steps along the beach or walk back through the pine forest – we like the latter for a bit of variety. The kids love the forest paths and had boundless energy when we did this walk on New Year’s Day a few years ago.

There is loads to see in this area of Norfolk. And I find it’s just as much fun in autumn and winter as it is on a summer’s day. Read my review of our half term trip to North Norfolk.

Find out more about Holkham here

Family walks in Somerset

Cheddar Gorge circular walk

• Where to park: car parks fill up quickly – particularly in the village centre. Try parking near Gough’s Cave
• Length of walk: 4 mile circular
• Refreshments: lots at the start/end of walk
• Toilets: yes, in the village
• Buggy friendly: no

The National Trust describe this walk as challenging. However, I find my kids manage these sorts of walks a lot more easily than a flatter hike. It also helped that they were with a big group of friends when we were in Cheddar – energy can be contagious!

The walk does involve some pretty steep climbs – but with climbs come beautiful views so it’s definitely worth the slog. Make sure you arrive as early as possible – there is fairly limited parking and we ended up parking some way out of the centre. If you only have one day in Cheddar, ensure you leave enough time for exploring the caves too.

Find out more about Cheddar Gorge

Family walks in Surrey

Art installations at Runnymede

• Where to park: National Trust car park, TW20 0AE
• Length of walk: various, including a 2.5 kilometre trail
• Refreshments: National Trust café
• Toilets: National Trust toilets
• Buggy friendly: some trails are fine, others have steps (see below)

In those mid-covid days when you could only meet your loved ones outdoors, we enjoyed a lovely birthday celebration with my parents on the banks of the Thames at Runnymede. There are short boat trips available to book and the water looks clean enough for a dip should you feel so inclined.

The Magna Carta was sealed at Runnymede some 800 years ago and there are two really interesting art installations which reflect on this.

There are several walks to do at Runnymede. If you look at the National Trust Runnymede map, I recommend taking the 2.5 kilometre yellow route with a possible detour onto the red route. The yellow route takes you across a field from the carpark. The first artwork can be found here – the Jurors – a set of 12 bronze chairs commissioned to commemorate the 800 year anniversary. There’s a lot to talk about as you walk around these chairs – they are decorated with stories of struggle, freedom and the rule of law. There are nods to Oscar Wilde, Mahatma Ghandi and the suffragette Lillie Lenton among others.

On the far side of the field, there is woodland with a series of steps disappearing into the trees. If you follow the steps up through the hillside (this is the red detour part of the walk which you’ll not want to do with a buggy), they lead to a memorial of JFK.

Back down the steps and on to the yellow route once again, the pathway leads to Writ in Water, an excellent introduction for children to the power of art installations. Writ in Water is a peaceful stone chamber with a body of water at its centre. The water is surrounded by an inscription of Clause 39 of the Magna Carta but it can only be read when viewed through the water. It is a beautiful place to sit and ponder time. Even if your children are too young to appreciate the ideas behind the work, they will enjoy the way the light comes through the open roof and how rippling the water will make the words disappear.

There’s a charge for the car park but there’s no charge to walk and enjoy the artworks.

Frensham Little Pond, near Farnham

• Where to park: National Trust car park GU10 3BT or use what3words
• Length of walk: various, including a two mile circular walk around the pond
• Refreshments: National Trust café
• Toilets: at the café
• Buggy friendly: the two mile walk is not particularly good with a buggy as there are sandy slopes but there are flatter paths to follow as well.

This National Trust nature reserve has varied terrain – sandy hills, heathland, woodland and of course the pond itself.

There are some great views across the reserve and over Surrey Hills from the highest point of the walk – lovely on a clear day. It’s a colourful sight – purple heather, green pines, the blue of the sky and the pond.

The two mile circular walk is a great way to take in the sights – there’s plenty of variety so our kids didn’t get bored. They enjoyed running up and down the sandy slopes and disappearing into the heather.

The National Trust café at Frensham Little Pond is a good value little pitstop.

Find out more about walking at Frensham Little Pond here including route map for the two mile walk.

Family walks in Yorkshire

Walk along the city walls in York

• Where to park: various city centre car parks – or take the train from elsewhere in the country
• Length of walk: 3.5 kilometres
• Refreshments: frequent
• Toilets: various places
• Buggy friendly: if you have a very lightweight one which you can carry up the steps onto the walls you should be ok.

If you struggle to get your children to sightsee on a city break, try elevating them for a bird’s eye view of the cityscape below.

The walls which encircle York take walkers past many of the key sights of the city – with great views of the Minster from various angles.

There are plenty of spots along the 3.5 kilometre route where you can take steps down into the city should you need to take a break. There are one or two sections where there’s a drop to one side but the path is sufficiently wide that it feels perfectly safe.

Read about more things to do in York with kids here

Family walks in Wales

Elidir waterfall walk in Glyn-Neath, Brecon Beacons

• Where to park: walk starts here, behind the Angel Inn, there is road parking along Pontneathvaughan Road
• Length of walk: 5 miles total out and back
• Refreshments: we had good pizzas at Sgwd Gwladys near the start of the walk
• Toilets: at the start of the walk
• Buggy friendly: for some of the way only

This linear walk is a real joy for families. There are so many highlights – the river for paddling, bridges to dash across, rope swings and of course the impressive waterfalls.

There’s decent parking in Glyn-Neath (but arrive early as it does fill up in the summer). The walk starts behind the Angel Inn following the river weaving through the woods with the expectation of waterfalls growing as you continue along the route.

Although some linear routes can be a bit frustrating with kids who don’t like to retrace their steps, this one ticks so many boxes that children will delight at returning to the various highlights on the way back.

There’s a gratifyingly good restaurant serving pizzas – Sgwd Gwladys – close to the start of the walk but you may prefer to make a day of it and bring a picnic so you can linger by the waterfalls a little longer.

Note, the rocks around the final waterfall are very slippery. We saw one chap take a painful looking tumble as he tried to capture the perfect selfie.

Find out more about the Elidir Walk here

Pen-y-Fan

• Where to park: the new Pont ar Daf car park (due to open in 2023) will carry a charge
• Length of walk: 4 miles
• Refreshments: the Brecons Beacons Visitor Centre is about 10 minutes’ drive away
• Toilets: no
• Buggy friendly: no

If you’re not quite ready to tackle Snowden with your kids, Pen-y-Fan is a good compromise. This little mountain – at 886 metres – is the highest point in southern Wales. It’s a doable climb even for the littlest of legs – provided you have plenty of snacks to entice them to the top. We saw children as young as three trudging up the hill.

Pen-y-Fan is a very popular family hike and during our visit – despite pretty rubbish weather – the trail was busy. It was cloudy and chilly during our August trip – our kids raced to the top and marvelled at being able to walk through the low lying clouds – it was so thick at the summit that we could only see a few metres in front of us.

Pen-y-Fan is a safe and fairly easy walk, taking around two hours to the summit. There are a few rocky areas at the top which involve a bit of clambering – fun for the children. I believe there’s a stunning view on a clear day…

Find out more about Pen-y-Fan

Read more about mountains to climb in Wales for families

Family walks in Northern Ireland

Tollymore Forest Park

• Where to park: Tollymore Forest Park carpark – chargeable
• Length of walk: various, including 5.2 kilometre circular trail
• Refreshments: mobile coffee cart at the car park
• Toilets: in the car park
• Buggy friendly: shorter routes yes, longer routes no

During a family holiday in Northern Ireland, we took a day trip to Tollymore Forest Park. Set in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains, not far from the seaside town of Newcastle, Tollymore is a really fun destination for a walk with children.

There’s a 5.2 kilometre circular walk through Tollymore which begins along the banks of the Shimna river. There are plenty of interesting features to keep little children engaged – old stone follies, giant stepping stones across the river, old stone bridges.

Once the path leaves the river, it is not quite as exciting so if you’re with younger children, divert from the marked red trail onto one of the other trails which stay close to the river. Our kids would happily have spent all day messing about in the river – it’s worth bringing spare shoes and socks as they will get wet.

We stopped for a picnic lunch by the river and were entertained by a red squirrel which put on a marvellous acrobatic display while we munched on our sandwiches.

There’s a decent play area next to the car park.

Find out more about family walks at Tollymore Forest Park

Murlough National Nature Reserve

• Where to park: dedicated National Trust car park (chargeable for non-members)
• Length of walk: various, including a 3 mile circular trail
• Refreshments: mobile cart at the car park
• Toilets: at the car park
• Buggy friendly: no – the walk includes a section on the sandy beach

The coastline of Northern Ireland has so many incredible highlights and Murlough, with the backdrop of the Mourne Mountains, is definitely one of them.

The three mile trail is a great way to see the diversity of habitats in this small area. Aside from the epic sand dunes and expanse of beach, there is heathland and woodland and it’s a joy to explore.

If the weather is good (and by that, I mean not raining), ensure you allow a day to enjoy Murlough. Aside from the walking trails, the beach itself is a wonderful place to while away several hours. When the tide is out, it’s a lot of fun splashing in the pools and looking for shells and pebbles.

Find out more about family friendly walking trails at Murlough National Nature Reserve

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Do you have a favourite family walk? Let me know in the comments below.