We were starting to miss our long hikes in the lake district and decided to find a beautiful place to walk closer to home.
We looked at our old faithful National trust book and found Woodchester park a secluded valley hidden amongst the Gloucestershire countryside.
A lost landscape from the 18th to 19th century it was a former landscape park left to become overgrown
With its five lakes a heronry and old unfinished gothic mansion it sounded right up our street
We arrived after a pleasant drive through rolling hills with views of the Malvern hills along the way.
Adam had packed soup so we got out our camping stove but he had forgotten to bring a pan, being the resourceful types we used the can and a pair of socks 'clean, spare ones ' as oven mitts.
The walk started in a forest full of wild garlic we were following the longest trail that let us explore the whole park
Hidden amongst the trees and overgrowth were reminders of the past from crumbling ruins to old benches
The mansion was never finished and has been left abandon over the years.
It was built in the place of a grand Georgian hunting lodge
Capability brown designed its landscape that is now overgrown, the National trust are currently using historical documents to transform it back to its original glory.
Along with the abundance of wild garlic there were signs of spring and colour
There were even a heard of Jacob sheep with there lambs
The old boat house was uncovered by the trust as it had been hidden by the overgrowth
It is now home to Horse shoe bats with fly across the lake at dusk
A hike would not be complete without a flask of tea
After a long day we had explored the whole park seeing lots of wild garlic wildlife and hidden streams we would definitely recommend Woodchester park.
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