The #UKexplore hashtag on Instagram was introduced by Karen and Rachel back in April 2016. I stepped in for Rachel in around June 2017 to co-host with Karen and do date over 39,850 photographs have been tagged. Pretty incredible isn’t it?
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We always hear about great cycle routes in Surrey. The challenge comes when you’re not all on bikes and therefore don’t need a full on cycling trail. POD has come on leaps and bounds with her cycling since she got her new bike at Christmas. With us mostly on foot, we’ve been on the hunt for places that are great for her to enjoy the independence cycling brings but not too challenging for the two of us! Here are our favourites so far.
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It’s been glorious recently, hasn’t it, spring is on its way! Much as we relish being outdoors all year round, there’s nothing better than getting that Vitamin D fix is there? Even the short sleeves got a look in its been that warm! That said we’ve been outside less this month as we’ve all been ill (literally one after the other!) but we managed to escape to the farm recently. As well as feeding the animals, checking out the new arrivals and cheering at the pig race, it was an absolute joy breathing in that fresh country air. I cannot wait to get outside more this month now we’re all back to our sprightly selves.
We’ve been members of the National Trust for many years now. We joined after moving from London to Surrey and with so much choice available, National Trust membership really is a no brainer for the Dove family. We’ve got to explore a number of places over recent years, many of which we’ve returned to, and there’s still a wealth of discoveries to be made locally and in nearby counties. Here’s a taste of what’s on offer in Surrey.
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Seriously how is it February already? January seems to have disappeared in the blink of an eye – it honestly doesn’t seem five minutes since Christmas when we were celebrating POD’s 8th birthday! We’re still in denial about that, she’s growing up SO fast!
Hatchlands Park is one of our favourite National Trust places to visit and open 363 days a year. Situated in East Clandon in the Surrey Hills, there’s over 400 acres of parkland to explore – more than enough to blow away a few cobwebs.
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I honestly can’t remember the last time we were at Windsor Great Park, we’ve been long overdue a visit that’s for sure! With nearly 5,000 acres to explore and a royal history spanning a thousand years, there’s no shortage of things to do.
There are historical monuments, ancient forests and horticultural displays aplenty. What’s more, William the Conqueror adopted the landscape as his hunting ground, Queen Victoria used the shores of Virginia Water for entertaining and the Duke of Edinburgh is a current Ranger. In 2018, thousands of people lined the Long Walk to await the carriage procession of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
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Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Christmas and got to enjoy a little time off. It’s was a busy time for us as it was POD’s eighth birthday on 25th December. She had a brilliant day and we surprised her by having some friends over which was superb. POD got a new bike so she’s relishing the independence cycling brings. We don’t have bikes but running behind her is no bad thing given how much food we’ve consumed over the festive period!
Does anyone else feel like the weeks are just flying by at the moment? It doesn’t seem five minutes since we were lapping up that outdoor sunshine and here we are only a few weeks away from Christmas. Nice to see everyone is continuing to get out and about in a quest to blow away those cobwebs. There are some wonderful images in the #UKExplore community this month.
How glorious is the colour out there at the moment? We’re loving all the autumnal hues even if it has been a little on the chilly side recently. We were in Italy last week though so it was bound to be a shock to the system wasn’t it? We’ve been loving all your half term adventures, it’s brilliant to see everyone making the most of the great outdoors.
