Countryside                        

Find perfect peace, relaxation and wildlife in Darlington's countryside, parks and nature reserves. Use our 'walking in Darlington' guide to discover over 20 relaxing walks.

Here are a selection of the short walks, strolls and rambles on offer.  There are plenty of walks for novice walkers to choose from, so don't be scared, just get out and about and enjoy the countryside.  Here are some of the gentle walks you could try, but there are also some more stretching rambles and walks in the guide too:

Archers Farm: enjoy a home-made Jersey ice cream at the award-winning Archer's Farm, who have kindly granted a gentle 2 mile permissive walk around their fields, affording excellent views of the local countryside;  plus a chance to pet their irresistible Jersey calves

Piercebridge Circular: a gentle 1 mile walk which explores ancient Roman Ruins at the fort site then sample organic delights at Piercebridge Organic Farm Shop and Café after this 1 mile stroll

Medieval Ulnaby: a half mile stroll on land under which lies a buried Medieval village, which was filmed by BBC TVs Time Team!  See rare breeds of cattle, llamas and rheas and enjoy the great tea shop at 'Medieval Ulnaby'

Middleton-St-George: a walk with the option to do 2.5 or 5 miles, during which you may see the rare breed white faced sheep, moths and butterflies which live on this urban and local nature reserves walk

Darlington's Heighington Village won the 'Britain's Best Village' award in the BBC TV series of the same name recently.  This accolade confirms what is best about Darlington: it is an attractive market town, with contemporary facilities supported by picturesque rural villages and delightful countryside.

South Park: a gentle 2.5 mile walk round the 91 acre haven in the heart of Darlington. See giant redwood trees, new rose and sensory gardens, beautiful lake, home to kingfishers, heron and swans. Squirrels playfully dart around, exotic birds call from the aviaries and at dusk several bat species make a guest appearance.