If you’re feeling the call of the wild, you can’t get better than a visit to Wressle Grange. Based on a working arable farm, we’re surrounded by beautiful fields and fresh air. From rural walks to wild swimming, nature reserves to wildlife parks, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to get back to nature here.
Walking routes
Despite being super accessible by car, we totally understand if you want to park up and enjoy the best of the British countryside on foot.
Wressle is right on some popular walking routes. There’s a circuit that will take you right around the village and back to the farm in a 5k loop.
Want to go a bit further? Welcome to Yorkshire has a 6 mile route that takes in Wressle and Breighton, crossing the countryside and fields between the two.
At 20 miles long, the Howden 20 challenge also goes via Wressle, so you can start the loop from Wressle Grange.
Wild swimming
If you’re feeling adventurous, Pool Bridge Farm in York is only half an hour away. A tranquil haven for open water swimmers, they have three swimming lakes and two wood fired saunas. Bliss!
At 22 minutes away, near Pocklington, Allerthorpe Lake has a little area dedicated to paddling and open water swimming sessions, as well as watersports.
There’s also the option of driving an hour to the coast and jumping in the North Sea!
Wildlife
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to local nature reserves! A haven for local wildlife, Howden Marsh is just five minutes drive away and walkable from the town. Only nine minutes away is Bubwith Ings – a small reserve, but good for birdwatching.
15 minutes away, you’ll find a hidden gem in Goole. Oakhill Nature Reserve is a 150 acre nature reserve, featuring ponds, meadows, wetlands and woodlands… and free parking!
In the opposite direction, 17 minutes away, you’ll find Skipwith Common, one of the last remaining areas of lowland heath in England. With lots of choices of different walking routes, you could not only see plenty of wildlife, including the cattle, sheep, ponies and deer who live on the common – but there’s also some bomb bays to explore, as it was used as an airfield during WWII.
Drax Skylark Centre is only 20 minutes away, and is open to the public on Saturday and Sundays 10am – 4pm. It includes educational resources, run by Drax Power Station, and often offers events aimed at children during the school holidays.
Half an hour from Wressle Grange is Askham Bryan Wildlife and Conservation Park. With birds, reptiles, farm animals and more, they also offer animal experiences if you want to get really close!
A slightly longer drive at 36 minutes away, take a picnic to RSPB Fairburn Ings, near Castleford, West Yorkshire. It’s a lovely, picturesque nature reserve with long walks available around their open water, wet grasslands and woodlands.
We actually get quite a bit of local wildlife around Wressle Grange, so you might not have to venture too far! Spend a bit of time relaxing by a window and you might see wild hares, deer, pheasants, squirrels, birds of prey and more wandering across your path.