If you’re wanting to blow away the cobwebs, we’ve pulled together our top winter walks for January! Nothing beats the peace and serenity of a crisp, winter walk. Ice-blue skies, bright sunshine, the air filled with the optimism of a new year. It’s true: a walk like that is good for the soul. The Wakefield district is full of special outdoor spaces to relax and revitalise you.
Be charmed by art on a ramble through YSP’s 500 acres of fields, hills, woodland, lakes and formal gardens. From the peace of James Turrel’s Deer Shelter Skyspace, to the intriguing shapes of Barbara Hepworth’s The Family of Man, there’s a little bit of magic around each corner.
📍 West Bretton, WF4 4LG
💰 Admission from £9.50 for adults, under 18s free.
🔗 See more at YSP.org.uk
On the outskirts of Castleford lies RSPB Fairburn Ings, a haven of peace and tranquility transformed from an industrial space to a wild place over the last 60 years. Providing a rich habitat for wildlife and birdlife throughout the year, it’s the perfect place to reconnect with nature this winter.
📍 Castleford, WF10 2BH
💰 FREE!
🔗 See more at RSPB Fairburn Ings’ website
The sheltering woodland of Newmillerdam is ideal for driving the world and its worries from your mind. Take some time out by the lake, and from February you might be lucky enough to see the elaborate courtship dance of the park’s Great Crested Grebes.
📍 Newmillerdam, WF2 6QP
💰 FREE!
🔗 Read more here
Feel your heart lift at the sight of Nostell’s golden sandstone walls, lit up with winter sunlight, as you stroll across the gently sloping lawns of the landscaped parkland. Or discover of winding paths through historic oaks in the estate’s Joiner’s Wood.
📍 Nostell, WF4 1QE
💰 Garden only admission is £4 for children, £8 adults
🔗 See more on the National Trust website
Revel in the range of outdoor spaces available at Pontefract Park. Feast your senses on lush green grassland, the wide, glassy lake, secluded woodland, dynamic wetland and small pools of serene open water. You’re sure to never experience the same thing twice on a journey through the park.
📍 Pontefract, WF8 4QD
💰 FREE!
🔗 Read more here
Leave the bustle of life at the gate and let the calmness of beautiful Pugneys still your mind as you make your way around its silvery central lake. Hike up the hill to the ruins of Sandal Castle, where you can stand among the ancient stones and enjoy stunning views across the Calder Valley.
📍 Wakefield, WF2 7EQ (Sandal Castle postcode WF2 7DS)
💰 FREE!
🔗 Read more about Pugneys here and read more about Sandal Castle here
To discover more of Wakefield’s natural beauty, visit our Nature & Outdoors page.