From ANCIENT STONE CIRCLES to rolling green hills , Cotswolds walking trails are among the best in the UK . And spring is a particularly beautiful time to explore them with delicate bluebells , sunny primrose and wild garlic carpeting the way . Explore the beech woods at Frith Wood Nature Reserve near Stroud , or try the stunning circular walk from charming Charlbury through the neolithic Wychwood Forest . Be sure to look out for the 12th-century medieval church at Shorthampton . nationaltrail . co . uk

Photography : Hannah Argyle

OUTDOOR PURSUITS

FROM DISCOVERING ANCIENT COTSWOLDS FOOTPATHS TO FORAGING FOR FUNGI , A WORLD OF WONDER AWAITS ON OUR VERY OWN DOORSTEP . HOW YOU EXPLORE IT IS UP TO YOU …

Combine walking with a TASTE OF THE COUNTRYSIDE on a Gloucestershire Foraging Course . Booking now for the summer , walks last around three and a half hours and teach guests to identify an array of edibles from the local area . In spring , the first leaves of dandelions and chickweed are tender enough to go in salads , while the young shoots of goosegrass and early nettle tops are the perfect addition to soups , omelettes and pasta dishes . Mushrooms are also on the menu . The St George ‘ s variety appears around the saint ‘ s day and is delicious fried in butter and served on toast . foragingcoursecompany . co . uk

Explore further with SLOW WAYS . The project is calling for 10,000 volunteers to help walk , test , record and review a network of walking routes connecting every town in England . It may surprise you to know that , while there are thousands of kilometres of trails across the country , there is no definitive map to help people walk off-road between towns and cities . Slow Ways aims to change that , and last year some 700 volunteers collaborated to produce a first draft of the Slow Ways network , creating a stunning map . slowways . uk

Guess what ? From 2021 , we ’ ll be planting 50,000 trees a year to help rejuvenate woodland and combat climate change .

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