Top 10 things to do This Spring

Spring is a lovely time to explore the English countryside, and there is plenty to see and do along the Great West Way at this time of year. Whether you’re travelling the route by car, bike, train, boat or on foot, take your time and enjoy the sight of the countryside springing to life as the weather warms up.  

Explore Quintessentially English Villages
Spring time is when all the flowers start to bloom and a fresh scent gently lingers in the air. Wherever you are along the Great West Way, there will be a picture-perfect village in bloom that will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Whether you’re in the Cotswolds driving past a chocolate box house with a thatched roof, or passing a white walled cottage on the bank of the River Thames whilst steering a narrowboat, something unique will catch your eye. One thing to look out for especially are the villages scarecrows, lots of parishes take part in various scarecrow competitions and festivals across the spring, some even produce a trail! It’s a fantastic sight to see. 

Visit a Farm for Lambing Season 
Your adventure can be both educational and fun! During this time of the year, lambs will be born, ducklings and chicks hatched and baby rabbits will appear. Roves Farm Visitor Centre near Swindon is a working farm, perfect for all the family to explore with daily talks, meet and feed the animals, egg collecting, animal racing, tractor rides and more.  In between Bath and Bristol, Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park also have animal handling where you can meet the rabbits, feed the lambs and help groom the ponies. Another option is to stay on a farm on your adventure to be right in the middle of the action during lambing season.

Discover Royal Heritage at Windsor Castle
Royal baby Archie, the son of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, was born on 6 May 2019. Why not mark his birthday with a trip to find out more about England's royal heritage at Windsor Castle this Spring? The castle is one of the Queen's three official residencies and has been the family home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years. Today, it is famous for being the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. And if your trip to Windsor leaves you feeling inspired, there are royal connections along the whole length of the Great West Way - make time to visit Hampton Court Palace near London, Eton College (where both Prince Harry and Prince William went to school) or Bath's The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa as you travel along the route.

Get on your Bike!
With fresh, mild days, Spring is the perfect time to cycle the Great West Way. Watch the countryside around you bloom into life as you whizz past on two wheels. Take a week to tackle the whole route from London to Bristol, or simply hire a bike for an afternoon and use it to explore a section of the towpath running alongside the picturesque Kennet and Avon Canal or forest trails. There are pretty woodland routes to be explored, sleepy Cotswold villages and exciting cycling-friendly cities like Bristol.

Admire Magnificent Stately Homes and Gardens 
Every house has its own story to tell whether its scandal, love or a family war. Many estates along the Great West Way were lucky enough to be designed or landscaped by the famous ‘Capability’ Brown, including Bowood House and Gardens. During late spring in April, the Woodland Gardens are open for 6 weeks only, showcasing a spectacular vision of colour and beauty in a 30-acre oasis of azaleas, bluebells, magnolias and rhododendrons. There are plenty of National Trust properties to explore too from Victorian Gothic Tyntesfield near Bristol to Newark Park, a Tudor hunting lodge in the Cotswolds. Horace Walpole’s gothic castle Strawberry Hill House & Garden near Twickenham, Iford Manor and Peto Garden near Bath, and Stourhead are fantastic places to stop off too. 

Relax with an Afternoon Tea
No journey along the Great West Way during Spring time is complete without a delicious afternoon tea with freshly baked scones, homemade jam and a good view. It’s the perfect light refreshment after a morning or afternoon exploring the local area. For an afternoon tea off the beaten track, try Honeystreet Mill Café near Pewsey or the Tutti Pole in Hungerford. In Bath, visit The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa for a tea in their glorious garden or float along the River Thames or Kennet & Avon Canal on a cream tea cruise with French Brothers Boat Trips, Hobbs of Henley, Thames Rivercruise or the Barbara Mclellan canal boat. 

Visit Castle Combe Circuit
For something a bit different, enjoy an adrenalin-fuelled day out packed with motorsport activities at Castle Combe Circuit. Take advantage of the mild Spring weather for a day outside on the track, watching the motoring action. Or if you're feeling adventurous, get involved yourself and take part in Castle Combe's hugely popular racing school. It's guaranteed to get your blood pumping!

Watch the world float by onboard a Canal Boat
Journey along the Great West Way this Spring on a canal boat, a unique way to slow down, relax and take in your surroundings. The peaceful and tranquil waterways of the River Thames and the Kennet & Avon Canal offer the perfect opportunity to strike up conversations with people at a pub or cafe on the riverbank and see the landscape and wildlife of the area up close. Don’t worry if you have never driven one before, manoeuvring is easy and there is no licence required, consider it a new skill to master. You can hire canal boats from Devizes Marina, Sally Narrowboats and Bruce Accessible Boats for your journey.  

See the Sights in Bristol
Whether you start or end your Great West Way journey in Bristol, make sure you take a few days to explore this vibrant, modern city. Spring time is the perfect opportunity to look around on foot or with a bike - and you will find that Bristol is very welcoming to cyclists, with cycle routes throughout the city. While in the city, take time to visit the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge or Brunel’s famous SS Great Britain. But there are plenty of lesser-known delights and hidden gems within the city too. Museums, rock climbing, gardens, paddle-boarding, shopping, boating and even a zoo. Bristol will certainly keep you busy this Spring!

Take a Walk Amongst the Bluebells
One of the loveliest and most quintessentially English sights you will see along the Great West Way in the spring time is a wood full of bluebells. The flowers are normally at their most glorious at the end of April and the beginning of May. Find a local bluebell wood along the route and you will see them by their thousands! Wander through the shade-dappled spaces beneath the trees with a lush blue carpet of bright bluebells on every side of you. Let the peace and calm of the English countryside seep into your bones before you carry on with your Great West Way adventure. Bliss.

Take a look at our Stay pages to help you find accomodation for your journey and be sure to check out our other Top 10s for more inspiration on how to explore the Great West Way this Spring.