Ten Riverside Walks That Showcase British Wildlife

Riverbank Mornings Worth Getting Up For

British rivers hold more life per mile than almost any other habitat in the country. A single stretch of slow lowland water can carry herons, kingfishers, water voles, otters, damselflies and half a dozen species of warbler, all within walking distance of a car park. The trick is knowing where to go and when to stop and stand still.

These ten routes are gentle going — flat paths, firm underfoot, plenty of benches and no scrambling. Each one passes through reedbed, wet woodland or an old millpond where wildlife turns up reliably enough that you have a genuine chance of a sighting rather than a lucky one.

Reading the Water: How to Spot More

Most people walk a riverbank too quickly and look at the wrong distance. A few habits will transform what you see.

• Walk slowly and stop often. Herons and kingfishers react to movement, not to people. Standing motionless for three or four minutes at a bend often reveals birds that were simply waiting for you to pass.
• Watch the margins, not the middle. Almost everything of interest happens within a metre of the bank — voles feeding, moorhens nesting, dragonflies emerging.
• Learn three signs. A pile of nibbled grass stems cut at 45 degrees means water voles; a dark spraint on a flat stone means otters; a neat round hole in a sandy bank means kingfishers.
• Use your ears. The sharp whistle and splash of a kingfisher, the creaking call of a little grebe and the low boom of a bittern all carry well across water.

Reedbeds, Marshes and Flood Meadows

The Weavers' Way in Norfolk follows the Bure and Ant through some of the finest reedbed in Britain. Marsh harriers quarter the fields from March onwards, and winter brings hen harriers to the roost. The path is level throughout and there are hides at several points.

The Ouse Washes between Earith and Welney is a different sort of day out — vast, windswept and wonderfully noisy in winter, when thousands of wigeon and whooper swans graze the flooded meadows. Binoculars are essential; the birds are often a long way off.

On the south coast, the Brede Valley around Rye Harbour mixes saltmarsh, shingle and reedbed in a short, easy circuit. Little egrets are now common, and the low tide channels are good for redshank.

Wet Woodland and Old Millponds

The Stour at Flatford in Suffolk is the classic picture-postcard river, but it earns its reputation. Alder and willow crowd the banks, and the slow water below the millpond holds kingfishers, grey wagtails and, on quiet weekday mornings, a hunting heron every hundred yards or so.

The Cromford Canal in Derbyshire runs beside the Derwent through a wooded valley. Dippers work the weirs, and the canal itself supports a healthy water vole population — watch for the V-shaped wake and the plop.

In Devon, the River Otter between Otterton and Budleigh Salterton is one of the best places in England to see an otter in daylight. Go early, keep downwind and scan the far bank rather than the water in front of you.

Upland Rivers and Valley Trails

The Wye at Symonds Yat offers a riverside path with limestone cliffs above. Peregrines nest on the rock, ravens tumble overhead and the river itself is good for goosanders in winter and salmon in autumn.

The Teifi Marshes at Cardigan combine a level riverside trail with pools and scrapes. Otters are recorded regularly, and the estuary end is excellent for waders on a falling tide.

On the Tweed near Kelso, the riverside paths pass through mature deciduous woodland alive with nuthatches and woodpeckers, with goosanders on the gravel riffles and the chance of an osprey overhead between April and September.

Finally, the Itchen water meadows at Winchester are a short, easy stroll through chalk-stream country. Look for grayling in the clear water, water voles in the side channels and banded demoiselles along the nettle beds in July.

Practical Notes for a Riverside Walk

• Footwear matters. Even flat riverside paths are muddy from October to March. Waterproof boots beat trainers every time.
• Take 8x42 binoculars. They are the sweet spot for river wildlife — wide enough to follow a kingfisher in flight, bright enough for dawn and dusk.
• Dogs on leads near water. Disturbance pushes otters and voles off the bank, and nesting birds are easily flushed.
• Never feed bread. It fouls the water and attracts rats. If you want to feed ducks, take oats, peas or bird seed in small amounts.
• Check the tides before walking any estuary path, and carry a phone — river valleys often lose signal in the wooded stretches.
• Go in the first and last hour of light. It is not a cliché; it is simply when most riverside wildlife is active and most walkers are not.