Get Closer to Nature

Alternative Adventure and Outdoor Activities Service

We deliver professionally run outdoor education and outdoor pursuits activities for the widest possible range of groups. Venues used are around the Lancashire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester area. This includes corporate events, management groups, Over 50’s clubs, hen parties, stag parties, adult and junior birthday parties, fun days for family groups, primary schools, junior schools and secondary schools, pupil referral units, special needs organisations, further education and sixth form colleges and youth groups.

Our activities include Rock Climbing, Forest Schools, Open Canoeing, Orienteering, Abseiling, Archery, Gorge Walking, Caving, Mobile Climbing Walls, Problem Solving Exercises, Mountain Biking, Sea Cliff Traversing, Team Building Exercises, Kayak Canoeing, Mountain Walks, Winter Skills, Navigation, Raft Building and more.

We deliver qualification course from a number of National Governing Bodies.

Be A Garden Maker

A beautiful small garden centre located in a rural location. Lovely tearoom serving homemade traditional food, dogs welcome. Easy access for limited mobility. Gift shop and reclamation shop in our onsite barns also gives interesting things for our home and garden.

Bowland Wild Boar Park

Nestling beside the River Hodder in a remote valley beneath the rugged ridgeline of the Bleasdale Fells, Bowland Wild Boar Park maintains a tradition dating back to the middle ages – along with a host of fun activities for the whole family.

The Wild Boar was a fearsome creature which once roamed wild across the ancient Forest of Bowland – inspiring fear and reverence among local foresters in equal measure.

Today, wild boar continue to flourish in the Forest of Bowland, but only within the confines of one of the Forest of Bowland’s most popular – and sustainable – visitor attractions. And as well as nurturing the Forest’s only remaining population of wild boar, the park is home to a whole host of fascinating animals – from owls and deer to ostriches and meerkats.

Located between the pretty farming village of Chipping and the ancient hamlet of Whitewell, the Wild Boar Park lies at the heart of an especially scenic corner of the AONB known known as ‘Little Bowland’.

As the name suggests, visitors can expect to get up close and personal with the area’s population of wild boar – and usually a handful of super-cute stripey boarlets – but the park’s other residents are equally engaging – especially for children.

Alongside traditional farm animals like rare breed sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and ducks, visitors can also see native species like red deer and rabbits. In addition, the park has a whole menagerie of altogether more exotic species, ranging from the perennially popular meerkat family, to emus and ostriches, alpacas and llamas. Some of these animals can be hand-fed and petted at certain times of day – check the website for details as timings vary.

The park also has an adventure playground and zipwire, tractor and trailer rides and signposted short wildlife walks suitable for the whole family. And after a busy morning getting to know all manner of furry and feathered friends, why not adjourn to the café for hot and cold snack? There’s indoor and outdoor seating and a separate ice cream parlour for those long hot days of summer.

We also have our Rare Breed meat sales in the shop. Indoor activities come rain or shine in the Barn and Education Centre next to the Playground.*

• Ice Cream Parlour and Café serving homemade food (Take away only)
• Barrel, Tractor and Trailer rides *
• Lamb Feeding, Chick Holding *
• Tank Experience
• See Llamas, Red Deer, Ostriches and lots more!
• Camping pods
• Mobility scooter/Tramper available to book

The park is open weekends and midweek during peak season from 10.30am to 4.30pm and dogs on leads are welcome.

Laythams Holiday Lets Retreat

For a relaxing getaway to the beautiful Bowland wilderness, or a group celebration, as much as for an incredible range of local exciting activities, Laythams offers four delightful Gold rated luxury accommodations to welcome from 2 to 22 guests; and to suit a range of tastes and pockets. Pets are even welcome in two of the cottages. 

Discrete arrangements ensure safety and social distancing can be maintained in a relaxed non-intrusive manner. A warm welcome awaits amid stunning Bowland scenery.

Little Oakhurst Luxury Glamping

Do you desire a night of peace and quiet? Want to relax under the stars in your very own Luxury yurt with a wood fired hot tub? If you do, then Little Oakhurst is the place for you. From the moment you arrive on the farm, you are made to feel part of the family. The yurt is tastefully decorated with scrumptious home-made Nana’s cake on arrival and fresh milk from the cows. You can kick off your shoes, light the fire and snuggle under the blankets. Each Yurt has its own luxury bathroom facilities, one with a roll top bath. So, throw open the doors and admire the view!

NaturesGems Tours

Experienced naturalist and active conservationist Gemma Wren leads small groups on bespoke nature tours of Morecambe Bay and its diverse range of habitats.

Owned and operated by practising environment consultant Gemma Wren, NaturesGems Tours offers immersive wildlife experiences in some of the county’s most nature-rich environments.

Most of Gemma’s tours take place within the Arnside and Silverdale AONB or Lake District National Park, exploring coastal, woodland and upland environments and observing the species which live there.

The half-day tours offer a taste of the AONB and its wildlife, visiting a number of local nature reserves and established wildlife-watching locations which vary according to the season and which species are likely to be in the area.

The full-day tours offer visitors an opportunity to really immerse themselves in the habitations of Arnside and Silverdale and chalk up an enviable list of rarities, including bittern, hen harrier and osprey, waders, warblers, otters and – in the summer months – rare butterflies and dragonflies and some spectacular orchids on the chalk grasslands of the AONB.

Your itinerary could include RSPB Leighton Moss, Foulshaw Moss, Whitbarrow Scar and Gaitbarrows and will involve a walk of around six miles. A picnic lunch of wholesome local produce is provided by local business Baba Ganoush, who use eco-friendly packaging and local ingredients for their tasty vegetarian lunches.

Everyone with an interest in nature is welcome, from beginners to the more experienced, but as they inevitably involve a significant amount of walking in hilly and sometimes rough terrain, they may not be suitable for those with mobility or health issues.

Gemma can also arrange bespoke tours for individuals and small groups and while she can cater for family groups by prior arrangement, the tours aren’t generally suitable for children under 10 years of age.

Most visitors bring their own binoculars or telescopes, but Gemma has a small number of high-quality optics which guests may borrow for the day.

“One of the beauties of the AONB is the sheer variety of species you find here in the AONB,” said Gemma. “We’re right on the intersection between the northern boundary of many southern species and the southern boundary of northern species and this part of Morecambe Bay has a sort of microclimate where all these species can co-exist.

“This unique environment – along with the huge seasonal changes which sweep across the Bay as the year unfolds – mean that no two trips are quite the same and there are usually one or two surprises along the way.”

Get in touch

Gemma’s website contains more information on NaturesGems tour schedule: www.naturesgemtours.co.uk. Or email Gemma on: naturesgemtours@gmail.com.

Patty’s Barn

Patty’s Barn is a collection of 10 self-catering cottages all full of character and original features. Situated on the edge of Morecambe Bay and just south of the bustling, historic city of Lancaster.

With the great outdoors directly on the doorstep, we welcome you to indulge in the constant change of nature whilst enjoying the unspoilt natural beauty of the surrounding area. The perfect spot for a rural coastal retreat with family and loved ones.

Our accommodation can sleep up to 54 people combined with a combination or indoor and outdoor events spaces. We welcome group bookings.

RSPB Leighton Moss

Conveniently located just a 200m walk from Silverdale station, Leighton Moss is one of the RSPB’s most accessible reserves and home to a host of spectacular wildlife, from marsh harriers and ospreys to red deer and otters.

Conveniently located just a 200m walk from Silverdale station, Leighton Moss is one of the RSPB’s most accessible reserves and home to a host of spectacular wildlife, from marsh harriers and ospreys to red deer and otters.

RSPB Leighton Moss was established to protect one of Britain’s rarest and most elusive birds – the bittern – but since its inception in the 1960s, this huge expanse of wetlands and reedbeds has attracted a whole host of wonderful wildlife.

The bittern remains the star of the show – especially in spring, when males can be heard ‘booming’ from deep within the reedbeds from February onwards. This unearthly call is made by the bittern inflating its throat and the sound can carry for around three miles across the reserve.

Other spring migrants begin to arrive from early March, when the first warblers begin singing in the woodland, followed closely by sand martins, swallows and swifts and the majestic osprey – which looks set to breed at Leighton Moss in the next year or two.

And there’s much more to Leighton Moss than birdlife. The marshy wetlands are home to dozens of beautiful wildflowers, which in turn attract a host of insects and pollinators – including some colourful species of moths and butterfly and brightly jewelled damsel and dragon flies.

Remain stealthy as you wander along the footpaths and wooden walkways and you could also catch a glimpse of an otter or a deer in the quieter reaches of the reserve.

And in the winter months, Leighton Moss hosts one of the most enthralling natural spectacles viewable in the UK. As dusk descends over the reserve, tens of thousands of starlings gather in the skies above the reserve, wheeling and swirling back and forth across the setting sun as they prepare to roost in the reedbeds.

These murmurations can last for several minutes as the birds paint mesmerising patterns across the sky before suddenly diving en masse for the shelter of the reedbeds.

Leighton Moss comprises reedbeds, mudflats, coastal marsh and saltwater lagoons, all set against the shores of the nearby Morecambe Bay. The best vantage point to appreciate the different elements of the reserve is from the elevated skytower observation platform just a short walk from the visitor centre.

The RSPB has increased the size of the reedbeds in recent years, adding a further 200 hectares and they need to be extensively cut back in summer and winter to create ideal conditions for bearded tits, otters, bitterns and wintering wildfowl.

The mudflats and saltmarsh around Morecambe Bay support important wintering populations of oystercatchers and knots, as well as breeding redshanks and wintering wildfowl. The inner marshes are grazed by cattle to create suitable conditions for these birds and provide a mix of established trees and new growth throughout the year.

The limestone grassland and woodland surrounding the reserve are home to nationally important plants and insects, including the rare high brown and pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies.

The reserve has seven fully weatherproof birdwatching hides stretching over several miles of footpaths and walkways and the visitor centre has a shop selling bird foods, books and optics and a welcoming café offering hot and cold snacks and drinks, with some outdoor seating available.

The reserve is open year-round and hosts a busy schedule of wildlife events which are open to the public – check the website for details. RSPB Leighton Moss also has a Tramper all-terrain mobility scooter available for visitors for restricted mobility. Call the visitor centre at Leighton Moss on 01524 701601 to book the Tramper in advance.

The Gathering Fields

After returning to her childhood home, natural therapist Helen Leece established a centre for wellbeing and renewal high among the hills on the western fringe of the Forest of Bowland.

The Gathering Fields is a rural Retreat centre teaching Yoga, Meditation, Cookery and Wild medicine. The centre can be hired by companies and community groups and hosts a variety of retreats based around wellbeing in nature.

Standing some 140 metres above sea level, Swainshead Hall Farm, enjoys an elevated position offering amazing views of both the fells and the wide sweep of Morecambe Bay, with the hazy outline of the Lakeland Fells peeping over the northern horizon.

It’s a truly enchanting view that’s entirely in keeping with the aura that permeates this magical rural hideaway overlooking the upper Wyre Valley and the Ward Stone – the highest point in the Bowland Fells.

Helen returned to her family home – a working hill farm of some 280 aces – after a varied career which saw her qualify as a holistic therapist and practitioner of Ayurveda – an Indian-based holistic medical system incorporating diet, lifestyle and herbal medicine.

She immediately set about diversifying, converting the outbuildings into cosy bunkhouse accommodation and indoor and outdoor spaces for learning and discovery, which she christened ‘The Gathering Fields.’

“This little community has been a place where people have come together in friendship for centuries and we want to preserve those traditions,” said Helen. “The name the Gathering Fields seems to capture that instinct for like-minded people to share each others’ company in a relaxed and open setting.”

Ideal for extended families or informal friendship groups, community groups and charities, the Gathering Fields offers yoga, Sound relaxation, herbal foraging with a medicinal twist, Flower essence making or simply revelling in the glorious countryside on the doorstep.

Alongside the camping barn – which was once a cowshed – there’s also a paddock to pitch tents and a wonderfully expansive covered outdoor seating area complete with communal firepit to while away the evenings around the campfire.

A recently restored community pub is a shortish hike across the fields, while the ridgeline of surrounding hills can be reached on foot within an hour. The Gathering Fields also makes the perfect base for exploring the quiet roads and wild trails of Bowland on road, mountain or electric bikes.

“We encourage a ‘back to nature’ approach to stays on the farm,” said Helen. “But while it’s deliberately rustic, the camping barn has all mod cons, with hot and cold water, heating, toilets and indoor kitchen and plenty of room to dry out wet clothes and boots.

“Families love the sense of space and safety and seem to settle in and get comfortable in their surroundings very quickly. We know the surrounding area really well and can point guests in the direction of the best places to walk, cycle, explore – and enjoy a pint! We’ll even supply torches if they fancy a night hike.

“We welcome guests to share stories, skills, open fires, music, make friendships and from here we can bring people together to grow a community.”

The Rewilding

For big skies, wide open spaces and the perfect environment for rewilding yourself, head over to the windswept salt marshes of the Lancashire coast, where the Forest of Bowland meets the sea!

After travelling the world with a high-powered job for more than a decade, Lancashire lass Michelle Parry returned to her family farm with a mission to rewild herself and reverse the noise and clutter accumulated through 21^st century culture by reconnecting with nature.

Now, Michelle runs a busy schedule of events, workshops and wellness retreats under the big skies of the Lancashire coast, where the emphasis is firmly on the healing power of place in a very special landscape on the salt marshes of Morecambe Bay in the shadow of the Bowland Fells.

“I consider myself one of the lucky ones who experienced life pre-mobile phones and computers,” says Michelle. “I have a lot of gratitude for my upbringing: running wild, making dens and being free-range and feral is what I always knew. 

“Over the past 10 years I’ve witnessed the increasingly rapid disconnect humans have with the natural world. I’m one of the lucky ones who experienced life pre-mobile phones and computers.

“Today, I find it hard to wrap my head around how much this is impacting our daily lives, our connection with one another, our planet and the devastating impact it is having to our natural world, on our mental wellbeing, creating a broken ‘new normal’ for our future generations.

“Bridging the gap between the countryside and city life is something I’ve become increasingly passionate about. Here at the Rewilding, we’re on a mission to rewild our fellow humans and welcome you all along for the journey.”

One of the centrepieces of Michelle’s mission is the Untamed Supper Club – a series of informal semi al fresco dinners where anyone and everyone is welcome. As you’d expect, the accent here is on wild and foraged foods, served in the rustic surroundings of an old outbarn dressed for a feast.

The raw ingredients are overwhelmingly locally sourced and a ‘hyper-seasonal’ with food miles often in simple minds, but the cooking influences stretch around the world, from the Scandinavia to the Far East.

The dining is communal, with plates and platters passed between guests seated at a long trestle table where the food, wine and conversation flow as naturally as the tide seeping into the creeks on the salt marsh just a few yards away.

“As a farming family, food is very important to us,” said Michelle. “We’re connected to the land around us and understand the hardworking efforts that go into the production of every mouthful. 

“To us, food represents far more than filling an empty space; it’s about the nourishment it gives our bodies in order to thrive and be healthy, the connection it brings when we come together with others. That’s the spirit that underpins our Untamed Suppers.”

Although it’s off the beaten track, The Rewilding is well connected with good public transport links to Lancaster and perfect terrain to explore on foot or by bike.

There are superb coastal walks direct from the farm gate and the excellent cycleways of Lancaster connect seamlessly with the quiet country lanes crossing the coastal floodplains.

The quirky little port of Glasson Dock is just a short ride away, from where a traffic-free cycleway runs along the Lune estuary into Lancaster and beyond to Morecambe, where another cycle route extends around the whole of Morecambe Bay.

For those who want to make a short break of it, combine a stay in the quality accommodation at Patty’s Barn and some foraging on the marsh with a foodie tour of Lancashire and the Forest of Bowland and a visit to the historic old port of Lancaster.

Wood End Farm and Alpaca Experience

Our family have farmed here for over 100 years. It is a traditional hill farm, with beef and sheep, set in the beauty and tranquility of this unspoilt area in rural Lancashire.

We believe in preserving the best of traditional farming practice and work hard to conserve traditional hedgerows, meadows and dry stone walls. We have a double en-suite room and a twin ensuite room that can be changed to king-size if required. We offer a breakfast of your choice made from the finest local ingredients; free wifi; flat screen TV; tea making facilities; stair lift; off road parking and a beautiful garden.

We can also offer you an ‘alpaca experience’, beauty treatments or fusion therapeutic coaching – please ask for more information when you book. We can accommodate horses with a yard, tack room and field turnout and if you are a keen cyclist, fisherman or walker we have lockable storage, drying facilities and a hose in the yard.