When winter settles in, it can feel tempting to stay curled up indoors, curtains drawn, and the latest box set queued. But step outside, even for a short wander, and you’ll find a whole world of natural beauty quietly waiting—sometimes just minutes from your front door.

Most of us have our go-to local walks, but if you’re craving something fresh this season, here are three wild places from our patch that are well worth exploring.

Watford: A wetland haven hidden close to town

Cassiobury Park LNR and Whippendell Wood SSSI are owned and managed by Watford Borough Council who are working in partnership with the Trust to enhance their value for both wildlife and people. 

Cassiobury Park Local Nature Reserve may sit within a busy urban landscape, but step inside and you’re suddenly surrounded by one of Hertfordshire’s most vibrant networks of wetland habitats. What’s more it offers year-round access along well-maintained paths—making it ideal for a crisp winter stroll.

The old Watercress beds are a particular highlight. Rotational raking keeps them varied and rich in life, attracting Kingfishers, Little Egrets, Grey Herons, and a wonderful array of aquatic invertebrates. Because the beds are fed by natural springs, they hold a steady temperature even in freezing weather—an invaluable refuge for water birds during cold snaps.

Elsewhere in the reserve, our team has been caring for sedgebeds by coppicing and pollarding Willows, helping to maintain open, marshy habitat for birds such as Sedge Warblers. In the north, five ponds benefit from willow coppicing too, allowing more light to reach the water and encouraging the growth of aquatic plants that support dragonflies, damselflies, and both Great Crested and Smooth Newts.

And then there’s the wet woodland—one of Hertfordshire’s rarest habitat types. Here, we let nature take the lead. Mature Alders eventually become standing deadwood, providing perfect nesting and feeding opportunities for wildlife. If you’re extremely lucky, you might even spot the elusive Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, a reminder of just how important this peaceful pocket of nature is for local biodiversity.

Harefield: Stepping into the past at Old Park Wood

Mention Harefield and many people immediately think of the hospital—but just beyond its grounds lies the beautiful ancient woodland that is Old Park Wood Nature Reserve.

Our Senior Reserves Officer, Anna, offers a wonderful guided tour in her blog here, sharing the site’s fascinating history along with the wildlife that thrives there today. You can choose between two circular walks: one about two miles long, the other a slightly shorter mile-and-a-half loop.

As you wander, it’s easy to imagine the past residents—Tuberculosis patients—taking their daily exercise along some of these very paths. Today, the woods feel lively and welcoming: listen out for the cheerful chatter of a roaming tit flock or spot the glossy red berries of Holly, adding festive winter colour to your route.

Watton-at-Stone: Following the River Beane (Approx. 8km)

From Watton-at-Stone train station, you can enjoy a beautiful riverside walk all the way to Hertford North station—then simply hop on the train back again. For those wanting a longer route, it’s easy to detour to Waterford Heath Nature Reserve or enjoy a glimpse of Beane Marsh Nature Reserve from Beane Road.

The River Beane itself is one of our rare chalk rivers. Though historically impacted by abstraction and industry, its recovery over the last 30 years has been the focus of dedicated restoration and campaigning—much of it led by the River Beane Restoration Association.

In 2022, the Trust reintroduced Water Voles to the river for the first time in more than 20 years. Released on the Woodhall Estate, they’ve since expanded their range toward Hertford—a hopeful sign of their recovery.

A stop at Waterford Heath adds even more variety to your walk. Watch for birds of prey hunting over North Heath, flash-bright Kingfishers along the river, and Woodpeckers and Treecreepers working their way among mature Oaks, Ash, and Hazel in Great Mole Wood. In mid-winter, Fieldfares and Redwings are reliable seasonal visitors too.

Although Beane Marsh itself isn’t publicly accessible, a view of its rare wetland plants can be admired from a great vantage point on Beane Road.

Whether you have an hour to spare or a whole winter’s afternoon, these landscapes offer space to breathe, listen, wander, and discover something new. Wrap up warm, bring a flask, and let the season show you a different side of your local wild places.

Click on the links to our reserves for visiting information or check out our other nature reserves for more inspiration to get out and about this winter.