The online promotion is running until February 15th - click here for your chance to win a free pass.
From woodland walks and wild moorland to towering castles and sprawling stately homes, the National Trust has more than 500 incredible places to explore. And with your Daily Mirror or Sunday Mirror, you can pick up a free family pass valid for a great day out for FREE
Starting on Friday January 20, every reader will find a voucher inside their paper for a FREE visit to one of its spectacular sites with our family pass giveaway. This amazing offer of a free single use family pass allows two adults and up to three children or one adult and four children free entry to a number of National Trust sites in England, Wales and NI valid until Friday March 31, 2023.
Worth over £26, it gives you access to a choice of amazing days out on your doorstep and beyond. Discover incredible properties, rich history or stunning landscapes around the UK with this reader offer inside your Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror from Friday January 20 until Friday January 27, 2023.
Make sure you get a copy of your Daily Mirror TODAY, or pick up the Sunday Mirror at the weekend.
Beautiful Britain revealed by National Trust
Your New Year’s Resolution to go to the gym may already be waning but what could be more inspiring to get you out and active than the remarkable history and beauty of our heritage?
We’re giving away thousands of National Trust family passes for sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland this spring, each worth £26. So no matter what your age or circumstances, whether you’re looking to stroll, walk or run, if you’re fit or need a little help, over the following pages
Martin Phillips picks out some of the hundreds of extraordinary places cared for by the Trust. You can get out, get involved, and marvel at stunning landscapes, spectacular architecture and spellbinding antiquity – all at the same time. Starting with some suggestions for those on the sporty side.
STACKPOLE, PEMBROKESHIRE
You don’t have to be an adrenaline junkie to enjoy the dramatic headlands, soaring cliffs, beautiful beaches and wildlife-filled forests of the Pembrokeshire Coast national park. Families visiting the Stackpole estate for a walk, for example, can see Bosherston Lakes and its otters and stunning Barafundle Bay, and finish off with a hot refreshment at the Boathouse tearoom.
But if you’re looking for a challenge, try the six-mile jogging route that leads you around serene lily ponds, up onto wild coastal headlands and across beaches of golden sand.
At warmer times of the year, when the sea is calmer, you can go further and explore the cliffs and secret coves while surfing, paddle boarding or kayaking from Stackpole Quay with one of the Trust’s local coastal providers or, if you’ve a head for heights, you can have a go at coasteering, which was invented in Pembrokeshire and combines cliff jumping, low-level rock traversing and sea swimming.
- Check out activity.cymru or outerreefsurfschool.com
WINDERMERE, LAKE DISTRICT
The scenery of the Lake District is rightly renowned, but how about viewing Windermere from water level? Fell Foot is an ideal spot for paddling and boating and, if you’re feeling especially hardy, for some open cold-water swimming. Wild swimmers can park up and take a dip along the shoreline from one of the many slipways across the park, and there are hot showers and warm changing rooms.
For those looking to dip their toe in the world of outdoor swimming, there are open-water courses at Fell Foot and, if you’re already a confident open-water swimmer, there are events in which you can get involved. You can also experience the thrill of white-water rafting at Fell Foot, starting with a gentle paddle on Windermere before building up momentum until you reach the wild rapids of the River Leven.
- Check out lakedistrictwhitewaterrafting.co.uk and sleekerswim.co.uk
STUDLAND BAY, DORSET
Studland Bay is a haven for anyone who loves outdoor activities, whether on land, in the sea, on two wheels or on a horse. There are endless opportunities for adventure in this corner of Poole Harbour.
Exploring the picturesque beauty of the Purbeck countryside and beaches is all the more unforgettable via the variety of cycle trails, from the Rempstone Ride to the Corfe loop, or on horseback, and horse riders are welcome on and around Studland beach, with a network of bridleways crossing the heathland and chalk ridge. (Riders will need a permit, applied for via the National Trust website. Or check out local trekking centres).
Meanwhile, the sheltered bay is ideal for water sports such as swimming, sailing, kayaking, kite surfing and paddle boarding, or for running (see breakout).
BRANCASTER BEACH, NORFOLK
THE wide expanse of golden sands at Brancaster is perfect not just for building sandcastles, bird-watching or horse riding, but for high-adrenaline sports too, including kite-surfing.
There are designated zones for launching and landing to ensure that everyone can enjoy the beach safely and, due to strong tidal conditions, it’s recommended that only experienced kite-surfers use this beach.
As well as kite-surfing, kite buggy users, kite land boarders and power kite fliers are all welcome in designated areas and, because the beach is so wide, there is plenty of room for the different activities.
STRANGFORD LOUGH, COUNTY DOWN, NORTHERN IRELAND
This island-studded sea lough is the largest inlet in the UK and Ireland, covering 80 square nautical miles. It is approached from the Irish Sea through fast-running tidal stretches which the Viking invaders who arrived in their long-boats named Strangfjörthr or “place of strong currents”.
For that reason, canoeists tackling this section of the local canoe trail require high levels of expertise and it provides an excellent challenge for the experienced paddler.
The Routen Wheel is a series of whirlpools, boils and swirling waters caused by pinnacles of rock on the seabed and this area should be treated with the utmost caution. Away from these more extreme areas, however, there are also calmer waters with a myriad of channels and routes to explore, as well as the chance to discover some of the country’s finest scenery and an abundance of habitats and species.
- Check out canoeni.com for more details on the Strangford Lough Canoe Trail.
CROYDE BAY, DEVON
Croyde Bay is not just a beautiful beach, to be enjoyed by all, but it’s also an adventure playground for those who are a bit more sporty, including surfers.
Steeped in surfing history, Croyde Bay is known the world over for its amazing conditions and is one of the best surfing locations in the UK.
Sandwiched between the National Trust site of Baggy Point and Saunton Down, it offers a faster wave than many beaches and it is for that reason that it is particularly popular with advanced shortboard surfers.
There are also opportunities for those less experienced, with a selection of surf schools to choose from, but beware of the rocks and the rip tide (especially as the waves get bigger). As well as the world-class surf, there is amazing food and drink in Croyde village, stand-up paddle boarding, cycling and beautiful coastal walks for visitors to enjoy.
THE LIZARD, CORNWALL
The Lizard is one of the wildest and most remote locations in the UK, so it’s unsurprising that there is an array of extreme adventures to be had there, whether you are looking for a gentle introduction or a complete adrenaline rush.
From Mullion harbour or Lizard Point you can try sit-on-top kayaking, or sign up for a sea kayaking course and spot the amazing wildlife, from cormorants to basking sharks.
Or rope up for a climbing experience at Old Lizard Head, or try coasteering – scrambling, climbing, swimming and jumping your way around the Lizard.
- Check out lizardadventure.co.uk
THE MOURNE MOUNTAINS, C0UNTY DOWN, NORTHERN IRELAND
Voted one of Northern Ireland’s favourite walking destinations, the network of paths and tracks over the Mourne Mountains are not always for the fainthearted, though the views of the valleys, lakes, rivers and reservoirs from the top make them worth the climb. Hugging the County Down coastline, the Mournes are made up of 12 peaks, each rising above 1,968ft, the highest being Slieve Donard at 2,789ft.
The National Trust cares for 1,300 acres of the Mournes, taking in part of Slieve Donard and Slieve Commedagh and includes Bloody Bridge. to the summit of Slieve Donard should only be attempted by experienced walkers, but once up top you’ll enjoy stunning views.
LYME PARK, CHESHIRE
With 1,400 acres of rugged moorland and ancient woodlands in addition to the formal gardens surrounding the estate’s glorious house, Lyme is a great training area for runners, especially if you head out to some of the less-visited corners of the park. If you do you’ll not only push yourself with a decent workout but be rewarded with spectacular views over the Peak District and the Cheshire Plain. You might even spot Lyme’s red deer herd
