At Highfields retreat we are extremely fortunate to have of over 100 acres of our own private Lincolnshire woodlands for our customers (and the wildlife) to enjoy. Our woodlands are mature and consist of two separate woods, one located centrally to the park and the other on our Eastern boundary.
Both woodlands were planted in the late 1950’s/early 60’s and have beautiful walkways for our customers to enjoy. The wild deer can also be seen in these ‘Rides’ along with the Buzzards and Sparrow Hawks who use them for hunting their prey. The eastern woodland known as ‘Spanby Wood’ also has the benefit of two sizeable ponds/lakes – a great location for watching the water fowl.
Our woodlands benefit from a huge variety and combination of walks which are ideal for taking a gentle stroll (or several mile walk!), for wildlife photography or for a place to walk the dog/s. In areas in the middle they consist predominantly of Pine and Spruce trees whereas the outer edges are full of native broadleaf trees and mature hedgerows, a great home for the birds. Please see our woodland walk maps below for a visual guide.
We have erected a large number of bird, bat and owl boxes and it is great to see so many used each year, especially the Tawny Owl box where the mother could be seen rearing her young. Another woodland project has been the exciting installation of our purpose built wildlife observatory and feeding stations. Residents can enjoy sitting amongst a multitude of wild birds and mammals to observe their antics and rituals in a safe, comfortable and natural environment. We keep a ‘sightings’ book within the hide which we encourage residents to use and there’s a notice board for our customer’s photographs of wildlife they have seen too.
Access to these woodlands is free and Holiday Lodge Owners can enjoy them whenever they wish – they add a very special uniqueness to Highfields Retreat and are an environment we are delighted to have.
Below is a map of our Hillside & Willow Holt Woodland Walks DOWNLOADABLE VERSION > HERE
Below is a map of our Spanby Woodland Walks DOWNLOADABLE VERSION > HERE