Short Walk: Plantsbrook Nature Reserve

WALK DESCRIPTION: Distance/time: 7.4km (4.6m) gentle river side walk, almost entirely flat, taking about 3 hours (including coffee and lunch stops). The walk takes a figure of eight route along the boardwalks of this beautiful hidden nature reserve where many kinds of water birds and plants can be seen on the different lakes. There are lakeside benches for coffee and heron spotting at the end. We then cross the road into Pype Hayes Park and follow Plants Brook into Newhall Valley Country Park. Please note there are no public loos en route but on the corner of Wylde Green road (next to Bark Co) we pass a small cafe, Bark Bistro, which serves hot & cold drinks and snacks (sandwiches, jacket potatoes etc). They have a staff loo which they say customers may use. Finally, we follow a boardwalk back round and through to the main road at Thimble End. Here we can catch an X14 bus which goes back to the city centre past Plantsbrook where people with cars parked at the start point can get off. Lunch options: the walk should finish at approx 1-1.30 pm. Walkers who want to eat can either bring a picnic or buy a snack at Bark Bistro.