We recently went on my favourite toddler-friendly hidden trail. My toddler’s current obsession is horses, and every walk we go on he wants to see horses. I wanted to go somewhere he could run free, and I didn’t want to have him hold my hand all the time. We like to do a walk in the morning before nap time and then go out in the afternoon.
Parking?
I park by the church on Earlham Road and go along the path by the side of the church opposite Earlham Park. I find this is a much quieter route to go if you still want to be pretty central to Norwich, but you want peace and serenity. The route is mostly rubble/ field and a walkway. We don’t need the pram on this route, but can use one if you need to.
It’s the type of weather recently where I’m keeping his waterproofs in the bag in case it suddenly thunderstorms. We took the route to the side of the church and carried on straight until you get to the first set of crossroads, and we turned left to go into Bowthorpe Marsh. We love going on the walkway and looking into the water as we go by. My son loves to stomp on the walkway with the noise from his shoes, often making him laugh.
To the left, you have the beautiful Rive Yare, where you can often see the fish or ducks passing. Also, lots of wildlife like moor hens and swans tend to be close to the water. As you are walking on your right, you may see some cows which are very friendly and used to humans passing through.
Best Route?
We tend to veer to the path to the left and walk through the gate, which leads to the horses. We got really lucky this time, and the horses were by the water. We explain to my son each time we are approaching animals to stay very close to mummy or daddy and hold hands. He knows not to frighten them and that we need to move slowly so we don’t spook them. I think it is important to have that conversation with children early so they know how to act, and especially about using gentle hands with animals and others.
Watching the horses play in the water was magical, and we were lucky to find a bench near them where we could watch them so closely. It would be a truly gorgeous spot for a family picnic. We then turned back to head to the car as my son’s nap time was approaching. The cows were on the path on the way back, and it was lovely to see them playing with each other.
I think this trail his a hidden gem in Norwich and it is one I love to go to when we want somewhere more peaceful. The best toddler hidden friendly trail!