Follow The Swallow Walk

Join us on our Follow the Swallow walk.
Join Rural Strides on a morning guided walk through the South Downs National Park, with the wonderful discovery of local birds along the route.
Malinka from Rural Strides says, “as you may know, Langham Brewery’s social media hashtag is #FollowTheSwallow. However, did you know that the swallow flies back to the UK in April and the 15th is traditionally known as Swallow Day in England? With all these coincidences happening around the same weekend as a brewery tour and tasting event, how could we resist organising a bird themed walk from the brewery.
The swallow isn’t the only bird to make its reappearance in April. Tradition has it that the Cuckoo sings from St Tiburtius’ Day (14 April). With climate change perhaps they will be ahead of schedule this year. We can also hopefully expect to find some warblers along with UK staples such as blackbirds, robins, thrushes, wrens, skylarks, woodpeckers and members of the tit & finch families.
This walk has been designed to take in lots of different bird habitat – a variety of woodland, common, open farmland, hedgerows and semi-marsh/osier beds. With the trees not yet in full leaf there will hopefully be a better chance of seeing birds than later in the spring/summer. Bring a pair of binoculars if you wish, but the most important tool for the job will be your ears….and possibly the wonderful Merlin Bird ID app. If you haven’t already come across this, it is definitely worth downloading in advance.
To avoid disappointment, please be aware that I don’t profess to be an expert twitcher! I am a bird enthusiast come twitcher in training!”
Rural Strides
Rural Strides is passionate about the history and cultural landscape of the Western Weald. Through engaging walks, which interpret the land and share local stories, we seek to connect people to the beauty of the area as well as the inspiring businesses that we partner. We hope you will find a Rural Strides walk an authentic and memorable experience, that will leave you feeling like a local!
Malinka continues, “You could say walking is a bit of an obsession, but it is a passion that I love to share. Guiding you around the Western Weald is not just about showing you the way, but enhancing your experience of this area every step of the way. A walk with Rural Strides is a way to piece together the interwoven stories of local history; connect with nature; as well as a means to find peace of mind in the great outdoors”.
Tickets on sale via Eventbrite.
Discover more via our Walk, Cycle, Stay page.
Follow the Swallow walk.