TOP-RATEDWILDFLOWERWALKS UK

The UK’s top lesser-known wildflower walks - revealed

Summary from Flying Flowers Wildflower Walks:

Pentire Headland Walk in Cornwall has been named as the best wildflower walk in the UK.
The Lake District is revealed as the undeniable wildflower walking hotspot of the UK, home to over a quarter of the top twenty trails.
April to August are the best months to seek out wildflowers in full bloom.
iPhones have a built-in feature for identifying wildflowers on walks; take a photo of the flower, scroll up on the image to its details, and you’ll get an instant wildflower ID.

Wildflower walks have seen a 300% rise in Google search popularity in the UK over the past year, with many looking to follow the flourishing footpaths of other trail-goers in aesthetic locations. Although, while some can spark inspiration, following the beaten path may result in crowds or battered blooms along the way.

UK trails are experiencing their busiest period of the year, from March to October after the clocks move forward, as six in 10 Brits plan to spend more time hiking, walking, or exploring nature thanks to the longer evenings.

City life doesn’t mean missing out on wild beauty. Many urban trails are bursting with wildflowers during spring and summer. Whether you’re wandering through Bristol’s Leigh Woods or tracing the canal paths of Birmingham, the pops of colour and scent of the flowers offer a moment of calm with their beauty and sheer variety.

And for those days when you can’t escape outdoors, flowers by post can bring an element of that nature-inspired serenity straight to your door.

But where can you go for the best wildflower trail experience? By no means are we suggesting you skip out on popular floral beauty spots, but rather you consider the less-reviewed trails that can spruce up your stroll with wildflowers and less chance of a crowd.

To help navigate the foliage, the flower experts at Flying Flowers have uncovered some of the top-rated less-reviewed wildflower trails across the UK for 2025. The trails each offer unique seasonal blooms over different distances, from short treks to longer trails, which may offer more unique off the beaten-path sights.

Our experts analysed over 800 top-rated wildflower trails on AllTrails and Tripadvisor across the UK, to determine the top twenty best rated spots with the least reviews, excluding those with under 4.5 stars and over 1,000 reviews to avoid overly populated routes.

1. Pentire Headland Walk - Cornwall

Distance: 6 km

Estimated time: 1 hr 39 min

Trail type: Circular

Difficulty: Moderate

Wildflower type: Red poppies, yellow corn marigolds, blue squill, thrift, and others

Designated as a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its abundance of rare species, Pentire Headland Walk in Cornwall has emerged as the ultimate destination for wildflower enthusiasts to walk this year.

With the highest average AllTrails rating at 4.9, the circular walk starts off the South West Coast Path, passing by cliff-top fields erupting with red poppies and yellow corn marigolds, along with other wildflowers like blue squill and thrift. The headland trail is also a great place to spot wildlife, with its coast

2. Rydal to Buckstones Jump - Lake District

Distance: 3.7 km

Estimated time: 1 hr 10 min

Trail type: Out-and-back

Difficulty: Moderate

Wildflower type: Bluebells, daffodils, cow parsley, and others

The walk from Rydal to Buckstones Jump in the Lake District takes second place, as the least-reviewed top rated wildflower walk in the UK. The short yet diverse walk passes through woodland trails and beside Rydal Beck, where trail-goers can expect waterfalls with banks lined by bluebells and cow parsley. Wild garlic can also make an appearance in the woodland area - its leaves are completely edible, and can be used in recipes like pesto if you feel like doing some foraging.

3. Padley Gorge - Peak District

Distance: 3.1 km

Estimated time: 59 min

Trail type: Out-and-back

Difficulty: Moderate

Wildflower type: Heather, bluebells, bilberry, wood sorrel, and others

A magical short trek in the Peak District, Padley Gorge offers an array of wildflowers, waterfalls and wildlife that’s been highly rated on AllTrails, with an average of 4.8 stars. This trail is known for its heather-covered moorland, which fills the air with its scent in summer.

Trail goers will also pass through a deep valley, lined on both sides with ancient woodland and wildflowers, including bluebells and wood sorrel.

4. Seaton to Beer Head - Devon

Distance: 10.8 km

Estimated time: 3 hr 33 min

Trail type: Out-and-back

Difficulty: Moderate

Wildflower type: Kidney‑vetch, bird’s‑foot trefoil, yellow-wort, cow parsley, and others

The Seaton to Beer Head trail in Devon showcases a variety of wildflowers across its chalk cliffs, grassland and coastal verges, landing it fourth place. Wildflower species common along the 10.8 km route, include kidney-vetch, bird’s‑foot trefoil, yellow-wort, and cow parsley, along with many others.

5. Howgill, Trollers Gill, and Appletreewick Circular - Yorkshire Dales

Distance: 10.5 km

Estimated time: 3 hr 10 min

Trail type: Circular

Difficulty: Moderate

Wildflower type: Buttercups, primrose, orange daylily

In fifth place is the Howgill, Trollers Gill and Appletreewick Circular walk. In just over three hours, this trail takes you through valleys, riverside gorges and meadows, where wildflowers like buttercups and primroses bloom. Recent trail goes have even posted sightings of orange daylilies.

6. Bleaberry Fell via Walla Crag - Lake District

Distance: 8.2 km

Estimated time: 2 hr 57 min

Trail type: Out-and-back

Difficulty: Moderate

Wildflower type: Bell heather, foxglove, bog cotton, parsley fern, and others

The beautiful botanical trail passing Walla Crag and Bleaberry Fell in the Lake District takes you through woodland and moorland to overlook Derwent water. Many wildflowers can be seen across the rocky cliffs and woodland carpets, including bell heather, foxglove, bog cotton, and parsley fern.

7. South West Coast Path: Exmouth to Sidmouth - Devon

Distance: 20.4 km

Estimated time: 5 hr 30 min

Trail type: Point-to-point

Difficulty: Hard

Wildflower type: corky‑fruited water‑dropwort, sea pink (thrift), common mallow, foxgloves, and others

The Exmouth to Sidmouth trail on the South West Coastal Path is the longest wildflower walk to rank in the top twenty, coming in seventh place. The 20.4 km point-to-point trek follows Devon’s coastline with stunning ocean views and many wildflowers to spot along the way, including corky‑fruited water‑dropwort, sea pink (thrift) and common mallow.

8. Revelstoke Park and Noss Mayo Circular - Devon

Distance: 10.6 km

Estimated time: 2 hr 38 min

Trail type: Circular

Difficulty: Moderate

Wildflower type: Rock-sea lavender, slender bird’s‑foot trefoil, autumn squill, lady’s tresses, common centaury, wild thyme, kidney vetch, foxgloves, and others

In eighth place, the Revelstoke Park and Noss Mayo circular walk is another beautiful trail in Devon with plenty to see, including far-reaching coastal views, a secluded beach cove, and woodlands leading down to a sheltered estuary.

The mixed terrain and maritime grassland brings a variety of scarce wildflowers such as rock-sea lavender, slender bird’s‑foot trefoil, autumn squill, and lady’s tresses, as well as common centaury, wild thyme, kidney vetch, and foxgloves.

9. Salcombe and Bolt Head Extended Route - South Devon

Distance: 5.3 km

Estimated time: 1 hr 46 min

Trail type: Circular

Difficulty: Moderate

Wildflower type: Autumn squill, wild thyme, foxgloves, trefoil, and others

The Salcome and Bolt Head extended route in South Devon takes ninth place, treating trail goers to a rich variety of wildflowers along the coastline. Sightings could include autumn squill, wild thyme, foxgloves, and trefoil, among many others.

10. Lanthwaite Wood and Crummock Water Circular - Lake District

Distance: 14.3 km

Estimated time: 4 hr 10 min

Trail type: Circular

Difficulty: Moderate

Wildflower type: bluebells, buttercups, foxgloves, cow parsley, yellow rattle, and others

Rounding up the top ten, is the Lanthwaite Wood and Crummock Water Circular walk in the Lake District. The mix of ancient woodland, lakeside shores, and grassland make the 14.3 km trail a botanical delight, where you can expect to see a range of wildflowers such as buttercups, foxgloves, cow parsley, yellow rattle, and bluebells, among others.

The top 20 wildflower trails in the UK

Rank	Trail	Area	Distance	AllTrails Rating	Tripadvisor Rating
1	Pentire Headland Walk	Cornwall	6.0 km	4.9	5
2	Rydal to Buckstones Jump	Lake District	3.7 km	4.8	5
3	Padley Gorge	Peak District	3.1 km	4.8	4.8
4	Seaton to Beer Head	Devon	10.8 km	4.8	5
5	Howgill, Trollers Gill, and Appletreewick Circular	Yorkshire Dales	10.5 km	4.8	5
6	Bleaberry Fell via Walla Crag	Lake District	8.2 km	4.8	4.8
7	South West Coast Path: Exmouth to Sidmouth	Devon	20.4 km	4.8	4.8
8	Revelstoke Park and Noss Mayo Circular	Devon	10.6 km	4.8	4.9
9	Salcombe and Bolt Head Extended Route	South Devon	5.3 km	4.8	4.9
10	Lanthwaite Wood and Crummock Water Circular	Lake District	14.3 km	4.8	4.7
11	Win Hill and Bamford Ridge Circular	Peak District	15.3 km	4.8	4.7
12	Cuckmere Haven to Seven Sisters	East Sussex	14.5 km	4.8	5
13	Tyneham and Worbarrow Bay Circular	Dorset	7.2 km	4.8	4.6
14	Curbar Edge and Froggat Wood Circular	Peak District	14.8 km	4.8	4.8
15	Causey Pike via Stoneycroft Gill Circular	Lake District	8.0 km	4.8	4.8
16	Horton in Ribblesdale and Pen-Y-Ghent Circular	Yorkshire Dales	12.2 km	4.8	4.8
17	Cotswold Way: Painswick to King’s Stanley	Cotswolds	13.4 km	4.8	4.8
18	Dixon Ground, Old Man of Coniston, Swirl How, and Wetherlam Circular	Lake District	14.2 km	4.8	4.8
19	Longside Edge, Skiddaw and Bakestall Circular	Lake District	12.7 km	4.8	4.5
20	Chapel Porth to St Agnes via South West Coastal Path	Cornwall	9.8 km	4.8	4.9

Over a quarter of the best wildflower trails were revealed as being in the Lake District, at six overall, making it the undeniable wildflower walking hotspot in the UK. The area is also England’s largest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for its scenery and botanical diversity.

The three picturesque trails in the Peak District that rank in the top twenty, along with the two in the Yorkshire Dales, also provide great botanical diversity for wildflower walks in Northern England.

At the other end of the country, Devon is the UK’s southern wildflower hotspot, with four walks in the area ranking in the top twenty. Whereas, the two wildflower walks in Cornwall are the most southernly floral footpaths to explore, with Pentire Headland Walk leading the way as the best overall. Dorset, East Sussex and the Cotswolds each have one wildflower walk in the rankings.

While areas like the Lake District are well-known hiking hotspots, our top twenty rankings focus on highly-rated routes that are less-reviewed, giving you a better chance of finding beautiful wildflower walks with fewer crowds. That said, in the busy summer months it’s unlikely that you’ll have the trails to yourself, but longer routes do tend to draw fewer people if you’re craving some solo time in nature.

If you’re planning to explore some of the UK’s beautiful wildflower trails, our flower experts suggest to:

Bring a tool to identify wildflowers with - iPhones have a built in feature for this: take a photo of the flower, scroll up on the image to its details, and you’ll get an instant wildflower ID.

Stick to marked paths to protect fragile wildflowers - This will help to preserve biodiversity in the area and also the quality of the trail.

Visit in April to August - Wildflowers along these trails tend to be in their various bloom cycles from April to August, so this may be the best time to see the widest array of plants.

Forage in moderation - If you’re looking to forage edible plants like wild garlic, pick in moderation to protect their local ecosystem, and allow others to do the same.

If you’re inspired by the beauty of the UK’s wildflower trails but can’t get out to the countryside just yet, why not bring a touch of it to your home? At Flying Flowers, you can send or receive vibrant seasonal British grown bouquets that celebrate the colours and charm of Britain’s native flora. Our flowers by post service makes it easy to share a little piece of nature with loved ones, no matter where they are in the UK. It’s a perfect way to stay connected to the outdoors, even from your doorstep.