Wellbeing Walk

🌿 Wellbeing Walk: Explore Rewilded Newmarket 🌿

Along the way, you’re invited to help the Nature Reserve log the plants and animals you spot by uploading your photos to the iNaturalist app. It’s free, easy, fun, and your discoveries will contribute to a real scientific database used by researchers worldwide! Share your sightings with the community, swap stories about your finds, and help build a living map of local wildlife.

The is a circular walk with a 2.2-mile route. It will take about 50 minutes to walk or wheel.

About Newmarket Community Nature Reserve
Newmarket Community Nature Reserve is a volunteer-led initiative dedicated to rewilding and revitalising green spaces across Newmarket. 

From planting wildflowers to restoring pathways and building habitats, the Reserve encourages people of all ages to get involved in caring for their local environment, one patch at a time. Learn more about Newmarket Community Nature Reserve here.

iNaturalist App

Become a citizen scientist! Newmarket Community Nature Reserve use the iNaturalist app to log plants and animals they see at these sites. The iNaturalist app is a social network and a tool for recording and sharing biodiversity observations, connecting users with a community. Your photos are submitted to a database that scientists and researchers can request access to. The Community Nature Reserve are trying to build a picture of the species these sites support so this would be a massive help. Upload your own photo, share with the community and discuss your findings! You can download the app here.

INFO FOR TICKETING: 

Walk route:

1. Starting at Memorial gardens, walk out of the park via the Fitzroy Street entrance/exit (opposite end to the High Street). 
2. Cross the road, and follow the grassy footpath directly opposite, behind Lowther Street. 
3. When you reach the bridleway, cross the road (Rowley Drive Road) and pass Canterview Apartments (on your right). 
4. Turn right when you reach the field, following the footpath onto Freshfields housing estate. 
5. Turn left when you reach Freshfields Road, and follow the path to the corner of the estate. 
6. When you reach house number 74, follow the footpath into the corner of the estate, leading to a green space. 
7. Welcome to the Millbank Mini Meadow – rewilded by Newmarket Community Nature Reserve! This is the nature reserve’s oldest site. They sowed a native wildflower mix in 2022 which has now been established. This site has one end of season cut and collect. Lots of butterflies can be seen here in summer, especially common blues and brown argus. A great site for using iNaturalist app.

Millbank (mini wildflower meadow)

8. When you’re ready to continue the walk, leave the meadow and follow the footpath directly ahead, picking up back where you left off to continue walking around the estate
9. Follow the curve to the right and leave the estate, taking a left via Tannersfield Way
10. Cross the road and turn right, following Bakers Row
11. Walk 250ft and turn left onto Exeter Road
12. Passing Johnsons Workwear on your left, pause to see the river. Newmarket is home to the historic Chalk Stream. Chalk streams are one of the rarest freshwater habitats on Earth, and England is home to approximately 85% of them.
13. At the end of Exeter Road, turn left onto Fred Archer Way.
14. Cross using the pedestrian crossing opposite Catholic Church of Our Lady Immaculate and Saint Etheldreda
15. Take an immediate left, to cross the pedestrian footpath allowing you to rejoin Exeter Road on your right past Mangiare restaurant 
16. Follow the road to see The Queen Victoria Jubilee Clock Tower. Originally erected to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, it is wound every week by hand, to this day!
17. Turn right, to walk down the high street
18. Cross the road outside Cartwright Bros and QD. Pass The Rutland Arms Hotel and turn right down Palace Street
19. Pass The National Horse Racing Museum and at Viktor Viktoria Cafe, turn left to pass All Saints Church
20. When you reach Queen Street, turn right to follow Queen Street 
21. At house number 18, turn right and pass through the West Suffolk car park
22. Welcome to Hodgkins Yard! Here you will find pear and quince trees planted in 2024. Unfortunately, they are the target of some vandalism, but NCNR are doing their best to nurture them. They need help watering them in dry spells if anyone would like to help out.
23. Cut through the car park and turn right to rejoin All Saints Road.
24. Turn left out of the entrance to the car park, walking past All Saints Church and follow the road straight ahead: Sun Lane.
25. Turn left at the end of Sun Lane to pass Cafe Nero and cross the road
26. Turn left at Graze Kitchen
27. Walk down the High Street to Memorial Hall and turn right to re-enter Memorial Gardens

Hodgkins Yard (a row of trees)