Don't say where you live but do you have a 'secret' place that only locals know about?

[AHugeWitheringStare]

We have a beach that unless you lived here, you would never know about
Tourists area too

Plenty. Tourists tend to want to “climb” a certain mountain, when infact its a walk NOT a climb. Plenty of other mountains and lakes and quarries to visit. And its how i like it.

We have several woods within a few minutes walk that are a carpet of bluebells at the moment. Only locals know about them.

I don't but I am going on holiday somewhere where the house has a private beach .(shared with one other house ). Not accessible by car

DD1 keeps her horses on a farm with a hill and a view. Nobody but those that are on the farm knows the view is spectacular, yet everyone spouts forth about the 'much lesser view' from the public footpath at the bottom of the farm, many feet below - which isn't much of a view as you cannot see far and is broken up by many trees on the field edge, nor is it a patch on 'our' view IMO which goes way over the top of the tree line. Can't wait for the summer sun and the peewits and sky larks in full blast.

A free range egg supplier near us has a very cool coin-operated automat kiosk selling just laid eggs for £1.80/dozen. It's down a track in the middle of nowhere, and also sells mistletoe at Christmas.

We had a lovely swimming spot where locals have swum for generations. then it was published in a wild swimming book and has been completely ruined with an eroded muddy bank, rubbish everywhere and dry robe wankers braying about how ingenious they are to have discovered “wild swimming”

We had a secret place where for years we were the only ones there most days. Then we had a heatwave and lockdown, and people drove from miles around to get to the little bit of river, and the locals (including us) had to bring bin bags to pick up everything from champagne corks to dirty nappies that were thrown into the hedges by day-trippers.

@Handsnotwands

We had a lovely swimming spot where locals have swum for generations. then it was published in a wild swimming book and has been completely ruined with an eroded muddy bank, rubbish everywhere and dry robe wankers braying about how ingenious they are to have discovered “wild swimming”

We have lots of nesting birds and nobody will say where they are - if you know you know, if you don't tough - as the nests were vandalised the time someone let it slip

For years we lived somewhere that even many locals didn't know about. There were beautiful waterfalls and fascinating ruins (so unusual that it would be too outing to say more!) and it was always deserted. Then it found it's way to trip advisor and hordes of tourists started to arrive, along with their cars, noise, litter and destruction of buildings and nature. It became unbearable to live there so we sold up

We live in an AONB an hour away from London by train. We have a bluebell wood next to our house that is inaccessible to the public. It's so beautiful, we see owls and deer on a v frequent basis. It has a little stream that our dogs love to swim in

There is also a forest with lots of little lakes that is magical, only the locals know about it, it's like an enchanted woods

We are lucky enough to be surrounded by lots of forests, streams and woods that the tourists don't know about.. I hope it stays that way!

@iklboo

That's the one *@FuckyouCovid21*

I discovered this recently too, sadly it looks like lots of other people who don't give a crap about the area have also discovered it mainly because someone posted on FB about it. I joined in the last little pick around there

@Handsnotwands

We had a lovely swimming spot where locals have swum for generations. then it was published in a wild swimming book and has been completely ruined with an eroded muddy bank, rubbish everywhere and dry robe wankers braying about how ingenious they are to have discovered “wild swimming”

I’m lol’ing at dryrobe wankers 🤣

*litter

Yes loads of hidden waterfalls and walks where you don’t see a soul. We live pretty rural. Also about ten minute drive away there is an abandoned nature reserve which is tucked away I’ve driven past it sooo many times and never knew it was there. It’s like a little secret Aztec village it’s so beautiful. Everyone who I have mentioned it to have never heard of it

@HunterAngel

Not exactly local but only ten minutes drive away is a lovely little walk that runs along the fence line of a zoo and animals can be seen from the path. Used to be really quiet, even during the holidays.

Then the local newspaper published the walk on sodding Facebook. Now it’s overrun with families spread across the entire path, blocking everyone from passing while their child has a tantrum/finds an interesting rock/etc or their badly trained off leash dog invades your personal space.

I know where that is

Several places in Scotland, including a wonderful waterfall and chasm. I have never seen another soul there.
Where we live in England, a most secret wooded valley with a spring and a stream running from it.
Both are peaceful and magical spots. I hope they don't become well known.

Not exactly local but only ten minutes drive away is a lovely little walk that runs along the fence line of a zoo and animals can be seen from the path. Used to be really quiet, even during the holidays.

@HunterAngel That was bloody annoying. My brother lives in L and can hear the animal noises from his garden on summer evenings.

that's what makes it amazing, people can get the fast train to us, to the big beach but don't, because they don't know it exists

sounds like people need to make more use of the OS app or open street map. I have found lots of places/new running/walking routes locally by looking at maps. I've discovered places I didn't know existed, and beaches will show up very clearly along with routes to get to them

But I guess it's good for locals if the majority of tourists aren't like me!

@Spudlet

Yes, some lovely forestry commission woods. The main ones are always relatively busy, but there are so many bits of forestry commission land around here that you can always find a quiet bit as long as you’re ready for a bit of a walk. Luckily there is a big visitor centre with a cafe, playground and bike trails and things quite nearby too, so anyone who isn’t local will gravitate to that while the locals get the benefit of the other bits.

This sounds a bit like Alice Holt near Farnham but there's another area of woodland about half a mile away (which I only noticed last year) on the other side of the road with a small car park. I guess during lockdown it's seen more people, but won't be nearly as busy as Alice Holt itself.

I genuinely can't think of anywhere. I have lived in my area for 40 years (my whole life) and think I know every part of it through running, cycling, walking and maps. Sadly every other fucker does too. Certainly no quiet or hidden gems.

Ssshhhhh @poppycat10, no naming places!

SweatyBetty20

A secret “beach” in the middle of the moors that you can’t drive too is mine.

And mine! Unfortunately though, the local paper keep talking about it and have revealed its location!

The ruins of a Medieval Abbey, in the middle of a patch of ancient woodland, surrounded by some of the finest spring flower meadows in the UK, in an otherwise very urban area of London.

It's not a secret secret - it's on the map and has its own website - but it's fairly obscure and no one except locals tends to go there. I've never met anyone not local who's ever heard of it, and even many locals don't know about it.

@rosetylersbiggun

The ruins of a Medieval Abbey, in the middle of a patch of ancient woodland, surrounded by some of the finest spring flower meadows in the UK, in an otherwise very urban area of London.

It's not a secret secret - it's on the map and has its own website - but it's fairly obscure and no one except locals tends to go there. I've never met anyone not local who's ever heard of it, and even many locals don't know about it.

And near my seals and utility company owned nature reserve?

Very true @Sugarplumfairy65! Although the last time I went was February and all we saw were two crackpot wild swimmers!