Newts, toads and frogs will usually leave their ponds to hibernate in the winter. Their favourite places for hibernation include rockeries, woodpiles, compost heaps, old plants pots, greenhouses, as well as piles of unused paving slabs that may just be propped up against a wall.
All of these areas will offer small, snug gaps to hide away in and keep protected from plummeting temperatures and frosts. Even if you don’t have a pond you may still find hibernating creatures will use undisturbed areas in your garden over the winter, so fight the temptation to tidy up that old pile of logs or stack of flower pots as we get into the colder months - you might be accidentally disturbing a toad abode.