Abraham's Wood

The woodland here south of South Brent is proper dense - proper Devon woodland, the kind with ancient oaks and a real sense that you've stepped away from things. Abraham's Wood isn't a manicured park with signboards and cafe facilities. It's a working forest where you can walk without much fuss, and the quiet is genuinely striking once you're five minutes in.

You're looking at mostly broadleaf woodland, soft underfoot with plenty of moss and leaf litter. The paths aren't always obvious, which some walkers find frustrating and others find rather lovely - it means you won't be queuing behind twenty other people snapping photos. On a damp day the whole place smells like earth and growing things. It's worth allowing an hour at least if you want to get properly lost in it, though you can pop in for a twenty-minute ramble if time's tight.

This works well for anyone who actually enjoys walking rather than ticking boxes. It's not a children's adventure park - older kids who can amuse themselves with sticks and streams will be fine, but younger ones need supervising carefully as there's no barrier between path and drop in places. History buffs won't find anything obvious to photograph, but the forest itself is ancient land.

If you're staying at Ashbourne Woods - which is rated five stars and sits just a few miles away - Abraham's Wood makes for a genuine morning or afternoon escape without driving far. It's free to access, though there's nowhere to park directly in a formal car park, so you'll need to find a roadside spot nearby and walk in. Go when it's been dry for a day or two; after rain it becomes heavy going.