Addison Wood

Addison Wood sits just outside Grange-over-Sands and delivers exactly what you'd want from a Cumbrian forest walk - proper woodland with enough space to actually breathe. The trees are dense enough to feel like you've properly escaped, but it's not so vast that you'll spend hours wondering if you've walked in circles.

It's a straightforward woodland ramble rather than a themed attraction. You'll find paths winding through the canopy, the kind of place where the light filters through in that soft way that makes you forget about signal and emails. The forest floor is thick with leaf litter and the occasional root to watch for - nothing treacherous, but don't come in flip-flops.

History enthusiasts might appreciate that this corner of Cumbria has serious pedigree, though the wood itself is simply a wood. But that's rather the point. Families won't find a visitor centre or play equipment, so kids need to be the type who'll entertain themselves looking for woodland creatures and building stick structures. If you've got restless toddlers, save your energy.

Allow an hour for a decent wander, longer if you like to move slowly. There's no admission charge that I'm aware of, and you can access it straight from the car park without faffing about. If you're staying at Old Park Wood Caravan Holiday Park nearby, it's a five-minute drive to break up the day - close enough to feel like a proper escape but far enough that it doesn't feel like the campsite's back garden. Go when it hasn't been raining for forty-eight hours - the paths do get boggy.