Ash Ground

Ash Ground is a proper woodland walk just outside Saxmundham, the sort of place where you'll actually see something different each season. It's not huge - you can cover the main paths in forty minutes to an hour - but it's got that quiet, undisturbed feel you don't often find near a market town.

The forest floor is thick with leaf litter, and the ash trees are genuinely impressive if you bother to look up. There's a decent network of trails winding through, nothing strenuous, which means families with kids of primary school age will get on fine here. Older children might find it a bit tame unless they're into spotting wildlife. Serious walkers often use it as a warm-up before tackling longer routes in the area.

Bring decent footwear because it gets boggy after rain - I learned that the hard way on a damp October afternoon. The light filtering through the canopy is lovely in autumn, proper atmospheric stuff.

It works well if you're based at The Croft Campsite nearby and want something low-key between days at the coast. Free access, no facilities to speak of, so come prepared. Spring and autumn are your best bets. Summer can feel a bit overgrown and the midges aren't brilliant. Winter's clearer but bleak unless you're after that kind of mood.