Ash Plantation

The ash trees here run thick and deep, creating one of those proper North Yorkshire woodland walks that feels genuinely away from it all despite being just outside Pickering. It's the kind of forest where the canopy does most of the talking - dappled light, the smell of leaf mulch, the occasional crack of a fallen branch underfoot.

This isn't a manicured attraction with signage and facilities. It's a working plantation, so you're getting the real thing: a chance to walk through managed woodland at whatever pace suits you. Most people spend an hour to ninety minutes here, depending on how deep you want to venture and whether you're stopping to properly listen to the quiet. Families with younger children might find it a bit of a slog if there's no defined trail, but older kids and proper walkers will get exactly what they came for.

The location makes it convenient for a break from the caravan parks clustered around the area - Black Bull is barely three miles away, and Vale of Pickering just under five. You could easily slot this into a morning before heading into town for lunch, or use it as an evening stroll if you're staying at Lakeside or Westgate Carr.

Go when it's dry underfoot. After rain it becomes boggy and honestly a bit miserable. Spring's good for the light, autumn for the colours, but winter turns it rather dark and muddy. Free to access, no facilities that I'm aware of, so bring your own water.