Bashfordsland Wood

A walk through Bashfordsland Wood feels like stepping into something genuinely wild, even though you're only a few miles from Larne. This isn't a manicured nature reserve with visitor centres and marked trails - it's proper woodland, the sort where you need to pick your way through and actually think about where you're going.

The reserve sits in Mid and East Antrim, and what makes it worth your time is the sheer variety crammed into relatively compact space. You'll find native broadleaf woodland, streams cutting through the lower ground, and if you're there at the right time, decent birdlife. The undergrowth gets thick in summer, which either adds to the atmosphere or makes navigation a bit fiddly, depending on how you feel about that sort of thing.

It works brilliantly for walkers who want something with actual character rather than a stroll around a manicured park. Families with older kids will cope fine; younger children might struggle with the uneven terrain and lack of obvious paths. Birdwatchers and woodland enthusiasts will get far more from it than day-trippers after a quick photo.

If you're staying at Down to Earth Wild Camping just down the road, this is exactly the kind of place that justifies a wild camping trip - accessible, interesting, and properly local. You won't need more than an hour or two, depending on how deep into the wood you fancy going. Go when the ground's reasonably dry; after heavy rain it becomes properly boggy.