Bernards Wood

The woodland around Bernards Wood, just outside Penrith, is proper Lakeland territory - proper meaning genuinely wild rather than manicured. You're looking at a dense forest floor thick with ferns and moss, the sort of place where the light filters through a canopy so dense you'd swear it was raining even when it isn't.

Walking through here is straightforward enough. Paths wind between the conifers and broadleaves, and it's the kind of woodland that rewards you for getting off the main routes - though don't expect dramatic vistas. The appeal is the peace, the smell of the earth, the occasional spot of genuine quiet that's rarer than you'd think in the Lake District these days.

If you're camping nearby - and there's no shortage of sites within spitting distance, Beckses Caravan Park is just 3.7 miles away - this makes a solid morning's walk before breakfast or an evening wander when you've had enough of the peaks. Families won't struggle with the terrain, though younger children will probably hit their limit after an hour. It's not dramatic enough to hold everyone's attention for the whole day, and there's nothing in the way of facilities or visitor infrastructure.

Really, Bernards Wood works best as a break from the crowds rather than a destination in itself. It's free, it's close to Penrith, and on a decent day it's worth thirty minutes of your time. Anything more than that and you're probably better off heading further into the fells.