Brandshill Wood

The woodland paths through Brandshill Wood offer proper walking territory without the crowds you'd find at the more famous Sherwood spots further east. It's a genuine forest experience - tall oaks, dappled light, the kind of place where you can actually hear birdsong instead of your own feet on gravel.

This is walkers' country, though families with decent-sized legs won't struggle. You're looking at a solid few hours if you want to do it justice, and the paths can get boggy after rain so waterproofs aren't optional. The woodland is free to roam, which is refreshing - no car parks, no visitor centres, just trees and trails. It's the sort of place you turn up to with a map and proper boots.

Loughborough sits just to the west, making this a natural add-on if you're based in that part of Nottinghamshire. The real bonus? It's genuinely different from the flatter park walks. There's actual elevation change, real forest depth. Not a destination on its own, but absolutely worth half a day if you're looking to stretch your legs between other activities.

Wine isn't your thing? Fair enough. But Wolds Wine Estate just down the road (6 miles or so) does glamping alongside the vineyard, which pairs oddly well with forest walking - energise in the morning, relax with a glass by evening.