Broad Border

The woodland at Broad Border, east of Diss, is proper Suffolk - all towering pines and dark undergrowth, the sort of place where you half-expect to stumble across something from a folk tale. It's a working forest, managed for timber, so don't expect manicured paths or visitor facilities. What you do get is genuine woodland walking through dense conifer plantations that open occasionally onto rides where light floods through.

This is for people who like their nature a bit wild and unpolished. Walkers will appreciate the quiet - there's none of the tourist buzz of more famous Norfolk reserves. Children old enough to manage uneven ground and navigate by map will enjoy the adventure of it, though younger ones might find the monotony of the trees tedious after an hour or so.

You can walk in freely, though there's no obvious infrastructure. Allow two to three hours if you want to do a decent loop rather than just poking about for thirty minutes. Bring a map or download the route beforehand; signs are minimal. Autumn's excellent here - the bracken turns gold and the place feels less claustrophobic. Summer can be murky and a bit claustrophobic beneath the canopy.

If you're staying at Bright Meadow Caravan Park nearby, this makes a solid morning or afternoon walk to break up a park-based holiday. It's not spectacular enough to drive hours for, but it's genuinely enjoyable if you're already in the area and after some proper woodland solitude.