Brocklehurst Wood

Walk into Brocklehurst Wood and you're immediately swallowed by proper old-growth Lancashire woodland. Towering oaks, dense undergrowth, dappled light filtering through - the kind of place where you actually feel like you've left Bury behind, even though the town's barely four miles away.

It's a serious walker's wood rather than a stroll-and-snap destination. The paths are uneven, muddy in places, and you need to pay attention to where you're stepping. That said, if you enjoy getting lost in native broadleaf forest without the crowds of a country park, this does the job well. The woodland feels genuinely wild - less managed than you'd expect, with fallen trees and natural clearings that suggest nobody's over-tidying the place.

Clear a good two hours minimum. This isn't a lap-around-the-park affair. Walkers and nature types will get far more from it than families with small children, though older kids who can handle uneven terrain and aren't after novelty attractions will find it atmospheric enough.

The wood connects well to a broader walking route if you're staying at Rossendale Holiday Cottages and Glamping, just four miles south. Base yourself there, and you can string together a proper day on foot without doubling back.

No facilities that I could find, so bring water and wear decent boots. Go when it's been dry - after heavy rain, bits of it become properly boggy.