Cairn Wood

Three miles outside Petersfield, Cairn Wood is a proper working forest where you can actually walk among the trees without feeling herded along a marked trail. It's the kind of place that rewards wandering - ancient woodland mixed with newer plantings, the sort of landscape that changes character depending on which way you turn.

The whole point here is the forest itself. Paths wind through beech and oak, and if you're lucky you'll spot deer moving through the undergrowth. It's not dramatic or showy. There are no viewpoints, no visitor centres, no tea rooms. It's just a wood where you can walk for an hour or three and actually hear yourself think.

Walkers will get the most from this. Families with small children might find it a bit quiet and featureless after twenty minutes - there's nothing to stop and gawp at, no play equipment, just trees. Birdwatchers and nature photographers will be far happier. The forest is at its best in spring when the woodland floor comes alive, or autumn when the light filters through amber leaves.

Stay at Adhurst Yurts down the road and you've got a proper woodland base for exploring the area. Cairn Wood makes an easy morning walk before heading into Petersfield for lunch. It's the sort of place that either clicks with you immediately or doesn't - if you're after quiet, uncomplicated woodland walking, it absolutely does the job.