Cannock Chase Forest - Forestry England, main car park

The car park at Cannock Chase Forest is your gateway to 6,000 acres of heathland and woodland that feels properly removed from the Staffordshire sprawl around Rugeley. This isn't some manicured country estate - it's genuine working forest, managed by Forestry England, with trails that range from easy loops around the car park to serious woodland walks that'll take your legs the next day.

What you get is miles of marked paths through mixed woodland, open heathland with genuine views across the Midlands on clear days, and that particular kind of quiet you only find in forests. The main car park itself is well-organised with facilities, and it's the obvious starting point for most visitors. Walkers will have the most fun here - serious hikers can easily clock five or six miles without repeating ground, and families with younger kids will find enough short routes to keep everyone happy for a couple of hours.

It's free to visit, naturally. Allow anything from ninety minutes for a gentle circuit to a full day if you're thorough. Spring is brilliant for bluebells; autumn for the woodland colours. The forest works nicely as a base if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks - Silver Trees, Chase Camping at Four Oaks Farm, or the Glamping Pods are virtually on the doorstep - giving you easy access to decent walking without having to drive far each morning. Fair warning: the heathland can be boggy after rain, so proper boots matter.