Chorleywood Common

A sprawl of woodland and open heath just outside Rickmansworth, Chorleywood Common feels properly wild despite being within reach of London. You're walking through mixed woodland - beech, oak, birch - with patches of open ground that catch the light. The paths are well-trodden and easy enough for families, though they do get boggy after rain, so proper footwear matters.

This is the sort of place where you go to clear your head rather than tick something off. There's no visitor centre, no tea shop, just you and the trees. Walkers will spend a solid two hours here without rushing, following the network of trails that crisscross the common. Kids can burn energy chasing through the bracken, though there's nothing specifically laid on for them - no playground, no events board. It's free to access and open all hours in the way of commons.

If you're camped at North Hill Farm - barely a mile away - this becomes your daily walk. The proximity makes it invaluable for a week in Buckinghamshire when you want green space without leaving the area. Combine it with a push towards the River Colne nearby, or head into Rickmansworth itself for the canal and proper shops. The common works best in autumn when the light's proper golden through the trees, or spring when everything's pushing through. Summer weekends bring families, which is fine, but weekday mornings are genuinely peaceful.