Cobblers Pits

The woodland around Cobblers Pits, just outside Tring, is proper quiet - the kind of place where you actually hear birds properly instead of just assuming they're there. It's a working forest with actual character, not some manicured nature reserve where you can't deviate two metres from the marked path.

What you get is woodland walking through mixed forestry with clearings that open up suddenly. The pits themselves - old clay workings - add a bit of geological interest if you're into that sort of thing. It's the sort of spot where walkers actually want to spend time rather than just tick off. Families with restless kids might find an hour the limit, but serious walkers will happily do a couple of hours here without feeling like they're going in circles.

There's no visitor centre, no café, no facilities to speak of. That's either brilliant or annoying depending on your mood. Come midweek if you can - weekends bring the local rambling groups out in force.

If you're camping at Hill Farm just down the road, this is an obvious morning walk before heading elsewhere. Close enough that you won't waste half the day driving, far enough into actual woodland that it doesn't feel like you're just walking around the campsite. Chiltern Yurts is also only three miles away if you want something a bit posher - worth combining the two if you've got the time.