Cocked Hat Plantation

The woodland around Cocked Hat Plantation near Southwell is proper walking country - the sort of place where you can disappear into the trees for an hour and feel like you've left the Midlands behind entirely. It's managed forestry, so you get those satisfying straight rows of conifers mixed with older hardwoods, and the ground underfoot stays decent even after rain.

Walkers will get the most from it. This isn't a destination attraction with a visitor centre or tea room - it's a genuine forest walk, the kind where you bring a map and your own sense of direction. Allow 90 minutes to two hours if you're doing a proper circuit, though you can easily do a shorter 45-minute loop depending on which paths you fancy. The trails are unmarked in places, which some people love and others find annoying, so go in knowing that.

It works well as part of a broader Nottinghamshire walking holiday. You're close enough to Southwell for supplies, and there's decent accommodation nearby - Orchard Park and Greenacres are both within easy reach if you're basing yourself here for a few days. The forest itself is free to walk, though it's worth checking locally whether there are any seasonal closures or access restrictions before you head out.

Not for everyone, if I'm honest. Kids will get bored after the first 20 minutes, and it's not a destination if you want café stops and visitor facilities. But if you're after genuine woodland without the crowds, it's worth the detour from Southwell.