Cotton Dingle

Cotton Dingle is a proper woodland walk near Bewdley, the sort of place where you can actually hear yourself think. It's ancient forest - mixed broadleaf with plenty of oak and beech - that slopes down steeply through a valley, and the whole thing feels older than the map suggests.

The walk itself takes you through the dingle floor where it's dark and damp even on bright days, tree roots snaking across the path like they own the place. There's a stream running through if the rains have been decent, and the banks get quite dramatic in places. Count on ninety minutes if you want to do the whole thing without rushing.

Best for serious walkers rather than families with pushchairs - it's genuinely steep in sections and can be treacherous after wet weather. History buffs will appreciate that this is the real deal: unmanaged woodland with structure that speaks to centuries of growth. You won't find any interpretation boards or facilities, which is either brilliant or frustrating depending on your mood.

If you're staying at Stanmore Hall Touring Park just down the road, this makes a cracking half-day outing. It's free to walk, no formal parking area that I could find, but the narrow lanes near Bewdley have room if you're sensible about it. Go early morning before the local dog walkers arrive, and wear proper boots - the mud here is serious. Late autumn is when the canopy opens up enough to see what you're doing.