Decoypond Wood

A thick belt of woodland just outside Buckingham that feels properly remote despite being barely ten minutes from town. Decoypond Wood is the kind of place where you can actually hear yourself think - no crowds, no signposting, just old oaks and beech trees that have clearly been standing for centuries.

The main draw is straightforward: walking. There's a decent network of paths that wind through the wood, and the ground cover changes with the seasons. Spring brings bluebells in earnest, autumn turns everything into shades of rust and gold. It's not dramatic terrain - Buckinghamshire doesn't do dramatic - but it's exactly what you need if you're camping nearby and want to burn off some energy without faffing about with maps.

Walkers and families with reasonably confident kids will get the most from it. You're looking at anything from a quick 20-minute stomp to a couple of hours depending on which paths you follow. Bring proper shoes though; it gets boggy in wet weather and there's no maintenance visible.

If you're based at Embers Camping just down the road in Claydon, this is your local spot. Free to access, no opening hours to worry about - it's the sort of place you just rock up to. It won't be the highlight of your holiday, but as a break from the campsite and somewhere to walk off a heavy breakfast, it does the job well. Go early in the day if you want any sense of solitude.