Dingle

The woodland around Dingle, just outside Bridgnorth, is one of those forests you'll find yourself returning to without quite planning it. It's not a manicured country estate - it's proper forest, with decent paths that wind through mixed trees and open out onto views that make the walk feel worthwhile rather than just obligatory.

On a decent day you can cover the main routes in two to three hours, though there's enough here to justify a longer ramble if you're not in a rush. The terrain is manageable without being flat, so families with older kids will manage fine, but pushchair users should go in with realistic expectations about what the paths can handle.

It works brilliantly as a break from a longer stay at Wheathill Touring Park, which sits just down the road - you're never more than a few minutes' drive from somewhere to stretch your legs properly. Winter is actually rather good here, when the lack of leaf cover means you get proper sightlines through the trees and the paths don't turn into mud baths.

There's something uncomplicated about Dingle that appeals - no visitor centre nonsense, no queuing, just a wood that's there to be walked through. Not Instagram-friendly, but genuinely useful if you want to burn a couple of hours between other bits of your itinerary. If you're basing yourself in Bridgnorth and the weather's holding, it's absolutely worth the detour.