East Ruston Common

East Ruston Common is a proper Norfolk flatscape - open heathland that stretches out without a tree in sight, giving you that rare sense of big skies and nowhere to hide from the weather. It's the kind of place where the wind does the talking, and on a clear day you can see for miles across terrain that's barely changed since medieval times.

Walkers get the most from it. There's no visitor centre or café, no interpretation boards telling you what you're looking at - it's just you, the gorse, and the occasional bird of prey overhead. The common sits east of North Walsham and feels properly remote despite being only a few miles from civilisation. Allow an hour or so if you're doing a proper circuit; twenty minutes if you just want a quick stretch and a look around.

Timing matters here. Summer can get a bit scorched and featureless, but autumn and early spring are cracking - the light's better, the walking's easier, and you won't overheat. Winter's moody but muddy. It's free to access, which is the only way these spaces should work.

For a caravan holiday in the area, it's a solid half-day excursion from Manor Caravan Park or Golden Beach Holiday Park. Not the kind of place to build a day around on its own, but combined with the Norfolk coast nearby it slots in nicely. Real Norfolk, this - no frills, no crowds, just space.