Eltisley Wood

The woodland paths here wind through proper thick stands of oak and beech, the kind of place where you actually feel like you've left Huntingdon behind. Eltisley Wood is straightforward - a manageable forest walk, nothing showy, just solid trees and decent tracks that don't demand hiking boots or a Ordnance Survey map.

You're looking at a couple of hours maximum if you do a full loop, which suits families who don't want to be dragging reluctant kids through the undergrowth all afternoon. The woodland floor gets boggy in places after rain, so winter visits need proper footwear. Spring's when it earns its keep - bluebells come through thick and the whole place feels properly alive.

Don't expect any facilities or visitor infrastructure. There's no café, no marked trails with interpretation boards, no car park with a gift shop. It's just you and the trees, which is exactly why some people will love it and others will find it a bit thin on entertainment. Walkers will get on fine here. Families with younger children might find it lacks the interactive appeal of somewhere with a playground or pond-dipping station.

It slots nicely into a wider Cambridgeshire Lakes holiday - that's only five miles away. You could combine it with time at the lake itself without much faffing about. Good option for a midweek morning walk if the weather's holding.