Evelyn's Patch

A proper woodland walk through ancient beech and oak, Evelyn's Patch sits just outside Wingrave in Buckinghamshire and offers exactly what you'd hope for - quiet paths, dappled light filtering through the canopy, and the sort of silence you only get when you're genuinely away from things. The forest floor is soft underfoot, carpeted with leaves and the occasional fallen branch that kids will want to poke about with.

It's the kind of place where you turn a corner and suddenly spot a deer, or hear a woodpecker before you see it. Not vast - you can work through the main paths in an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're dawdling - but that's rather the point. This isn't Sherwood Forest; it's somewhere locals actually walk their dogs and families come to stretch their legs without the crowds.

Walkers will get the most from this. Young children enjoy it for the novelty of trees and sticks, though it won't keep them entertained for hours. If you're staying at Wingbury Farm Glamping or Chiltern Yurts nearby, it's well worth the short drive for an afternoon circuit before supper. Spring is lovely when the bluebells come through, though autumn's actually better - fewer insects, better light, and the woodland floor becomes a proper carpet of colour.

Free to access, no facilities that I'm aware of, so bring what you need. Go early in the day if you want any real sense of solitude.