Featherstons Grove

The woods around Featherstons Grove offer proper woodland walking country - dense canopy, leaf-scattered paths, and that smell of damp earth that makes you remember why you came to Warwickshire in the first place. It's the sort of forest where you can actually lose the sound of traffic, which near Kenilworth is no small feat.

What you get here is straightforward: miles of mixed woodland with decent trails threading through beech and oak. There's no visitor centre, no café, no gimmicks - just trees and footpaths. That's either brilliant or underwhelming depending on what you're after. For serious walkers or anyone who wants an hour's proper forest air without fighting crowds, it works. Families with younger kids might find it a bit samey after 45 minutes; teenagers and dog walkers will have a better time.

Access appears to be free, though information online is thin. It's best visited when the ground's dry - mud here can be glutinous. Spring brings bluebells in the clearings; autumn's the obvious choice if you like colour. Allow two to three hours for a decent loop depending on fitness.

Stay at Mousley House Farm - it's barely three miles away and a proper working touring park - then use Featherstons as your morning walk before heading into Kenilworth's castle and town centre. Warwick Racecourse and Knight's Village offer slicker facilities if that's your style, though you'll lose the peace and quiet factor. The grove works best as part of a wider Warwickshire hiking itinerary rather than a destination in itself.