Great Copse

Walking into Great Copse feels like stepping into proper Surrey woodland - the kind of place where you actually escape the sound of the A3. It's a genuine forest rather than a manicured park, with decent-sized trees and enough undergrowth to feel genuinely wild, even though you're only a couple of miles from Guildford.

What you get here is straightforward: woodland trails that loop through mixed broadleaf forest. There's no visitor centre or facilities to speak of, which means it's refreshingly uncommercial. Bring a decent map or use a phone app because signposting is thin on the ground, but that's part of the appeal. The paths are muddy in winter and absolutely fine in summer - typical English woodland.

Families with older kids will find it decent for a good stomp around; younger ones might get bored after forty minutes without something specific to hunt for (conkers in autumn, that sort of thing). Serious walkers can string together a couple of hours here without trouble. It's the kind of place you visit when you want fresh air and space rather than views or attractions.

If you're based at Edgeley Holiday Park or Chantry Wood Campsite nearby, this is a proper local option that costs nothing and beats driving somewhere "nicer" that's actually rammed. Go early on weekends or weekday mornings to have the place largely to yourself. Best avoided immediately after heavy rain unless you fancy testing your waterproofs properly.