Hanger Wood

You'll find Hanger Wood sitting on the fringes of Plymouth, a proper little pocket of ancient woodland that punches above its weight for a quick woodland walk. The forest floor is dense with moss-covered logs and ferns, with enough mature trees towering overhead to make you forget you're anywhere near a city.

It's ideal for families after a couple of hours away from screens, or walkers wanting something manageable without the full Dartmoor trek. The paths meander through without much in the way of signage, so there's an element of discovery - you're picking your own route rather than following a rigid trail. In autumn the light filtering through is genuinely lovely, and spring brings bluebells worth the short detour.

There's no visitor infrastructure here - no café, no car park attendant, no entrance fee as far as anyone can tell. That's rather refreshing. Allow ninety minutes for a decent mooch around. The ground can get muddy after rain, so proper boots make sense.

If you're based at Hidden Hill Devon, the luxury glamping spot just five miles away with hot tubs, Hanger Wood works as a morning activity before settling in for afternoon wine and soaking. It's the sort of place that doesn't appear in guidebooks, which means you'll rarely find crowds. Real woodland, no artifice. That's worth something.