Hardwick Wood

You'll find yourself surrounded by proper ancient woodland the moment you step into Hardwick Wood, just outside Plymouth. It's the sort of place where the canopy gets so thick you almost forget it's summer - dappled light filters through, the ground's soft with generations of leaf litter, and the air smells like mushrooms and earth.

This is old-growth forest, which means tall trees, twisted roots everywhere, and paths that wind rather than march. It's brilliant for a proper walk, nothing too demanding, but enough that you won't breeze through it in twenty minutes. Families with kids who like scrambling over fallen logs and spotting wildlife will get on well here. The woodland birds are decent, and you might see deer if you're quiet and lucky.

Walkers appreciate this stretch - it connects nicely into the broader network of trails around Plymouth if you want to extend a half-day jaunt into something longer. There's something very English about it, the kind of wood that looks exactly as it probably did fifty years ago, or five hundred come to that.

If you're staying nearby - Hidden Hill Devon's glamping set-up is only a few miles off - you could easily make this a morning wander before heading back for the hot tub. Park yourself in Plymouth properly and you've got coast, city walks, and this green lung all within striking distance. Free to enter, no faffing about with opening hours, just turn up and walk.