Home Covert

The forest floor here is thick with bracken and the air smells properly green - that's Home Covert, a quiet pocket of woodland just inland from Southampton. It's not dramatic or famous, which rather works in its favour. You've got mixed woodland - oak, beech, the lot - threading through what feels like proper Hampshire countryside despite being close enough to the city for a quick visit.

Walkers will find their feet here. There are paths that weave through without being sign-posted to death, which means you might actually have to think about where you're going rather than just following the crowd. Not technical, not strenuous - just straightforward woodland rambling. You could spend two hours or four hours depending on how far you fancy heading in. Kids tend to enjoy it if they're the type that like climbing over logs and hunting for things, less so if they need constant entertainment.

The nearest town is Southampton, so if you're based around there and want an afternoon away from the usual attractions, this scratches that itch without fuss. If you're staying at Beechen Glamping - which sits five miles south - you could couple it with a morning here and still have time for whatever else the New Forest region has on offer. Free to access, no entry fees or gates to negotiate. Go midweek if you can. Weekends draw families in and the atmosphere shifts.