Hornshaw Plantation

You'll find yourself among tall conifers and mixed woodland that feels genuinely remote, even though you're barely two miles from Tadcaster. Hornshaw Plantation is the sort of place locals know about and visitors tend to miss - no visitor centre, no café, just proper forest. The paths wind through Douglas firs and larches with enough cover to stay dry on drizzly days, which in Yorkshire means it's useful most of the year.

It's ideal for walkers wanting a decent woodland ramble without the crowds of the Peak District. The terrain isn't technical but it's properly wooded - darker under the canopy than you'd expect from photos, which makes it atmospheric rather than twee. If you're staying at Wighill Park Glamping up the road, this sits nicely as a morning outing before heading back for lunch. Allow ninety minutes to two hours to get a real sense of it rather than rushing through.

Families with older kids will find it engaging; younger ones might flag if they're expecting obvious attractions. Bring decent boots - the ground gets boggy in patches. The big downside is the lack of infrastructure. No parking facilities to speak of, no signage, no sense of where you're meant to be. You need to know roughly where you're going beforehand or you'll waste time circling. It's free, naturally, which is the only reason to tolerate the vagueness. Best visited autumn or spring when you can actually move without being consumed by midges and nettles.