Jack Wood

The woodland around Jack Wood sits on the edge of Preston's sprawl, a proper escape if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks. It's not some manicured country estate affair - this is genuine Lancashire forest with mature trees, decent walking trails, and the kind of quiet you don't expect five miles from the town centre.

You'll find mixed woodland here, the sort of place where dog walkers outnumber tourists on weekends. The paths are manageable, nothing too demanding, which makes it ideal if you're taking younger kids or don't fancy a proper fell walk. There's something about old broadleaf woodland that just works - dappled light, the smell of earth after rain, nothing fancy required.

It's free to wander, naturally. Allow an hour for a circular route if you're not in a rush, longer if you actually stop to notice things. Autumn's the best time, when the light turns golden and the leaf litter cushions your footsteps. Summer can feel a bit sticky and closed-in, depending on how wet the season's been.

If you're based at Gibsons Barn or North View, this beats sitting around the caravan on a damp afternoon. It won't set your pulse racing - there's no dramatic vistas or historical drama - but that's rather the point. It's the kind of place that reminds you why you came to Lancashire in the first place.