Martello Woods

The woods rise up suddenly from the flatlands around Poole, dark and dense and proper refreshing after an hour or so driving round the Dorset coast. Martello Woods is a straightforward forest walk - the sort of place where you actually feel the temperature drop once you're under the canopy, which matters more than you'd think when you're camping in high summer.

It's accessible woodland rather than wilderness. The paths are well-trodden, manageable for families with younger kids or anyone not keen on scrambling through bracken. You get the woods smell, the light filtering through the trees, the occasional flash of movement in the undergrowth. Nothing flashy, but that's rather the point. A solid two-hour ramble will take you through the lot without feeling rushed.

Walkers will find this most useful - it's the sort of place that breaks up a park holiday nicely when you need a proper walk but can't face a coastal hike. Young kids will manage it fine, though they might get bored if there's no water feature or playground nearby to break things up. History buffs might note the Martello tower references in the name, though the woods themselves are just woods.

Stay at Meadowbank Holidays or Burnbake Forest Lodges - both within six miles - and you've got easy access without the twenty-minute drive. Ulwell Holiday Park is only slightly further. Admission's free, which is the way it should be. Go mid-morning to dodge the school run crowd. Winter's actually decent here - muddy, but fewer insects and clearer sightlines.