Martinshaw Wood , Groby entrance

The Groby entrance to Martinshaw Wood puts you straight into proper woodland - tall oaks, ancient coppice, and enough shade to keep things cool even on a scorcher of a day. It's a genuinely old wood, the sort of place where you half expect to spot a deer round the next bend, and you quite often do. The paths are well-maintained and easy underfoot, which means it works just as well for a gentle potter as it does for a proper ramble.

Walkers will find this excellent. The woodland routes from Groby aren't demanding - maybe an hour or ninety minutes depending on which way you loop it - but there's real character to the place. Trees have clearly stood here for centuries, and you get that sense of timelessness that makes woodland walking worthwhile. It's also only about five miles from Leicester, so it's an easy reach from the city without feeling like you're in suburbia.

Bring the kids and they'll happily explore for a couple of hours; the dappled light and fallen branches keep them entertained. History buffs might appreciate that this is genuinely ancient woodland - proper landscape, not a modern plantation. The ground can get muddy in winter, so waterproofs aren't a bad shout. There's no entrance fee as far as I can tell, which is the way it should be.

If you're staying at The Paddocks or Mallory Meadows nearby, this is absolutely worth slipping into between park time. Close enough for an afternoon outing, far enough into the trees to feel like you've actually left somewhere.