Mercers Park

A proper nature reserve just outside Redhill, Mercers Park is one of those places that feels genuinely wild despite being right on the edge of Surrey suburbia. You're walking through ancient woodland with streams cutting through, the kind of landscape that makes you forget you're minutes from a commuter town.

The reserve itself is small enough to explore in under two hours, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's a quick tick-box stop. The paths wind through deciduous woodland where you'll spot woodland birds, maybe a muntjac deer if you're quiet about it, and in spring the bluebells are genuinely spectacular rather than the Instagram-cliché they've become elsewhere. There's a gentle stream running through which keeps things fresh even on hot days.

Walkers will get the most from this one. It's not challenging terrain - children can manage it easily - but it's the sort of place where you actually want to move slowly, listen properly. Families with restless kids under eight might find an hour is enough before someone asks what's for lunch.

Access appears to be free, and there's no visitor centre or facilities to speak of, which keeps it refreshingly unglamoured. If you're staying at Surrey Hills Park or Betchworth Fort Park, both just over six miles away, this makes a proper alternative to the bigger attractions. It's the kind of morning stroll that makes you remember why you chose a countryside holiday instead of a city break.