Netley Plantation

The woodland around Leatherhead has its quiet corners, and Netley Plantation is one of them - a working forest that feels properly tucked away despite sitting just a couple of miles from town. It's mixed woodland, the kind where you can actually hear yourself think, with paths that wind through decent-sized trees rather than the manicured stuff you get in country parks.

Walkers will find it worthwhile. The tracks are well-trodden enough to follow without faffing about, and it's the sort of place where you can spend an hour or two genuinely away from the car park mentality. The forest floor is soft underfoot most of the season, and if you time it right - autumn's particularly good - the light through the canopy is the best reason to be here.

It's free access, which matters when you're based at one of the nearby campsites like Chantry Wood or Hammonds Glamping. The plantation works well as a morning walk before heading to somewhere with more formal attractions, or as a proper leg-stretcher if you've been parked up too long. Don't expect viewpoints or facilities - this is about the walk itself, nothing else.

Families with younger kids might find it a touch dull after twenty minutes unless they're genuinely into spotting woodland things. Proper walkers and photography types will do better here. The proximity to Leatherhead means you're never far from a decent pub or café if the weather turns.