Oak Wood

The woodland floor at Oak Wood is properly carpeted with moss and leaf litter - the sort of place where you actually want to tread quietly. This forest sits within striking distance of Kendal, making it an easy bolt-on to a caravan holiday at either the Kendal Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite or the Kendal Camping and Caravanning Club Site.

It's genuine ancient woodland, which means the trees have been here for centuries and the understory feels properly established. You get decent walking through here - nothing brutal, just peaceful trails beneath canopy that actually blocks out the Lakeland wind. Spring brings bluebells and wood anemones; autumn is all russets and golds. The paths are well-trodden enough to follow without faffing about with a map, though it helps to know which way you're heading.

Realistically, families will get a solid hour out of it, maybe two if the kids are keen on spotting birds or hunting for fungi. Walkers treating it as a warm-up before tackling the fells nearby will find it a useful leg-stretch. History buffs won't find much - it's just trees, no ruins or interpretive boards - so if you're after that sort of thing, look elsewhere.

Access and parking details aren't straightforward, so ring ahead or check with Kendal tourist information. The wood's free to enter, which is always nice. Best visited between late April and early October when the paths don't turn to bog.