Old Hall Wood

The woodland floor here is carpeted with moss and fallen beech leaves, which tells you straight away that Old Hall Wood is the real deal - proper ancient forest rather than a managed plantation. It sits just outside Ellesmere in Shropshire, and if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks like Woodland Park Lodges or Archers' Meadow Glamping, it's genuinely worth the short drive.

There's no visitor centre or café, which is either brilliant or annoying depending on your mood. What you get instead is peace. The main draw is a network of woodland paths that wind through mature trees - mostly beech and oak - with the kind of light filtering through that makes you understand why people go on about English woodlands. Dog walkers love it, and families with kids aged seven upwards will find it engaging for a solid couple of hours.

The woodland floor varies between firm paths and softer ground, so wellies aren't always essential but they're sensible. There's no entry fee that I'm aware of, and no opening hours to worry about - typical for forest walks in the area. Spring brings bluebells, autumn is golden, but honestly, it's worth visiting any season except when it's been raining for three days solid.

It's not a massive detour from Ellesmere itself, and if you're building a Shropshire break around the local parks, this fits naturally as a half-day walk. Bring a packed lunch if you fancy it - there's no facilities, but quiet spots are easy to find. Don't expect dramatic viewpoints or woodland features - this is about the experience of being among old trees, which is precisely why it works.