Old Spring Wood

A proper woodland walk rather than a manicured attraction, Old Spring Wood sits on the outskirts of Worksop and delivers exactly what you'd want from a Nottinghamshire forest - decent paths, plenty of shade, and enough space to actually breathe. The wood itself is mixed woodland with some lovely mature trees, and it's the sort of place where you can lose an hour or two without realising time's passed.

It's ideal for families with younger kids who tire of car journeys, or anyone after a straightforward ramble without the visitor centre crowds you'd get at Clumber Park, just a few miles south. Dogs love it here, which is worth knowing. Allow between one and two hours depending on which trails you take - nothing's particularly challenging, just gentle forest floor underfoot.

The appeal is honestly in its ordinariness. There's no café, no gift shop, no admission fee to worry about, and that's rather refreshing if you're based at Riverside Caravan Park or Clumber Park Lodges and want to break up a park stay. It won't dominate your holiday, but it's the sort of stop that becomes a proper memory - particularly if you time it right and catch the light filtering through the canopy on an autumn afternoon.

Worksop itself is worth a proper explore as well; it's a working market town rather than a tourist trap, which keeps things real. The woodland is genuinely free to wander, though facilities might be minimal, so bring water.