Plunketts Glade

Walking into Plunketts Glade feels like stepping off the beaten track properly - which, given its location just outside Hythe, is rather the point. This is genuine woodland, the sort of place where you can actually hear yourself think instead of fighting crowds on a Saturday afternoon.

It's a forest walk rather than a destination with facilities, so manage expectations accordingly. You get tree-lined paths, dappled light filtering through, and the kind of quiet that makes you remember why you came to Kent in the first place. The terrain is fairly easy going - nothing that'll leave you gasping - which makes it decent for families who want their kids to actually walk rather than whinge about blisters after twenty minutes. Older children will probably prefer somewhere with more drama, like a waterfall or a proper viewpoint, but for a gentle mooch with the dog or a break from campsite life, it works well.

Bring proper shoes though. After rain the paths get boggy, and there's nothing worse than squelching through woodland in trainers. Timing-wise, allow an hour to an hour and a half depending on how slowly you like to move.

If you're camping at Dunn Street Farm, Hawthorne Trench, or Broadhembury - all within easy reach - this is the sort of spot that justifies a morning out without requiring military-level planning. It's free, it's close, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Not spectacular, but genuinely restorative.