Rhinefield Ornamental drive

Drive slowly through Rhinefield and you'll understand why the Victorians were obsessed with landscaping. This ornamental drive winds through the New Forest near Brockenhurst, lined with mature conifers and exotic trees planted in the 1850s - the kind of deliberate, grand planting you don't see much anymore.

It's genuinely lovely if you're staying at one of the nearby campsites and fancy something low-effort. Park up and walk the route, or drive it at a crawl with the windows down. The trees are the whole point - Douglas firs, wellingtonias, cedars - all towering overhead and making the place feel properly atmospheric. You're looking at maybe an hour if you stop to take photos and breathe it in. No facilities to speak of, no entrance fee that we know of, just a straightforward country drive that works as a morning activity before heading to Ocknell Campsite or the excellent Longbeech.

Kids under ten might find it a bit dull if you're expecting them to walk the whole thing - it's trees, essentially - but teenagers and anyone interested in Victorian gardens will get something out of it. The Forest surrounds you everywhere round here anyway, so this is more a curated version than a revelation.

Worth the detour if you're camping locally and have a spare hour. Don't go out of your way for it alone.