Riversdown Row

Riversdown Row is a proper woodland walk on the outskirts of Alresford, where you can lose yourself among beech and oak without needing to drive far. The forest floor is thick with leaf litter, the kind that crunches satisfyingly underfoot, and in spring the bluebells come thick enough to turn whole patches blue. It's the sort of place where you actually notice the quiet - no phone signal, no distant road noise, just birds and wind in the canopy.

Walkers and families with older kids will get the most from this. The paths are well-defined but not manicured, so it feels like proper countryside rather than a theme park version of the forest. You're looking at a solid hour or so if you want to do a reasonable loop without rushing. There's no visitor centre or facilities to speak of, which is part of its charm - this is woodland as it is, not woodland with a cafe bolted on the side.

For a camping holiday based at one of the nearby parks - Woodlands is closest at just over three miles - this makes an excellent half-day outing. Combine it with Alresford itself, which has a decent high street and the Watercress Line railway if you need something less strenuous. The forest won't blow your mind if you're used to New Forest rambles, but as a pocket of genuine woodland within easy reach of your caravan, it's well worth the walk.