Salome Wood

The walk through Salome Wood near Huntingdon is quiet in a way that proper woodland should be - ancient oaks and mixed broadleaves creating a cathedral-like canopy that muffles the sound of the A1 a few miles away. You're in classic Cambridgeshire terrain here: flat, understandable, the sort of place where you can actually navigate without a map.

It's not dramatic. No gorges, no vistas, no Instagram moments. What you get instead is the simple pleasure of woodland walking - dappled light on well-trodden paths, the occasional small clearing, birdsong if you're quiet enough. The wood covers a decent area so you can spend anywhere from thirty minutes for a quick loop to a couple of hours if you're the sort who stops to identify trees and look for wildlife.

This works well for families who want to burn off some energy without a major expedition, and for anyone camping at Grafham Water Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite just five miles away - it's an easy woodland escape while you're in the area. Older walkers will appreciate the gentle terrain, though there's nothing here to challenge you.

Go mid-week if you can. Weekends bring dog walkers and the place gets busier. Spring and autumn are best - summer can feel a bit airless under all that canopy. Free to walk, no facilities to speak of, so bring water. The sort of place you might not plan a journey for specifically, but genuinely worth an hour if you're already nearby.