Shiellow Wood

The woodland around Shiellow, just outside Berwick-upon-Tweed, is the kind of place you stumble upon rather than plan for - and that's rather the point. It's a proper forest walk through mixed woodland, nothing fancy, but genuinely peaceful if you time it right and avoid the school holidays crowds.

You're walking through thick trees with decent paths underfoot, the sort of place where you actually notice the light changing through the canopy rather than checking your phone. There's no visitor centre or café, no branded experience - just woodland being woodland. It's ideal for walkers wanting something more substantial than a stroll round a manicured park, though families with young kids might find it a bit samey after an hour or so.

The nearest town is Berwick, which has its own appeal if you're heading that way anyway. If you're camped at Barn at Beal or one of the other sites in the area - Haven Haggerston Castle or South Meadows are both within easy reach - this makes a solid half-day addition to your trip. Budle Bay and Budle Farm campsites are similarly close.

Go early morning or late afternoon for the best light, and bring proper footwear - it can get muddy. Admission appears to be free, as with most accessible woodland in this part of Northumberland. Allow two to three hours if you want to actually enjoy it rather than rush through. It won't blow your mind, but it's the kind of honest, uncluttered woodland walk that makes for a proper break from screen time.