Skegg's Wood

The woodland around Skegg's Wood, east of Stevenage, is proper walking territory - ancient broadleaf forest with decent paths that don't demand fell-runner fitness. You get a real sense of stepping back into old Hertfordshire here, the kind of place where you half expect to stumble on a gamekeeper's cottage or an overgrown pond.

It's ideal for people who want a straightforward woodland walk without the crowds you'd hit at more famous spots. Families with kids aged 5+ will manage fine, though very small ones might struggle if the ground's wet. History enthusiasts will appreciate the old forest management - you can read the landscape if you know how to look.

Bring proper walking shoes. Allow a good two hours minimum if you're going to do it justice, longer if you're the type to stop and identify trees. There's no visitor centre or facilities that we're aware of, so come prepared.

It sits handily between several caravan parks - Church Farm Ardeley is less than five miles away if you're basing yourself at one of the holiday sites. That makes it a solid second-day-morning walk option once you've settled in. The woods are accessible year-round, though autumn is when you'll get the best light filtering through, and spring is thick with bluebells if you time it right. Muddy in winter, mind.