Stoney Wood Wirksworth

The woodland around Wirksworth rewards a proper wander, and Stoney Wood is where locals come to actually walk rather than photograph. It's a genuine nature reserve - no visitor centre, no gift shop, just trees, paths, and the kind of quiet you don't get in peak season elsewhere in Derbyshire.

What you're walking through is mixed woodland with a decent network of trails that wind through the reserve. You'll see woodland birds if you're patient, and the tree cover alone makes it worth the trip on a hot day. The paths are well-trodden but not rammed, which means you can move at your own pace. It's the sort of place where walkers actually outnumber tourists, which says something.

Families with children who'll actually walk more than five minutes will get on well here. There's enough variety in the terrain to keep legs moving and eyes busy. History enthusiasts should know this is proper old Derbyshire woodland - the kind of landscape that's been here for centuries. Allow a couple of hours if you're not rushing; you could do it in forty minutes if you're just after the exercise.

The reserve sits close enough to Ashbourne that it makes logical sense as part of a wider Derbyshire park holiday. Carsington Fields Caravan Park and Carsington Water Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite are both within four miles, so you could base yourself there and use Stoney Wood as a decent walking break rather than a full day out. It's particularly good in autumn when the canopy changes colour - that's when it genuinely looks worth the journey.