Sykes Wood

You'll know you've found Sykes Wood when the open moorland around Leyburn suddenly gives way to proper woodland - ancient oaks and beeches creating a canopy that blocks out the North Yorkshire sky. It's a working forest, not a manicured country estate, which is part of its appeal. The main draw is the network of walking trails that weave through dense trees and along becks that run clearer than you'd expect this close to farming country.

Walkers will get the most from it. This isn't a destination where you rock up for twenty minutes with an ice cream - you need proper boots and time to explore the paths properly. A couple of hours minimum, longer if you're the sort who stops to examine moss on tree trunks. The woodland itself is relatively quiet even during school holidays, which makes it feel like a proper escape rather than a tourist tick box.

It works brilliantly as part of a wider Wensleydale walking holiday. Both Woodhouse Farm and Sleningford Watermill - each within six miles - put you within striking distance of the wood without dumping you in the middle of the busiest bits of the dale. The forest sits on the eastern edge of the tourist trail, which keeps crowds manageable. Spring is cracking if you're lucky enough to catch bluebells, but honestly it's worth visiting any time the weather's dry enough to not turn the paths into mud slides. There's no visitor centre or facilities, so bring what you need.