The Thicket

The Thicket near Eye is proper woodland - the sort of place where you can actually lose the sound of traffic and remember what a forest floor smells like. It's dense enough to feel genuinely wild, with paths that wind through mature trees and undergrowth thick enough to make you feel like you've stepped back a century or two.

This works best for walkers who want something genuine rather than manicured. Families with older kids will find it engaging - the density and scale of the trees keep things interesting without needing theme park theatrics. Bring decent boots though; after rain it can get boggy, and the paths aren't always obvious.

You're looking at an hour to ninety minutes if you just want to stretch your legs and soak it in. There's no café or visitor centre, which is rather the point. It's free to access, so there's no barrier to stopping by if you're staying at Hill Farm Suffolk or Goldings CL just down the road. Stonham Barns is close too, making this a natural addon to a park holiday in the area.

Go early morning or late afternoon if you can. The light through the canopy is better, and you'll have the place mostly to yourself. Summer's lovely, but autumn when the canopy starts thinning is when you'll really see what's going on architecturally in the wood - fallen trees, clearings, the whole ecosystem laid bare.