Upper Coal Spinney

The woodland floor at Upper Coal Spinney is thick with last year's leaves, springy underfoot and proper dark even on a bright day. It's a small Leicestershire wood near Atherstone - the sort of place you could miss entirely if you weren't looking for it, tucked away from the main roads.

What you get is straightforward: quiet woodland walks through established trees, no crowds, no facilities. The paths wind through and you'll spot the occasional hiker or dog walker, but mostly you're alone with the conifers and the birdsong. It's the kind of place that rewards just wandering about for 45 minutes rather than ticking off viewpoints or snapping photos.

This works best for walkers who actually like woodland rather than views - there are no vistas, no dramatic clearings, just trees and a bit of peace. Families with young children might find it a touch dull after half an hour unless they're into bug hunts and building dens. Birdwatchers could easily spend longer here though.

It's free to access and there's no time limit that anyone will enforce. Allow an hour if you're thorough, 30 minutes if you're just passing through. The nearest town is Atherstone, so you could combine this with a quick visit to town itself, then head back to one of the nearby caravan parks - Atherstone Stables is barely two miles away, or Lime Tree if you want something with more reviews under its belt.

Won't change your life, but it's a decent forest break if you're camping locally and fancy a proper woodland walk without the National Trust crowds.