Upton Wood

You'll find Upton Wood just east of Huntingdon, a proper stretch of woodland that feels worlds away from the Cambridgeshire flatlands. It's not dramatic or vast - more of a serious walk through established trees than a wilderness adventure - but that's rather the point. The woodland here is mature and peaceful, with decent paths threading through, and it works brilliantly as a leg-stretcher if you're based at Grafham Water Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite a few miles west.

The wood itself is managed forest, so it's well-maintained without feeling manicured. You get proper shade under the canopy, birdsong, and the sort of quiet that reminds you why people bother with walking at all. It's not going to blow your mind with views or dramatic terrain - this is Cambridgeshire, after all - but it's genuinely restorative. Families with younger kids might find an hour or so enough; older children and keen walkers could easily spend a couple of hours pottering about without hitting a dead end.

Best visited when the ground isn't waterlogged, which rules out much of winter. Spring brings bluebells if you're lucky. Summer can be warm under the trees, though midges might have other ideas about your comfort.

It slots in nicely with a caravan holiday in the area. Close enough to Huntingdon town for supplies and proper lunch, but far enough that you actually feel like you've stepped away from everything. No frills, no entrance fee that we can find, just a wood and your own pace.