Wallis Wood

Head south from Dorking and you'll find Wallis Wood, a proper slice of Surrey woodland that doesn't demand much fanfare but rewards a quiet morning walk. It's the kind of place where you can actually hear yourself think - no gift shops, no crowds queuing for Instagram angles, just trees and paths that wind through a mix of broadleaf and conifer forest.

The woodland itself is straightforward: well-maintained trails that suit families with younger kids who don't need rock scrambles or technical navigation. You're looking at a solid hour or two depending on how many times you stop to examine a beetle or sit on a fallen log. Walkers will appreciate the gentle gradient and the fact that it feels genuinely remote despite being barely ten minutes from Dorking's amenities.

Bit of a shame the place doesn't have a clearer reputation, because it's genuinely worth the detour if you're camping nearby. Sands Farm Weekend Camping sits just 3.3 miles away, making this an easy escape from the campsite for a proper forest wander. Riverside Farm is slightly further at 4.2 miles but equally accessible.

Go on a dry day - mud can be ankle-deep in winter. Summer mornings work best, when you'll have the forest mostly to yourself. It's free to enter (no barriers, no fees), and there's no formal car park that I'm aware of, so you'll need to sort parking in nearby Dorking first. Not a destination on its own, but exactly the kind of woodland break that makes a camping holiday actually restorative rather than just exhausting.