Wick Wood

Walk into Wick Wood and you're stepping into proper old-growth forest - the kind where you can't quite see all the way through and the canopy does most of the talking. It's woodland as it should be, with tracks that wind through beech and oak, the ground soft with years of leaves. You won't find theme park facilities or interpretation boards here; it's just trees and the occasional clearing that reminds you why people walk forests in the first place.

The wood sits between Canterbury and the Kent countryside, making it a solid half-day option if you're camping at New Beach Holiday Park or Fallow Fields. It's the sort of place families with kids who actually enjoy walking will appreciate - nothing punishing, decent paths, enough going on (birds, fungi, different light through the trees) to keep the five-to-ten crowd engaged for an hour or so. Teenagers might find it a bit dull unless they're genuinely into nature.

Go in autumn if you can. The light's better, the ground's firmer, and the colours actually justify the walk. Spring works too - bluebells can be reasonable depending on the year. Summer's heavy with growth and midges love it.

There's no visitor centre, no car park amenities that I'm aware of. This is old-fashioned woodland walking - bring weather-appropriate kit, give yourself two hours including a wander, and don't expect anything fancy. It's free, it's there, and it's exactly what you want from a forest if you're after some air and quiet between seaside park days.