Akesworth Coppice

The woodland paths through Akesworth Coppice are thick with the smell of damp earth and rotting leaves - proper forest floor stuff. It's a working landscape, this one, not some manicured nature reserve. You'll spot signs of coppicing work if you know what to look for: the neat regrowth where trees have been cut back, hazel and oak mostly, harvested on rotation the way these woods have been for centuries.

Most of the appeal is straightforward: decent walking through mixed woodland just a few miles from Stafford. The paths are manageable, well-trodden, though they can get boggy after rain. You're looking at an hour to ninety minutes if you're not rushing. Families with younger kids will manage fine on the main routes, though pushchairs are a non-starter once you're properly into the trees.

History types will find it interesting if they're into traditional woodland management. Walkers after a decent leg-stretch rather than a destination experience will get more from it. If you're staying at Fledgling Farm nearby, it's worth including in your day - close enough to avoid a long drive, absorbing enough to kill an afternoon.

There's no visitor centre or facilities that I could find, so come prepared. Early morning is best if you want any sense of solitude. It won't blow your mind, but it's honest woodland, and that counts for something.