Baskets Wood

The woods near Stevenage are proper dark and atmospheric, the kind of place where the path narrows and suddenly you're properly in nature rather than on the edge of it. Baskets Wood delivers that feeling without requiring a long drive from town.

It's a decent walk through mixed woodland - the sort where you'll find yourself switching between beech and oak depending on which trail you take. The canopy closes in overhead, which keeps things cool even on warmer days. Not enormous, so you won't spend half your day wandering about, but enough to stretch the legs and feel like you've genuinely escaped.

Walkers get the most from this spot. It's ideal if you're after something quieter than the bigger Hertfordshire reserves, the kind of place where you might actually hear birds rather than other visitors. The paths are reasonably well-marked, though you'll want proper footwear after rain - it gets muddy fast.

If you're camping at Radwell Lake just down the road, Baskets Wood works as a morning stroll before breakfast or an evening walk when the light turns golden through the trees. It's also close enough to Ashridge Farm Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite if you're basing yourself there. Neither campsite is a trek away, which matters when you've got kids tired from the journey.

Free to access, no facilities on site, and you can be done and dusted in an hour or so. Not a destination attraction, but a solid addition to a local holiday.