Beck Plantation

The woods at Beck Plantation feel properly wild compared to the manicured parks you'll find elsewhere in Suffolk. It's a working forest east of Halesworth where you can actually walk among the trees without feeling herded along a designated path - the kind of place where you might not see another soul for hours.

What you get here is genuine woodland, the sort that locals have been tramping through for generations. The paths wind through dense cover, and if you're into birds or just want to escape the sound of other people, it's well worth the drive out from Halesworth. There's something satisfying about a forest that hasn't been turned into a visitor attraction with a café and a gift shop.

Walkers will get the most from Beck Plantation. It's not a quick spin - you'll want at least a couple of hours if you're doing it properly. Kids tend to find it either brilliant or boring depending on whether they're the type to enjoy actually being in nature without playground equipment. Families camping at Pigs in Blankets just down the road (five miles or so) could easily make this part of a day out, though you'll want wellies - it gets muddy, especially after rain.

There's no visitor centre or facilities that I'm aware of, so bring what you need. Free to roam, no entry fees. Go early in the day if you want peace and quiet. Bit off the beaten track, but that's rather the point.