Birch Coppice

The canopy here is thick and proper green, the kind of woodland that makes you feel miles from anywhere even though Shifnal's just a short drive away. Birch Coppice is a working forest rather than a manicured country estate, and that's rather the point - you get real woodland, not a theme park version of one.

Walking through it, you'll spot the birch trees the place is named after mixed in with oak and other species. The paths are decent if occasionally muddy, depending on how much it's rained. It's free to access and you can spend as little as half an hour pottering about or make a proper afternoon of it if you've got the energy. Families with kids who enjoy scrambling about in trees and building dens will find plenty to occupy them, though there aren't playgrounds or facilities to speak of - bring what you need.

Historically it's been managed as coppice woodland for centuries, which is why the structure feels different from modern forests. That layered feel, with younger growth beneath older trees, gives it character.

If you're basing yourself at Worfe Camping or Oakland Holiday Park nearby, this makes for a decent morning walk between breakfast and lunch. It's not a destination attraction that'll eat up your whole day, but it's a proper bit of woodland management done well, and that matters if you're after authentic Staffordshire rather than the tourist trail. Worth the detour if you're in the area.