Black Rigg Plantation

The woodland around Black Rigg Plantation offers a proper escape from Scarborough's seafront crowds. It's working forest rather than manicured park - coniferous trees, open glades, the sort of place where you actually hear birdsong instead of arcade machines.

You're looking at a few miles of walking trails through mature pine and spruce. The paths are well-maintained but muddy after rain, so boots are essential. Most people spend an hour to ninety minutes here, which is enough to feel like you've genuinely left town without eating an entire afternoon. The ground is soft underfoot - proper forest floor - and in autumn the light filters through in that golden way that makes you understand why people bang on about woodland walks.

Families with young children who enjoy mucking about in trees will get something from it. Older kids might find it a bit samey unless they're keen naturalists. It's not a destination in itself, mind - more of a breathing space between the holiday parks clustered near Cayton Bay and Filey, or a break from the seafront if you're staying at Prospect House Farm Glamping or Scarborough Camping and Caravanning Club.

Best visited on a crisp morning before it gets busy. Free access, no facilities that I could find, so bring what you need. The nearest real town is Scarborough itself, about twenty minutes south. It's worth the detour if woodland settles you, but don't rearrange your itinerary for it.