Buff Wood

Drive east from Bury Saint Edmunds and you'll find yourself at Buff Wood, a proper slice of Suffolk woodland that feels worlds away from the market town's Georgian streets. It's a modest stretch of forest - nothing vast or dramatic - but the sort of place where you actually notice the seasons changing. Spring brings bluebells that genuinely stop you in your tracks. Summer's when the canopy gets thick enough to offer real shade on warm days.

The woodland itself is straightforward walking territory. There's no visitor centre or café, no interpretation panels spelling everything out. You just turn up and walk among the trees. It works well for families wanting a gentle hour or so without faffing about with admission fees or queuing. Children will either love it immediately or get bored after twenty minutes depending on their tolerance for sticks and mud. History buffs won't find much - it's woodland, not a monument.

If you're staying at Bright Meadow Caravan Park just 3.4 miles away, Buff Wood makes a decent morning or late-afternoon stretch of the legs between proper attractions. Don't plan your holiday around it, but if you're in the area and fancy an easy woodland ramble without the crowds, it's absolutely worth the short drive. Best visited in autumn when the light filters through properly, or spring when everything's actually growing rather than dormant.