Cawston Spinney

A small woodland patch a few miles outside Rugby, Cawston Spinney is the sort of place that rewards a quiet morning walk rather than a grand outing. It's proper woodland - mature trees, decent footpaths, the kind of spot where you might actually hear birds instead of traffic. Nothing flashy, but that's rather the point.

You're looking at maybe an hour's walk if you take it slowly, poking about the trees and spotting whatever wildlife's about. It's free to access and works well as a leg-stretch if you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Eriba Glade or Meadow Field Glamping are only a few miles away, making it handy for getting the kids out of the site without driving very far. Woodland walks suit families with younger children; teenagers might find it a bit tame unless they're genuinely into nature.

The spinney sits in that quiet corner of Leicestershire where the East Midlands doesn't shout about itself. There's no visitor centre or facilities to speak of, so bring water and decent footwear - the ground can be boggy depending on the season. Winter's actually a decent time to visit when the leaf cover's thinner and you can see further into the wood.

If you're planning a caravan holiday in the area and want a proper walk without heading all the way to the Charnwood Forest, this does the job. It's not a destination in itself, but it's the sort of local green space that makes a park holiday feel less like sitting still and more like actually exploring.