Coronation Plantation

The woodland here doesn't announce itself. You slip in quietly from the lanes around Shifnal and suddenly the canopy takes over - proper old-growth forest with the sort of light filtering through that makes you want to walk slower. Coronation Plantation is straightforward: a decent chunk of managed woodland where paths wind through mixed trees and the ground stays mostly soft underfoot even after rain.

It's the sort of place you go if you want forty minutes of peace rather than a day out. Walkers will appreciate the gentle terrain and the lack of crowds - it's not the sort of spot that appears in guidebooks much. Families with younger kids can manage it fine, though there's not a playground or visitor centre to keep them entertained if they get bored. If you're into wildlife or bird spotting, early morning is obviously the time, though you won't find rare species here - just the usual woodland crew.

The nearest town is Shifnal, which is useful for grabbing lunch before or after. Stanmore Hall Touring Park sits about four miles away and makes a reasonable base if you're in the area for a few days - from there you could do this walk and explore other spots in the region without moving your pitch.

Free admission, no facilities to speak of, and you can work it into a morning or early afternoon without breaking your day. Go when the light's good and you're not after something dramatic. It's simple woodland, and sometimes that's exactly what you need.