Cragpit Plantation

East of Woodbridge, Cragpit Plantation offers a proper dose of Suffolk woodland without the crowds you'd find at some of the bigger nature reserves. It's a working forest rather than a manicured visitor attraction, which means you get the real thing - dense pockets of trees, muddy paths that vary with the seasons, and the kind of quiet you don't get near the coast.

Walkers will find this worthwhile. The paths wind through mixed woodland with enough variation to keep your legs engaged without being punishing. Families with older kids who can handle uneven ground will do fine here; younger ones might struggle with the terrain in wetter months. The forest isn't huge, so allow a couple of hours rather than half a day.

What you won't find is a visitor centre, car park with facilities, or any hand-holding. This is woodland on its own terms. That's either brilliant or frustrating depending on what you want from a morning out. Birdwatchers and botanists will appreciate the lack of crowds; people after a quick stroll with a coffee stop should look elsewhere.

If you're camped at Run Cottage Touring Park, Woodbridge Glamping, or any of the coastal parks clustered around Felixstowe, Cragpit makes a solid half-day break from the caravan. It's close enough to Woodbridge to pair with lunch in town, far enough away to feel like proper countryside. Go early to miss any other visitors, and wear decent boots.