Craykeland Wood

Three miles outside York, Craykeland Wood is a proper walk through mature woodland where you'll find yourself moving from the noise of the city into something genuinely quiet. The trees are tall - oak and beech mostly - and the paths wind through without too much faffing about. It's the sort of place where you notice the light filtering through the canopy changes every hundred metres.

You're looking at an hour to ninety minutes if you want to move at a decent pace, though there's no reason to rush. The woodland floor is soft underfoot, which is pleasant, and in spring it gets carpeted with bluebells - worth timing your visit for if you can manage it. Summer's thick with shade, which is a godsend when the temperature climbs.

Walkers will find this genuinely rewarding. Families with younger kids might get restless unless they're the type who actually enjoy being outdoors rather than heading straight to a visitor centre cafe. History types won't find much to grab onto here - it's just woodland, not a ruin or heritage site.

If you're staying at The Hideaway@Baxby Manor nearby, this fits nicely into a morning outing before heading back for lunch. Free to visit, no facilities that I could find, so bring water if you're going to make a proper go of it. Go midweek if you value peace and quiet - weekends pull walkers from across North Yorkshire.