Decoy Wood

A proper woodland walk rather than a destination in itself, Decoy Wood sits just east of Ipswich and makes for a straightforward morning or afternoon outing if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks around Felixstowe or Dovercourt. The woodland is modest in scale - nothing that'll keep you occupied for hours - but it's the sort of place where you can actually hear yourself think, which counts for something when you're on a caravan holiday.

What you get is woodland paths through mixed trees, the kind of setting where dog walkers and local runners clearly know the terrain well. There's no visitor centre or facilities to speak of, just access to the trees themselves. Families with younger kids might find an hour's wander enough; keener walkers could string together a longer route by linking to nearby paths. The best use is as a break from the beach parks - close enough to Felixstoke or Dovercourt to pop over without making a journey of it, but far enough inland that it feels genuinely away.

Go early morning or late afternoon if you want any sense of peace. Midday brings the dog-walking crowd. There's no charge, no opening hours to worry about, and the access appears straightforward, though it's worth checking locally at whichever park you're staying at for parking details. It's not thrilling, but sometimes a quiet walk through trees is exactly what a seaside holiday needs.