Earth Holme Plantation

A proper woodland walk rather than a destination that'll take up your whole day, Earth Holme Plantation sits just outside Newark and offers exactly what you'd expect from a Nottinghamshire forest - mature trees, quiet paths, and the kind of peace you won't find in town. It's straightforward stuff: you go in, you walk around, you breathe in some fresh air. The plantation itself is what it says on the tin - mixed woodland with established growth that makes for decent shelter if you're timing it around a drizzly afternoon.

Walkers will get the most from this one, though it's hardly a destination pilgrimage. Families with young kids can manage an hour without trouble, but don't expect adventure playgrounds or facilities - this is just woodland. It's free to access, which is the main thing that makes it worth the detour when you're staying at one of the nearby parks like Greenacres or Eastfield Glamping, both barely three miles away.

The real strength is proximity. If you're based at Orchard Park Touring Caravan or Little Oak Camping and the weather's turned decent, this fills a gap in your itinerary without requiring much planning. It's not going to compete with the bigger country estates, but as a leg-stretcher between caravan and local pubs in Newark, it does the job. Go on a weekday morning if you can - weekends get busier than they should for what's essentially a patch of trees.