East Wood

The woodland around East Wood, just outside Cockermouth, is the sort of place you stumble upon rather than plan for. It's proper forest - tall conifers mixed with deciduous trees, paths that wind through damp bracken, and the kind of quiet you don't get often enough. You're looking at a genuine escape from the town without having to drive far, which makes it ideal if you're based at Castle Guards Farm Retreat or Forest Views Caravan Park and need an afternoon walk.

Walking here is the draw. The woodland has established trails rather than manicured loops, so you feel like you're actually exploring rather than following a theme park route. Shade is guaranteed on hot days, and if the weather turns grim - which it does, frequently, in Cumbria - the tree cover at least keeps the worst of the rain off. An hour is genuinely enough if you've got kids, though you could easily spend two hours wandering if you're a proper walker.

It's free, as far as the woodland itself goes. No café, no visitor centre, no facilities really. Bring what you need. The nearest town, Cockermouth, is close enough for supplies, and you're well positioned for combining this with the wider Lake District if you want bigger days out. But honestly, sometimes a simple woodland walk is exactly what a caravan holiday needs - no overthinking, just trees and paths and air that smells like earth.