Eatonpark Wood

Walk into Eatonpark Wood and you're immediately wrapped in that deep green quiet that only proper old woodland gives you. Ancient oaks tower overhead, their roots knotted across the forest floor, and the whole place feels genuinely removed from the outside world despite being just a few minutes from Belper.

It's a straightforward woodland walk rather than a destination packed with activities. You follow the trails through the trees, breathe in the damp earth smell, maybe spot some woodland birds if you're lucky. There's no visitor centre or café, no signage telling you what species you're looking at - it's just forest, which is either refreshingly honest or frustratingly vague depending on what you're after.

This suits walkers and families with kids old enough to manage uneven ground. Pushchairs would struggle on the muddier stretches. Most people get a solid hour or so out of it, though you could easily extend your outing by linking it with other walks in the area. The woodland is free to access and there's no formal opening hours - it's one of those places you visit when it suits you.

If you're based at The Firs Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite just up the road, Eatonpark Wood makes for a proper morning's outing. Golden Valley, a bit further off, would need slightly more planning. Spring's decent here when the bluebells show, but frankly, any time the ground isn't waterlogged works fine. It's not dramatic or Instagram-friendly, but that's rather the point.