Fulnelby Wood

The woodland here near Lincoln feels properly wild compared to what you'd expect from this corner of Lincolnshire. Fulnelby Wood is ancient forest - the kind of place where the canopy closes in and suddenly you're not thinking about the flatness outside anymore.

There are decent walking trails threading through, and the floor is soft underfoot, carpeted in leaves and moss. In spring the bluebells are exceptional, genuinely worth timing a visit around. Autumn brings the whole spectrum - golds, crimsons, that particular rotting-leaves smell that makes you feel like you're actually doing something on holiday rather than just sitting about.

Walkers will get hours from this. Families with young kids will have a fine time for an hour or so before the novelty of trees wears thin - there's something about woods that either enchants people or sends them looking for a café within twenty minutes. Nature enthusiasts should bring a bird guide. You'll hear far more than you see.

No facilities that we know of, so bring what you need. It's free access, the way woodland should be. The nearest proper town is Lincoln itself, maybe thirty minutes' drive, though if you're staying at Lincolnshire Lanes Camp just six miles away, you're well positioned for a half-day ramble without making it a production. Go when it's damp - the forest is better for it, and the paths aren't rock hard underfoot.