Gannaway Wood

The woodland around Gannaway Wood, just a few miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, is proper walking country. You won't find crowds or visitor facilities here - it's simply a working forest where locals go to stretch their legs and breathe in some actual air, not the souped-up Shakespeare tourism of the town centre.

The paths wind through mixed woodland with decent dappled light and enough variation to keep things interesting for a couple of hours. It's the kind of place where you might spot deer, though honestly you're more likely to hear birds and the occasional dog walker. The ground can get boggy after rain, so decent boots matter. Allow 90 minutes to two hours for a proper ramble without rushing.

Walkers will get the most from this one. Families with young kids might find it a bit samey after an hour, and there's nothing specifically designed to entertain them. History buffs can skip it entirely - it's just trees and footpaths. The real draw is the escape from Stratford's gift shops and Anne Hathaway's crowds.

If you're based at Rayford Caravan Park - which scores a solid 5.0 and sits less than five miles away - this makes an easy morning walk before heading into town proper. Twitey's Camping and Glamping Meadows is similarly close. Neither park is far enough away to make Gannaway Wood a proper destination in itself, but it's worth knowing about if you're doing a Warwickshire break and fancy somewhere genuinely quiet.