Gate Plantation

You'll find Gate Plantation just outside Morpeth, a proper woodland walk that locals know better than most visitors. It's a working forest - Forestry Commission land - with a decent network of paths threading through mature conifers and mixed woodland. Nothing flashy, but it does the job if you're after a quiet hour's ramble without the crowds you'd get at better-known spots.

The paths are well-marked enough, though they can get muddy after rain. Most people spend between an hour and ninety minutes here, wandering between the trees and maybe finding a bench if you want to sit quietly. It's the sort of place that appeals to walkers more than families - children might get bored after a bit since there's no playground or visitor centre to break things up. History types won't find much either, as it's primarily managed for timber rather than heritage.

If you're staying at Forget Me Not Country Park just down the road - a cracking spot with proper facilities - Gate Plantation works well as a morning or afternoon excursion. The woodland offers decent shelter if the weather turns, which it often does in Northumberland. Free to enter as far as we know, with car parking available on-site. Visiting midweek gives you the best chance of solitude. It won't be the highlight of your holiday, but if you're in the area and fancy stretching your legs among the trees rather than sitting on another park bench, it's well worth the detour.