Glapton Wood

You won't find crowds at Glapton Wood, and that's precisely why it's worth the short drive south from Nottingham. This is proper woodland walking territory - the kind of place where you actually hear birdsong instead of your own footsteps echoing back at you. The forest floor is soft underfoot, with oak and ash giving way to denser sections where the canopy cuts out most of the sky. It's gentle terrain rather than challenging, making it ideal for families who want a decent walk without the huffing and puffing.

Allow a couple of hours to properly explore without rushing. Spring is lovely here when the bluebells come through, though frankly any season works fine. The woodland's far enough from Nottingham's sprawl to feel like a genuine escape, yet close enough that it works as a morning or afternoon jaunt rather than a full day commitment.

If you're based at Wolds Wine Estate or Birdholme Glamping - both a stone's throw away - Glapton Wood makes a natural pre-lunch ramble. The proximity to these parks means you can work up an appetite before heading back for something more substantial than a picnic. It's the kind of woods where you potter rather than power-walk, stopping to notice things: fungi on rotting logs, how the light filters through gaps in the canopy. Nothing dramatic happens here, which is rather the point.