Hardwick Spinneys

A proper woodland walk just outside Sandy, Hardwick Spinneys is the sort of place you'd miss if you weren't looking for it - a small forest that feels genuinely wild despite being minutes from civilisation. There's no fancy visitor centre or car park drama here, just trees, footpaths, and the kind of quiet you don't get often in Cambridgeshire.

What you get is a decent network of walking trails through mixed woodland - nothing taxing, but genuinely pleasant for an hour or so. The paths wind through native broadleaf trees and you'll spot proper woodland creatures if you're lucky. It's the kind of place where kids can actually run about without your heart stopping, families from nearby St Neots Camping and Caravanning Club Site often pop down here for an afternoon stomp.

Walkers will find it useful as a leg-stretcher between longer routes, and it's worth combining with Cambridgeshire Lakes just 2.8 miles away if you're staying in the area - that'll give you a solid day of outdoor activity. The woodland is particularly decent in spring when the bluebells come through, though summer's fine too if you're after shade.

There's no admission charge and you can rock up whenever suits you. Allow two hours if you're thorough, ninety minutes if you just want a straightforward wander. Not a destination attraction in itself, but exactly the sort of local green space that makes a camping holiday actually worth doing.