Hatch Plantation

The forest floor at Hatch Plantation is thick with bracken and pine needles, the kind of place where you actually notice the smell of the woods rather than just walking through them. It's a proper working forest near Petersfield, not a manicured country estate, so expect to encounter the occasional forestry operation and real woodland rather than neat paths lined with interpretation boards.

This is walker's territory, full stop. The plantation has decent tracks that work well for rambling, though nothing particularly dramatic - it's a steady woodland walk rather than a vista-hunting expedition. Families with older kids who can manage a decent stride will find it worthwhile; younger children might struggle unless you're planning a short loop. There's something oddly restful about the uniform tree cover once you're in among it, even if it's less visually striking than, say, a beech woodland.

The real value here is proximity. If you're camping at Woodlands Camping just 3.6 miles away, or one of the other sites dotted around Petersfield - Hampshire Hills and Wigwam Holidays are both within five miles - Hatch Plantation becomes your local escape hatch rather than a destination drive. It works perfectly as a morning walk before breakfast, or an evening leg-stretch after a day elsewhere.

Bring a map. Respect any forestry works you might encounter. Go in spring or autumn when the light actually filters through properly, rather than midsummer when it's just a dark green tunnel.