Hazel Dene

The woodland around Hazel Dene draws you in properly - it's the kind of place where you'll actually want to slow down and look at things. A genuine forest walk rather than a manicured park trail, with decent paths threading through old trees and plenty of scope to wander off and explore. The dene itself - that's the valley floor - opens up as you drop down, and if you've caught it after rain, there's usually water moving through, which adds something to the experience.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's not a destination in itself, more a solid two-hour loop if you're properly poking about, less if you're just after the main valley bit. Families with kids who actually like trees rather than playgrounds will be fine here; younger ones might lose interest quickly unless you make a game of spotting things. History types won't find much to chew on - it's nature rather than heritage.

Free to access, as far as I can tell, and there's no entry point as such - you just find a way in and go. It sits well with a holiday based at The Barn at Easington, only 1.8 miles away, or Castledene if you're camping further out. Peterlee's close enough for supplies before you head in. Worth an afternoon if you're staying locally and the weather's decent. On a drizzly day it's actually rather moody - woods like this suit rain.