Hilary’s Wood

Hilary's Wood sits just outside Richmond, a proper woodland walk that doesn't pretend to be anything grander than it is. You're among deciduous trees here - oak, ash, beech - with paths that wind through without feeling engineered to death. The canopy closes in nicely, especially come autumn when the floor turns copper and gold.

It's the sort of place where you can actually hear yourself think. No visitor centre, no gift shop, no café trying to sell you a £4 coffee. Just woodland as it should be. The walk takes maybe an hour at a leisurely pace, longer if you keep stopping to notice things - and you will, because that's what Hilary's Wood encourages.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's not dramatic - no gorges or waterfalls - but it's restorative. Families with younger kids might find it a bit samey after thirty minutes, though older children who actually like walking will appreciate the quiet. There's something about woodland that still manages to feel like an escape even when you're only miles from town.

If you're based at Kiplin Country Park, this makes an easy morning outing to break up a static holiday. Spring is probably loveliest, when the floor's carpeted with bluebells and the light filters through fresh green. Worth the detour if you're in Richmond anyway, though don't go expecting drama.