Irby Holmes Wood

The woodland around Irby stretches out proper thick - all ancient oaks and dense undergrowth that feels miles away from anywhere, even though Market Rasen is barely five miles south. Walking in here is genuinely quiet, the kind of place where you actually hear your own footsteps on the forest floor. It's working woodland rather than a manicured nature reserve, which means the paths aren't always obvious and the whole feel is a bit rougher round the edges - but that's rather the appeal.

This is squarely for people who like a proper forest walk, not a gentle amble. The canopy closes in properly in summer, so it's brilliant for escaping the heat, though you'll want boots after rain because the ground gets boggy fast. Dog walkers absolutely love it here - plenty of space for them to properly run about without bothering other visitors. History buffs might enjoy poking around too; the woodland has been here for centuries and still has that untouched quality.

Allow a couple of hours minimum if you're exploring properly, though you can do a quick circuit in 45 minutes. There's no visitor centre or facilities that we're aware of, so bring water and pack out what you pack in. It's free to access and there's informal parking nearby. If you're based at Wolds View Country Park up the road, this makes a cracking half-day excursion that gets you away from the caravan and into something genuinely wild feeling. Winter walking is particularly good when the understory clears.