Low Barn Wood

Low Barn Wood sits just outside Northallerton and is a proper walk through genuine woodland rather than a manicured nature trail. The paths wind through mixed deciduous trees, and on a decent day there's enough shelter and dappled light to make it feel like you've actually escaped somewhere, even if you're only a few miles from town.

It's the sort of place where you go to move rather than to gawk. Dog walkers love it, and families with kids who can manage a couple of hours will find plenty of logs to clamber over and streams to prod at. The forest floor is uneven in places, so it's not ideal if you need everything flat and accessible, but that's part of what makes it feel real. Allow two to three hours if you're taking a proper loop, though you can easily duck out after an hour if you're flagging.

There's no admission charge, which is always welcome. Spring and autumn are best - summer can feel a bit claustrophobic with the full canopy, and winter mud is genuine mud, not the Instagram sort.

If you're basing yourself at Pembroke Caravan Park or Camp Kátur Glamping, both less than five miles away, Low Barn Wood makes a solid morning or afternoon activity to break up park time. It won't blow your mind, but it's honest woodland that does exactly what it says on the tin.