Lower Fold Wood

The woodland around Lower Fold, just outside Blackburn, is the kind of place you stumble upon rather than plan for. It's a proper working forest - conifers mostly, with enough footpaths threading through to make a decent afternoon walk without needing to consult an Ordnance Survey map obsessively. The trees are tall enough that you get a genuine sense of being somewhere other than Lancashire's industrial sprawl, even though Blackburn's never far away.

Walkers will find the most to occupy them here. There's no visitor centre, no cafe, none of that. Just woodland and the paths that cut through it. You'll want proper boots if it's been wet - the ground can be boggy in patches. An hour to ninety minutes is about right unless you're planning to lose yourself deliberately, which some people do and which is half the appeal.

Families with young kids might find it a bit samey after a while. There are no play areas or viewpoints to break things up, so you're really coming for the walk itself. History enthusiasts won't find much to chew on either. What you get is woodland, peace, and the occasional surprise of a clearer bit where the canopy opens up.

If you're based at Dale Hey Farm or one of the other touring parks in the area - and they're all solid operations - Lower Fold Wood works as a half-day venture. Free to access, no faffing about with entry fees. Go early if you want any chance of a quiet walk.