Madge Hill

Madge Hill is a proper woodland walk just outside Worcester, the kind of place locals know well but visitors often miss. The forest itself isn't huge - you're looking at maybe 45 minutes to an hour for a decent circuit - but it's well worth the detour if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks like Bowbrook Lodges or Bredon View. The woodland is mixed deciduous, fairly dense in places, with a few paths that wind through pleasantly enough. Nothing dramatic happens here. No viewpoints to write home about, no ancient monuments. But that's rather the point. It's a proper walk, not a destination in itself, and if you've got children who need to burn off some energy without you having to drive for ages, this does the job.

The best time to visit is spring or early autumn when the paths aren't waterlogged and the canopy isn't so thick that it feels like walking through a tunnel. Bring decent shoes - the ground can be boggy in places. There's no visitor centre or facilities that I'm aware of, so come prepared. Families with younger kids might find it a bit samey after the first 20 minutes, but older children who actually enjoy a proper woods walk will get on fine. If you're based at Bowbrook for the glamping experience, this is a sensible morning activity before heading elsewhere. Not essential, but solid.