Magpie Wood

The woodland around Magpie Wood, just outside Maidstone, is the sort of place you'll stumble upon by accident and then keep coming back to. Dense beech and oak trees create proper shade even on scorching days, and the forest floor is thick with leaf mould that muffles your footsteps. It's genuinely quiet here - the kind of quiet that makes you realise how loud everywhere else is.

Walkers will get the most from Magpie Wood. The trails wind through the trees without too much faffing about, though nothing's particularly signed, so you'll need a decent sense of direction or a map app that actually works out here. Allow an hour or two depending on how far you fancy going. Children under ten might find it a bit samey after half an hour unless they're the sort who enjoy poking at logs and looking for insects.

It's free to walk, naturally. No visitor centre, no facilities, just trees and peace. That's actually its charm - there's been no Disney-fication, no café selling overpriced coffee, no gift shop. Spring is best, when the bluebells come through, though even in deep summer it's cool enough to make a proper walk bearable.

Stay at Bearsted Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite, a short drive away, and you've got forest walks on your doorstep. Chegworth Mill Glamping is slightly further but worth the extra distance if you want something less basic. Either way, Magpie Wood works well as a half-day addition to a park holiday in the area rather than a destination in itself.