Marylane Plantation

The woodland at Marylane Plantation sprawls across Hampshire's rolling terrain near Alton, offering the kind of proper forest walk that doesn't require a destination - just trees, paths, and the chance to actually think. It's mixed woodland, the sort where you'll find yourself switching between dense beech and scattered pine, with enough room to breathe between the trunks.

You're looking at a solid hour or two here, depending on how much you wander. Families with younger kids will find it manageable, though it's not set up as a theme park experience - there are no visitor facilities that I'm aware of, so come prepared. The appeal is straightforward: forest air, quietness, and the kind of walking that feels like work without the guilt. Walkers get more from it than most because there's genuine woodland to explore rather than a looped tourist path.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Wigwam Holidays sits just 2.5 miles away, or Feather Down Manor Farm at 3.7 miles - this makes a natural half-day outing. It slots in well between lazy mornings at the caravan and evening drinks back at the site. Spring's decent here when the woodland floor comes alive, though autumn's equally good for that proper forest-floor crunch underfoot.

Access details are thin on the ground, so check locally before you go. It's the sort of place that rewards a bit of local knowledge rather than heavy marketing.