Nicols Field

A sprawling woodland just outside Leatherhead that feels properly removed from the Surrey commuter belt, even though you can practically hear the M25 from certain spots. Nicols Field is less a manicured attraction and more an honest patch of forest - the sort of place where you turn up in walking boots and spend an hour or two threading through the trees without seeing another soul.

Dog walkers absolutely love it here. The paths are well-trodden enough that you won't get hopelessly lost, but rough enough to feel genuinely wild. If you're after a gentle woodland ramble that won't have the kids complaining about sore feet, this delivers. Keen naturalists might spot deer, and it's the sort of quiet spot where you can actually hear the woodland rather than just see it.

There's no visitor centre, no café, no admission charge as far as I can tell - you just show up. Allow 90 minutes to two hours if you want to properly explore without rushing. It's particularly lovely in autumn when the leaf fall transforms the floor into something almost surreal.

It works well as a half-day leg of a wider Surrey break, especially if you're staying at Henfold Lakes just down the road. That place has actual amenities if your crew gets fractious. Nicols Field is the antidote to that - no facilities, no fuss, just forest. Not for everyone, mind, but if you want somewhere proper quiet to walk, it's worth the detour from Leatherhead.