Nunn Wood

Walking into Nunn Wood feels like stepping back in time - this patch of ancient woodland near Saffron Walden is properly mature, with gnarled oaks and beeches that have been here for centuries. The forest floor is thick with leaf litter and moss, and in spring the place comes alive with bluebells that carpet the woodland floor in the most satisfying way.

It's not a showpiece attraction with interpretation boards and a visitor centre. This is a real working woodland - quiet, unmanicured, and all the better for it. You get what you'd expect from a proper Essex forest: woodland paths that wind without obvious direction, plenty of spots to sit on a fallen trunk, and if you're lucky, you might spot a woodpecker or a tawny owl at dusk.

The walk takes as long as you want it to - anything from a gentle 20-minute loop to a longer couple of hours of ambling. It works brilliantly as a half-day stop if you're exploring Saffron Walden itself, or as a quiet break between the glamping and treehouse parks scattered nearby. Kids will entertain themselves climbing on trees and hunting for wildlife, though there's nothing flashy to keep them occupied if they want constant stimulation.

Go when the weather's been dry - after rain it becomes a bit of a muddy proposition. Early morning or late afternoon are your best bets for spotting wildlife and avoiding what few other visitors come through. Free to access, no facilities, and genuinely restorative if you're after some proper woodland breathing space.