Old Spinney

Walk far enough into Old Spinney and you'll forget Banbury's even there. This woodland sits proper quiet on the Northamptonshire border, the sort of place where the loudest thing you hear is usually a woodpecker or your own footsteps on the leaf litter.

It's a straightforward woodland walk through mixed forest - nothing dramatic, nothing showy, just trees doing what trees do. The paths are well-trodden enough to follow without much faffing about, though it can get muddy after rain so decent boots aren't a bad shout. You're looking at maybe an hour to ninety minutes if you meander, less if you've got somewhere else to be.

Walkers will genuinely enjoy this. Kids might find it decent enough for an hour or so, though there's no play equipment or visitor facilities to speak of - it's proper old-school woodland rather than a manicured country park. History types won't find much to chew on, just trees and time.

Being free and accessible makes it an easy addition to a park holiday in the area. It's barely twenty minutes from Glamping Thorpe or Coleman's Hill Campsite, both excellent bases if you're after that mix of proper camping with decent amenities. Pop here for a morning walk before heading back to the caravan for lunch.

Truth is, Old Spinney won't blow your mind. But on a clear day when the light's coming through right, it's the sort of place that makes you remember why you bothered coming to England at all.