Otter's Croft Wood

The woodland path at Otter's Croft is dense and properly dark even on a bright day - towering oaks and beeches block out most of the sky. It's the kind of place where you can actually hear yourself think, which near Skelmersdale is something of a luxury.

The walk itself isn't long, but it's muddy underfoot for most of the year. Trees here are genuinely old, gnarled things that have stood through centuries of Lancashire weather. The forest floor feels alive with moss and fallen branches - kids will want to turn every log over looking for beetles and woodlice, which frankly they'll find in abundance.

If you're staying at The Secret Garden Glamping just a few miles away, this becomes a proper woodland escape rather than a drive-out. It's not a spectacle - no dramatic views, no Instagram moments - but that's rather the point. The appeal is in the quiet and the smell of damp earth after rain.

Bring decent footwear, obviously. Allow an hour minimum for a proper potter, longer if you've got children who like investigating. It's free to walk through, which is always welcome. The forest is most rewarding in autumn when the light slants through differently and mushrooms proliferate along the paths.

Worth the detour if you're after a genuine woodland experience rather than a manicured country park. On a drizzly afternoon it's genuinely atmospheric.