Raedbrook Wood

Raedbrook Wood is a proper woodland walk just outside Sandwich, the kind of place that rewards you with quiet paths and the smell of damp earth rather than dramatic vistas. It's a working forest, so you'll find managed sections alongside older growth, and the paths wind through beech and oak with enough undergrowth to feel genuinely wild despite being close to town.

You'll get the most out of this if you're after a gentle two-hour ramble rather than a destination walk. It's excellent for families with younger kids - the paths are mostly flat and there's enough to spot (birds, mushrooms in season, the occasional deer if you're lucky) to keep their attention. Walkers using it as a loop from Sandwich town centre will find it a solid addition to a morning's exercise without the crowds you'd hit at bigger attractions.

There's no visitor centre or facilities that I can find, so come prepared - bring water, wear boots if it's been wet, and don't expect parking facilities right at the entrance. Best visited in autumn when the light filters through properly, or spring when the woodland floor comes alive.

If you're camping at Ham Hideaway or Fallow Fields nearby, Raedbrook Wood is close enough for an easy escape without dragging kids somewhere pretentious. It won't blow your mind, but it's exactly what a local wood should be - accessible, peaceful, and genuinely nice for a break from the caravan.