Rook Grove

The footpaths through Rook Grove wind between stands of oak and beech, offering proper walking country without needing a map or compass degree. It's a modest woodland near Wareham - the kind of place locals know and visitors miss while heading for Corfe Castle or the beach. The trees are mature, the ground soft with leaf litter, and on a quiet afternoon you'll hear nothing but birds and the occasional rustle of deer.

Walkers get the most from it. There's no visitor centre, no café, just woodland as it should be. You could spend ninety minutes poking about the trails or half an hour on a quick circuit - depends how you feel about moss-covered logs and spotting where badgers have been active. Kids tend to enjoy it for a bit until the novelty of sticks wears off, then you've got restless teenagers on your hands.

It's free, or at least nobody's charging when you park up and wander in. Spring's the best time - bluebells light up the forest floor, though you'll battle the mud. Summer's muggy between the trees. Autumn brings proper woodland colour if you're lucky enough to catch it.

If you're based at Primrose Fields Campsite or Purbeck Glamping, it's an easy detour before heading south towards Swanage or west towards Dorchester. Don't expect drama - it's just a good, honest bit of forest where you can stretch your legs and breathe properly.