Rubbinghouse Plantation

A proper woodland walk just a few miles south of Penrith, Rubbinghouse Plantation is the sort of place locals know about and visitors stumble upon by accident. It's a forest rather than a formal attraction - no visitor centre, no car park facilities, just trees and paths that wind through a mix of mature conifers and broadleaf woodland. The walking here is straightforward enough for families, though it's muddy underfoot most of the year, so wellies are essential rather than optional.

You're looking at anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours depending on which routes you fancy, and it works brilliantly as a morning outing if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - Beckses is barely three miles away, or Riverside Tourer Park is under five. The plantation links reasonably well with other Cumbrian woodland walks, though it's not dramatic in the way some Lake District forests are. It's good for burning off energy with kids who enjoy scrambling about in the undergrowth, and the paths are well-established enough that you won't get properly lost.

Entry is free, unsurprisingly, since there's no infrastructure to speak of. Go mid-week if you can - weekends draw the predictable crowd of dog walkers. It's the kind of place that rewards a bit of exploration rather than offering a set experience, which means it'll either feel like a hidden spot or a bit sparse depending on what you're after. For walkers basing themselves near Penrith, it's certainly worth an afternoon.