Savage Wood

Walk into Savage Wood and you're immediately swallowed by proper ancient woodland - the kind of place where the canopy gets so thick you almost forget it's Suffolk out there. It's east of Beccles, a genuine working forest rather than some manicured attraction, which means the paths can be muddy, the undergrowth is wild, and you won't find gift shops or visitor centres.

What you get is straightforward: woodland walks through mixed trees, birdsong, and that particular quiet that only happens when you're surrounded by green on all sides. Locals use it, dog walkers love it, and if you're after a proper stomp rather than a theme park experience, this delivers. It's the sort of place where you can spend two hours or twenty minutes depending on which route you take and whether you stop to just sit for a bit.

Families with kids who actually enjoy forests will get something out of this - it's not manicured enough to be boring, not dangerous enough to be worrying. Older walkers should find the terrain manageable, though it's not flat. The real draw is proximity to the holiday parks clustered around Kessingland - Parkdean Resorts and Pigs in Blankets are barely three miles away, making this ideal for caravan-based visitors who want to stretch their legs without driving miles. Free access, no facilities that I'm aware of, so bring what you need.

Best visited outside peak summer when it's not absolutely heaving with families. Winter or early spring, when the trees are either bare or just starting out, shows off the structure of the woodland properly.