Spring Park Wood

Walk into Spring Park Wood near Warlingham and you're immediately surrounded by the sort of proper woodland that makes you forget you're in Surrey commuter belt. Towering trees create a canopy thick enough to muffle most of the outside world, and the paths wind through dense undergrowth that changes character with the seasons.

It's a straightforward woodland walk rather than a manicured nature reserve - the kind of place where you'll spot signs of badgers and deer if you're quiet enough, and where the smell of damp earth and leaf mould is stronger than any perfume. The paths are well-trodden and manageable for families with school-age kids, though pushchairs would be a slog on the muddier stretches. Allow an hour to ninety minutes if you want to properly wander rather than march through.

History types will find it interesting enough - there's been woodland here for centuries - but this isn't somewhere to come expecting plaques and information boards. You come here to walk and breathe and let your mind settle. Peak seasons are autumn when the light through the leaves goes golden, and spring when the floor carpets itself in bluebells and wild garlic.

The wood slots well into a longer day exploring Warlingham and the surrounding Surrey countryside. If you're staying at Milberry Green Meadows just down the road, this is a perfectly decent morning option before heading elsewhere. Admission is free and there's no formal opening hours - it's just a wood you can access.