Stonepit Covert

You'll know Stonepit Covert by the way the light changes as you enter. It's a proper woodland area near Horncastle, the sort of place where you can walk off the beaten track without needing a map or a permit. The forest offers decent footpaths through mixed woodland - nothing dramatic, but solid Lincolnshire countryside that rewards a gentle morning wander.

This isn't a visitor attraction with facilities or a visitor centre. It's just good woodland, which is precisely why it works. Families with younger kids might manage an hour here without complaints; older walkers and nature types will spend twice that poking about. Bring binoculars if you're into birds. The paths are fairly easy going, though they can get muddy after rain.

Location-wise, it sits nicely between two excellent park holidays. Stewton Stars Hideaway is barely four miles away, so you could easily pop over for a woodland hour before heading back to your lodge. The Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape is only six miles further, offering the bigger-picture scenery if Stonepit feels too contained. Together they'd make for a satisfying combination - intimate woodland, then wide open wold views.

Timing-wise, spring brings bluebells and birdsong, though autumn's probably when the woodland looks its most interesting. Go early or late in the day if you want it to yourself. It's the sort of place that costs you nothing but rewards you properly if you give it proper attention.