Sutterby Holt

Walk into Sutterby Holt and you're swallowed by proper woodland - the kind where you actually lose the sound of traffic after five minutes. It's a forest that sprawls across Lincolnshire with decent-sized trees, winding paths, and that soft forest floor underfoot that makes walking feel less like a slog and more like something restorative.

The main appeal here is straightforward: it's decent woodland for a walk or bike ride without needing to trek across the Pennines. Near Horncastle, it's manageable for a half-day outing. The paths are clear enough - nothing too technical - and kids generally don't mind it for an hour or so, though they'll need the novelty of spotting wildlife or climbing a fallen log to stay entertained beyond that.

Walkers with decent boots and an eye for woodland birds will genuinely enjoy this. It's the sort of place to lose an afternoon rather than tackle as a destination in itself. Bring binoculars if you're keen on that sort of thing.

If you're staying at Woodthorpe Leisure Park just down the road, Sutterby Holt makes a sensible morning walk - close enough to get there without a lengthy drive, proper enough forest to feel like an escape. The free aspect is a bonus, though realistically you're paying in fuel to get there from most parts of the region. Best visited in autumn or spring when the air isn't muggy and you won't get eaten alive.