The Belt

The Belt is a proper woodland walk just outside York, the kind of place locals know about but most visitors miss entirely. It's essentially a tree-lined corridor cutting through the landscape - not vast, but enough to give you that genuine forest feel without needing to drive hours north to the Peak District.

You're walking under a dense canopy of mature trees with decent paths throughout. It feels older than it probably is, the sort of place where light filters through in bars and you can actually hear yourself think. There's a real sense of escape, which is precisely why people come here. The walk takes a couple of hours if you meander, though you can crack it quicker if you're just after fresh air and exercise.

This is ideal for walkers wanting something green between York's city walls and wherever else they're heading. Families with kids will find it manageable - no serious hills or technical bits - though young children might get restless after an hour. History types won't find much here beyond the woodland itself, but that's rather the point.

If you're staying at The Spinney Wild Camping nearby, you're practically on the doorstep. Free access, no faffing about with opening hours or entrance fees. Best visited in autumn when the canopy hasn't fully stripped back but there's still enough light to see where you're going. Winter's muddy and rather bleak. Summer can feel claustrophobic depending on the undergrowth.

Worth adding to a York-based holiday? Absolutely, if you've got an afternoon to kill and want something genuinely quiet.