The Gorse

The Gorse is a proper woodland walk just outside Warwick - the sort of place locals know about but tourists often miss. You're walking through mixed forest with patches of gorse (the clue's in the name), bracken underfoot, and enough trees to actually feel like you've escaped the town. It's not dramatic or grand, but it's peaceful in a way that the castle crowds aren't.

This is ideal for anyone wanting a gentle woodland ramble rather than a full fell walk. Families with kids who don't mind a muddy path will be fine here, though there's nothing to keep under-fives entertained for hours. The forest floor changes seasonally - boggy in winter, leafy in summer - so come prepared for whatever the weather's thrown at it.

Allow an hour to ninety minutes depending on which paths you take. There's no admission charge to walk, which is refreshing. Spring's when the gorse flowers, painting sections yellow and filling the air with coconut-scented blooms.

If you're camping at Mousley House Farm just two miles away, this is an easy add-on to your trip - close enough for an evening stroll before dinner, far enough that you'll genuinely feel the walk rather than just toddling around the campsite. It works well alongside a Warwick Castle visit too, though the contrast will hit you - one's manicured history, this is wild (well, managed wild).