Walls Plantation

The woodland here is proper atmospheric - dense enough that you forget you're in County Durham at all. Walls Plantation sits just outside Hexham and does exactly what a forest should do: it gets you off the beaten track without needing serious hiking boots or a full day's commitment.

You're walking through mixed woodland where the trees actually make you feel small, especially if you catch it after rain when everything smells right. There's something satisfying about a place that doesn't try too hard - no visitor centre, no tea shop, just the forest doing its thing. Walkers will find proper trails cutting through, and it's the sort of spot where you can potter about for an hour or lose yourself for three if the mood takes you.

It works brilliantly if you're staying at Springhouse Boutique Holiday Park down the road - close enough for a morning or afternoon outing without the drive. Village Green Holiday Park is a bit further but still manageable. With kids, they'll either love the freedom of running through woodland or get bored within twenty minutes, depending on their type. Teenagers often find forests dull, but adults tend to rate it as a genuine breather from the holiday routine.

Going early, especially weekday mornings, means you'll likely have the place to yourself. That's when Walls Plantation really shows what it's got. No crowds, no noise - just you and a lot of very tall trees.