Weldon Wood

The forest floor at Weldon Wood is carpeted in moss so thick it muffles your footsteps. You're just outside Northallerton in North Yorkshire, but once you're under the canopy, the market town feels miles away.

It's a proper woodland walk rather than a manicured tourist attraction - the kind of place where you'll see mushrooms clustered round fallen logs and occasionally spot a roe deer if you're quiet enough. The trees are mixed deciduous and conifer, so it has that satisfying autumn smell even in spring. Most people take between 45 minutes and two hours depending on which path they fancy, and there's no entrance fee - it's just there to be walked through.

Families with older kids will enjoy it more than those with toddlers. The paths can get muddy after rain and aren't particularly pram-friendly. History types won't find a visitor centre or interpretation boards, so come for the walk itself, not for stories.

Stay at Whorlton Pods just 3 miles away for a proper immersive woodland experience - you're close enough to pop in for a morning stroll before breakfast. If you're after something with more facilities, Cote Ghyll is 5.6 miles south and larger. Either way, Weldon Wood works best as part of a broader Northallerton trip rather than a destination on its own. Go in autumn when the light filters through the changing leaves. That's when it earns its space in your itinerary.