Wenhaston Black Heath

Wenhaston Black Heath is one of those Suffolk spots that rewards you for getting off the main road. It's a stretch of open heathland east of Saxmundham - properly wild and windswept, with that particular kind of empty beauty you find dotted across East Anglia. The heath itself is the draw: gorse, heather, and rough grassland spreading out with minimal fuss, the sort of place where you actually notice the sky.

Walkers will get the most from it. There's no visitor centre or café, no facilities to speak of - just the land itself. You can ramble for an hour or three depending on mood, following the various tracks that wind through. It's the kind of walk where you might not see another soul, which some find liberating and others find a bit bleak. That's rather the point of it.

It's free to access, though you'll need to find your own parking and check locally for any seasonal restrictions or access changes. Spring brings wildflowers; autumn can be golden and moody. Winter is honestly beautiful if you don't mind the damp.

If you're camping at Haw Wood Farm or Mill Hill Farm - both within a few miles - this makes a solid morning or afternoon outing to break up caravan life. It's not a destination in itself, but as part of a wider East Suffolk ramble, it slots in well. History types might appreciate that the heath has existed in this form for centuries, maintaining what the landscape looked like long before intensive farming. Kids under ten might find it a bit samey after thirty minutes.