Winford Plantation

A proper forest walk rather than a manicured tourist spot, Winford Plantation sits inland from Sandown and delivers exactly what you'd hope for - dense woodland, peace, and the kind of quiet you don't get near the seafront. The trees are mature and close together, creating that cathedral-like atmosphere forests do best. Paths wind through without too much fuss, and it's the sort of place where you'll actually hear birdsong instead of ice cream vans.

It's brilliant for families wanting to burn off some energy without the theme park crowds. Kids will enjoy scrambling about on the forest floor, though there's nothing dramatic enough to hold a bored teenager's attention for more than an hour or so. Walkers get a genuine escape from the holiday park bustle - Sandhills and White Cliff Bay are both within five miles, so you can slip away easily for a morning or afternoon ramble. The woodland's also decent for spotting wildlife if you're patient, though I wouldn't call it rare or remarkable.

No entrance fee that I can establish, and no fixed hours either - it feels like the sort of place you just turn up to. Allow an hour for a gentle wander, longer if you're the type to sit and sketch or photograph moss. The real strength here isn't dramatic views or historical significance. It's simply that it exists as an antidote to the built-up tourist infrastructure a few miles south. After a few days at a holiday park, this is where you come to remember what trees actually look like.