The National Forest Big Day Out

Seven stops, a full day well spent and the potential for a very tired dog!

The National Forest is one of those places where you keep meaning to go back and then realise you've somehow spent an entire season there without noticing. There is genuinely so much to do — walks that link up, cafés worth planning around, woods that feel completely different from one another — pulling together a shortlist felt almost unfair. Almost. These are the spots we actually return to: the walks that held Murphy's attention for longer than ten minutes, and the cafés where we both felt properly looked after. Treat this as a loose framework for a big day out, mix and match however suits you, and don't try to do all seven in one go unless you have the legs of a Labrador and the appetite of a Beagle.

Where we've been

• Albert Village Lake — "Would absolutely attempt swan friendship again 😂🐾" — full listing
• Bignalls Wood, Jaguar Lount & Alistair's Woods — "Excellent variety, would absolutely come back 🐾" — full listing
• Moira Junction Circular (Ashby Woulds Heritage Trail) — "Made the most of every sniff… loved the variety (and the splash stop) 😂🐾" — full listing
• Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Woods — "The grass was taller than me. The lake looked swimmable. Apparently it wasn't. I disagree with this policy. Still had a great time though." — full listing
• The Pavilion — "First café trip. First puppachino. First time Mum stopped stress-sweating within five minutes of arriving." — full listing
• The Stables — "The Full Hound. THE FULL HOUND. Finally, a menu that understands my needs." — full listing
• Willesley Woods — "Water, mud and zero regrets 💦🐶" — full listing

Questions we get asked