Located in Sandridge just outside of St Albans, Heartwood Forest is a new forest owned by the Woodland Trust. It has plenty of footpaths, trails to follow and things to explore.

There are 3 recommended trails you could follow that vary in length. One of the trails is called the Magical Meander and it is great for younger kids. It’s only a mile and a half and along the way there is a number of lovely wooden animal sculptures for children to spot which makes it fun. Some of the trail is on a hard path but a lot of it is on grass track so it can get muddy in wet weather. There are plenty of hard paths around the Forest that are pushchair friendly all year round.

Unfortunately there are no pubic toilets (the nearest ones are at Sandridge Village Hall) and there isn’t a cafe to stop at but its nice that is isn’t designed to make money. The car park is free so its nice to visit with the kids and dogs, bikes and scooters are welcome.

Great for a free morning or afternoon out.

For more information, visit their website.