Somehow, I can't remember limits of where not to go from age 6 on. I wasn't that much of an adventurer, my brother was. He had my parents scared shitless now and then, by his actions. (going on 25km tours, ending up at relatives, without telling.....) But, it always ended well. Together with my brother, I could get lost in time and adventure too. Most funny time is that somehow we never made it to school after lunch. He was 4, I was 5, and there was way to much to be seen and explored on our way to school.
At age nine, I roller-skated to the next village and back, why not. I was a lot in the woods not too far from my house. Or, I was reading in my room.
Times were different then, less traffic, less people, and, people not that scared to take care of each other. (OK, that came hand in hand with strong social control, so, it is not all roses). At age 11, a classmate and I got harassed by a hormonal guy, while walking in the woods at a fox hunting BD game. It bugged us, but it did not take away our sense of safety, when alone in the woods.
I've given my kids the freedom they wanted, if they showed they were capable to handle it. So, they came home from school alone at age 6, and, bit after that were allowed to play with friends at all playgrounds on this side of the village. Not allowed to cross the main street, with lots of traffic, and, not allowed to go to the water, cars race around there, and, the water is cold and deep, for a small kid, even when it can swim. And yes, my kids could both swim well and safe at age 7. To me, and most parents I know of, that is a necessity, before you can have kids outside on their own, in the vicinity of water. And, if they went to or with someone, I wanted to know.
This is a small village. Most kids here have freedoms like my kids had, because it is possible. In a big, crowded city, it would be different.