Bailey Hill Copse

The woods here are proper dense - towering beeches and oaks that block out most of the sky even in summer. Bailey Hill Copse sits just outside Botswicky in Berkshire, the kind of place you stumble onto when you're exploring the quieter parts of the county. It's a working forest rather than a manicured nature reserve, which means the paths can get muddy and the undergrowth is genuine wild.

You get a solid hour's walk out of it, maybe ninety minutes if you're the type to stop and listen. The hill itself gives decent views across the Berkshire landscape - nothing dramatic, but the kind of perspective that reminds you why people moved here centuries ago. Families with older kids will get on fine; younger ones might find it a bit samey after twenty minutes.

There's no visitor centre or facilities to speak of, so come prepared. The nearest town of Botswicky Copse has what you need for supplies. If you're staying at Nordic Glamping or Evelyns Garden Glamping - both are cracking spots about four miles away - this works as a nice half-day outing rather than a destination in itself. It's the sort of place that makes sense when you're already in the area, rather than a reason to travel there deliberately. Free access, no gates, no drama.

Best visited autumn or spring. Summer gets thick with flies, winter can be properly boggy.