Brockhurst Wood

Walk into Brockhurst Wood and the noise from the road drops away almost immediately. This is proper woodland - the kind with tall oaks, dense undergrowth, and enough fallen branches to make you feel like you're actually exploring rather than strolling through a manicured nature reserve. It's near Swindon, so not exactly remote, but far enough out that it feels like a genuine escape.

The wood works best for people who want a proper walk without the fanfare. Families with older kids will get on fine here - there's enough to poke about in, enough cover for a decent game of hide and seek - but younger children might find it a bit samey after half an hour. Walkers, though, will appreciate the relative quiet and the chance to actually breathe under tree cover.

Allow an hour minimum if you're doing any sort of circuit, longer if you're the type to stop and identify things. There's no visitor centre or facilities that I'm aware of, so bring a torch if you're going in winter - the light dies quickly under the canopy. Free to enter, which is the main thing.

Stay at Park Farm Campsite just up the road and you've got a genuinely decent base for exploring the area. It's the sort of place where you wake up, go for a walk, come back for a brew, and nobody's expecting you to have 'done' anything. That's the appeal.