Chedworth Wood

Walk into Chedworth Wood and you're immediately swallowed by proper old-growth forest - the kind where light filters through in shafts and the floor is thick with leaf litter. It's a working woodland rather than a manicured park, which means you get the real thing: streams, clearings, and paths that twist through beech and oak without much faffing about with signage.

The main draw is simply the walking. There's enough woodland here to spend a couple of hours without retracing your steps, though it's not enormous - you won't get properly lost. The terrain is gentle enough for families with older children, though younger ones might struggle with muddy sections in winter. Dog walkers absolutely love it, and in autumn the place is worth the trip just for the colour.

It's free to enter, which is the only sensible way to charge for a wood. There's nowhere to buy refreshments, so bring what you need. Spring is exceptional - bluebells if you time it right - but honestly any dry day works.

If you're based at Bourton-on-the-Water Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite (cracking spot, that one), Chedworth is a straightforward drive via Cirencester. Mayfield Park is also close by if you prefer something more casual. The wood slots nicely into a broader day - combine it with a wander round Cirencester's Roman bits if you want culture alongside the trees. It's not dramatic or Instagram-friendly, but it's real woodland and it delivers exactly what you're after.