Coed Pwll-cenawon

The forest rises up behind Aberystwyth with barely a fanfare - locals know it well enough, but most visitors miss it entirely. Coed Pwll-cenawon sprawls across the hillside above the town, a proper working woodland that feels a world away from the seafront bustle below.

What you get here is straightforward: ancient oak and mixed woodland with paths threading through at various levels. The walk up from town takes the best part of an hour depending on your pace and which route you take, but the views back towards Cardigan Bay are genuinely worth the leg work. On a clear day you can see for miles. The forest itself is the draw though - quiet, shaded, the sort of place where you actually hear birds rather than just hoping they're there.

Walkers will find this more rewarding than families with small children, if only because it demands a proper hike rather than a casual stroll. There's no visitor centre, no facilities to speak of, no interpretation boards telling you what you're looking at. It's just woodland as it is. The paths can get muddy and overgrown depending on the season, so decent boots are essential rather than optional.

If you're camping at one of the holiday parks dotted around Aberystwyth - Dôl Swynol or Aberystwyth Holiday Village are closest at under four miles - this makes a solid morning or afternoon activity before heading back for tea. Free to access, naturally. Autumn's probably the best time, when the light filters through properly and the ground's not bog.