Feiallt Wood

Deep in Powys, a few miles from the village of Rhayader, Feiallt Wood offers a proper escape into Welsh woodland without the crowds you'd find at the more famous forests further south. It's a working woodland rather than a manicured country estate - the kind of place where you'll hear more birdsong than footsteps, and the ground underfoot changes from muddy track to carpet of moss depending on which way you wander.

The wood itself is modest in scale, which is actually its strength. You're not hiking for hours to feel like you've accomplished something; thirty minutes to an hour gets you deep enough to forget the road exists. The canopy is dense enough to keep things cool even on warmer days, and in spring the whole place explodes with bluebells. Dog walkers will find it absolutely perfect - no one's going to grumble about muddy paws here.

This works brilliantly as a morning outing if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks - Fforest Fields or By the Wye Glamping are close enough that you could be back for lunch without breaking a sweat. It's the kind of stop that fills the gaps between bigger attractions rather than the main event, but that's no criticism. Families with younger kids might find an hour here more realistic than attempting a full-day forest walk elsewhere. Admission appears to be free, though information online is patchy so it's worth checking locally once you arrive in the area.