Frog Wood

Walk into Frog Wood near Holford and you're immediately swallowed by proper woodland - the kind where the canopy blocks out most of the sky and the path disappears into green. It's a modest forest by Somerset standards, but that's rather the point. You're not here for dramatic vistas; you're here for the quiet of ancient trees and the particular peace that comes from being genuinely surrounded by woodland.

The wood itself is straightforward walking territory. Paths wind through, though they can get boggy after rain - hence the name, presumably. Most people spend an hour to ninety minutes here, which feels about right before the novelty of ferns and fallen logs wears thin. It's the kind of place where families with younger kids will get decent mileage out of it, though children who need drama and incident might find it a bit dull.

What makes Frog Wood worth the detour is context. Staying at Moorhouse Campsite just down the road gives you easy access to proper Exmoor walking, and this wood serves as a gentler warm-up or a restorative afternoon stroll without the hike commitment. Haven Doniford Bay is only a few miles further if you want coastal time alongside your woodland time.

Come in spring when the woodland floor is busy with life, or autumn when the colours actually do something worth noting. Summer can feel a touch claustrophobic, and frankly, muddy.