Great Bodnage Copse

You won't find much fanfare about Great Bodnage Copse, and that's rather the point. It's a proper woodland walk near Chippenham - the kind of place where you can actually hear yourself think, which is rarer than you'd hope. The forest itself is dense and dark in places, with a decent mix of mature trees and the sort of undergrowth that makes you feel genuinely away from it all, even though you're barely a few miles from town.

Walkers will get the most from it. This isn't a destination with marked trails and interpretation boards - you're navigating quiet paths through genuine woodland, which appeals to anyone wanting an unvarnished country walk rather than a managed experience. Allow a couple of hours if you're in no rush, though you can easily do it faster. The woodland floor is often damp, so proper boots are advisable rather than just trainers.

The timing matters here. Spring brings bluebells and birdsong; autumn is when the place really earns its keep with proper colour. Summer can feel a bit enclosed and buggy. Winter's decent too if you don't mind the mud.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Blackland Lakes is closest at under three miles - this makes a solid morning or afternoon circuit to break up a caravan holiday. It's not the sort of place families with young kids will tolerate for long, mind you. They'll want something with a bit more going on. But if you're after peace and fresh air without the crowds, it does exactly what it says on the tin.