Leyhook Copse

A proper woodland walk rather than a formalised attraction, Leyhook Copse sits just outside Alton and delivers exactly what you'd want from a Hampshire forest - ancient trees, decent trails, and enough space to actually escape the car parks. The copse itself is fairly intimate; you're not talking sprawling acres here, but it's the kind of place where you notice things. Bluebells if you catch the spring flush, the occasional glimpse of muntjac deer, moss-covered stumps doing their slow work.

This works best for walkers who know what they're after rather than families expecting obvious attractions. Kids won't be entertained by signage or facilities because there largely aren't any - you're relying on the woods themselves to be interesting. That's either the whole appeal or a complete washout depending on what you're into.

It's free access and you can do a circuit in 45 minutes if you're not dawdling, or spend a couple of hours if you're the stopping-to-look-at-things type. The terrain's woodland floor - muddy when it's been wet, which it usually has in Hampshire.

Stay at Wigwam Holidays nearby and this becomes a solid half-day addition to a park break. Not the destination itself, but a proper walk that reminds you why Hampshire's understated woodland is worth the effort. Go when it's clear underfoot unless you don't mind your boots looking defeated.