North Plantation

The forest around Hungerford isn't dramatic, but it's the sort of place that grows on you. North Plantation is a proper working woodland where you can actually walk without the sense you're on a theme-park trail. The trees are dense enough to feel like you've slipped away from the Berkshire commuter belt, even though you're minutes from the A4.

It's best for people who like woodland on foot - nothing too ambitious, just a decent ramble among conifers and broadleaves. The paths are manageable without being manicured, which is refreshing. There's no visitor centre or café, so come prepared. It works brilliantly as a half-morning or late-afternoon break if you're staying at Lorne Hill Farm nearby - the farm's only 3.4 miles away, making it an easy escape when the kids need burning off.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's not a destination in itself, but it's the kind of spot you'd slot into a Berkshire trip without overthinking it. Come when the weather's decent enough for a proper tramp through the trees - the winter can turn it into a muddy slog. Spring and early summer work better.

All told, it's a low-fuss woodland walk. No admission fees that we can find, no opening hours to worry about. Just forest and paths. Exactly what some people are after.