Rowley Copse

Rowley Copse is a proper woodland walk just outside Swindon - the sort of place you head to when you want green space without the crowds of a proper country estate. It's mixed forest with paths threading through, nothing fancy, just decent trees and the chance to actually breathe out of town. The paths are reasonably maintained, though after wet weather you'll want proper boots rather than trainers.

Walkers will get the most from this one. There's no visitor centre or café, no grand vistas, so don't expect theme-park infrastructure. What you get is woodland quiet and the kind of walk that clears your head in about an hour. Kids might enjoy spotting wildlife if they're the patient sort, but if they need designated play areas or benches every hundred metres, this won't hold their interest long.

The nearest decent base is Park Farm Campsite just four miles away - handy if you're doing a few days around Swindon and want to pack in some green space between visiting other attractions in Wiltshire. Timing-wise, spring and autumn are cracking for this, when the light filters through properly and you're not drowning in summer humidity or picking your way through winter mud.

Free to visit, open whenever - typical woodland access. Allow a couple of hours if you're not rushing. It's honest woodland rather than a destination in itself, but if you're based locally or passing through, it does the job.