Savernake Forest

Eight thousand acres of ancient woodland spread across Wiltshire like someone's been generous with a green crayon. Savernake Forest is properly old - we're talking Norman times - and it shows in the towering beeches and oaks that form a cathedral-like canopy overhead. You can drive through the Grand Avenue, a dead straight tree-lined route that's been there since the 1600s, or abandon the car and walk any number of tracks ranging from easy strolls to proper woodland rambles.

Walkers absolutely get the best out of this place. The main routes are well-marked, the forest floor is soft underfoot, and you're unlikely to feel hemmed in even when it's moderately busy. Families with younger kids will manage the shorter loops easily enough - two to three hours round trip keeps them engaged without wearing everyone out. History types should know this was a royal hunting ground and seat of the Earls of Cardigan; the occasional aristocratic building still stands among the trees. It's free to visit, which makes it even better value.

Timing-wise, spring and autumn are cracking, though summer weekends can get a bit rammed near the car parks. Winter's actually brilliant if you don't mind mud. Being only a few miles from Pewsey, it pairs well with a camping stay at nearby Totteridge Farm or Hillview Park - you've got something genuinely forested without heading miles west into the Quantocks. Bring proper shoes and a decent map if you're venturing off the main drags.