The Coppice

The Coppice is a proper woodland walk just outside Melksham, the sort of place locals actually use rather than somewhere you'd stumble across by accident. It's managed woodland - coppiced trees, open glades, the works - and it reads like a proper working forest rather than a manicured country estate. You'll find footpaths threading through, giving you decent walking without needing to commit to a full day hike.

Historically this is interesting if you care about how English woodlands are managed. Coppicing, that technique of cutting trees back to stumps so they regrow multiple stems, shaped these forests for centuries. The Coppice shows you how that works in practice, though it's not the sort of place with interpretation boards spelling everything out. You need to know what you're looking at, or it's just nice trees.

Walkers will get the most from it. Kids might find it a bit samey after 45 minutes unless they're into proper exploring. There are no facilities I'm aware of - bring your own water. Spring is lovely when things are leafing out, but honestly winter when you can actually see through the trees beats summer for views.

It slots well into a camping trip based at one of the nearby sites around Devizes and Melksham - Devizes Camping and Caravanning Club Site is just 2.5 miles away. The forest won't take up your whole day, so you'd pair it with other walks in the area or a visit to Melksham's market. Free and worth an afternoon if you're staying local.