Thrift Wood

Thrift Wood is a proper woodland walk just outside Broadway, the sort of place locals know but tourists often miss. It's not a showstopper - no dramatic viewpoints or marked trails with interpretive boards - just genuine forest where you can actually breathe without fighting crowds. The wood itself is mixed deciduous, decent sized, and the walking is straightforward enough for families with older kids, though muddy patches are inevitable even weeks after rain.

What makes it work is simplicity. You're here to walk through trees, listen to birds, maybe spot deer if you're lucky. There's a calming quality to it that the prettier Cotswold villages nearby can't match because they're too busy selling postcards. Allow an hour for an easy loop; longer if you're the sort who stops to identify fungi or just wants to sit on a log for twenty minutes.

It works well as a break day during a park holiday based at Broadway Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite or Cotswold Woodland Glamping - both within striking distance. If you're staying longer, pair it with Broadway itself for the honey-coloured stone and decent tea shops, or head to Bourton-on-the-Water just over the border if you want water views and a bit more going on.

Free to access, no facilities on-site, so bring water. Best avoided in peak summer when the car park fills up, and honestly, it's at its best on a grey morning when you've got the place to yourself.