Warborough Copse

Walking into Warborough Copse is like stepping back about fifty years - it's proper woodland, the kind with actual character rather than managed forestry rows. The trees are a decent mix of oak and beech, and there's enough undergrowth to make you feel genuinely away from things despite being within spitting distance of Wantage.

It's a modest patch, so don't expect hours of trekking. What you get instead is a solid hour's walk through the sort of landscape that reminds you why the Berkshire countryside works so well in spring and autumn. The paths are well-trodden but unmanicured, and there's a particular charm to that. No visitor centre, no gift shop, no signage telling you what tree you're looking at.

Families with younger kids will find it manageable but unspectacular - there's nothing theatrical about the place, which is rather its point. Walkers and local history types will appreciate it more, especially those interested in how England's woodland has been used and modified over centuries. The copse itself is exactly what its name suggests: a small wood that's been coppiced and managed for generations.

If you're based at Lorne Hill Farm nearby, it's worth the short drive over for a midweek morning or late afternoon ramble. Free to access, naturally. Bring proper boots if it's been wet - it's not glamorous terrain. Best visited October through April when the trees aren't dense with leaf and you can actually see where you're walking.