Westcot Down

The beech trees at Westcot Down are genuinely impressive - gnarled giants that must be centuries old, their branches creating this cathedral-like canopy overhead. It's proper woodland, the kind where you can actually breathe and think, not some manicured country estate walk.

You're looking at a decent forest loop near Wantage that works brilliantly if you're based at one of the local glamping sites - Evelyns Garden is barely over a mile away, which means you can be under the trees within minutes of breakfast. The paths are straightforward enough for families with older kids, though younger ones might find it a bit samey after forty minutes or so. Walkers will appreciate the quiet; it's not rammed with tourists.

Allow a couple of hours if you're meandering and actually stopping to notice things - the light filtering through in late afternoon is when it really sings. Early morning's lovely too before anyone else shows up. There's something genuinely restorative about these old beeches; you can feel why people have walked here for generations.

Worth combining with a trip into Wantage itself for lunch, or using it as a leg-stretcher between Lorne Hill Farm and Nordic Glamping at Botswicky if you're bouncing between sites. The forest doesn't pretend to be anything fancy - it's just good, honest woodland. Free access, no crowds, no faff. That's rather the point.