Woodhouse Wood

Ancient oaks tower overhead while sunlight filters through the canopy in dappled patches across the woodland floor. This is proper Welsh woodland at its finest - the kind where you can lose yourself for hours following deer tracks and listening to nothing but birdsong. Woodhouse Wood sits just outside Carmarthen and feels refreshingly unspoilt compared to some of the more trampled forests elsewhere in Wales.

Families will find plenty to keep children occupied, though don't expect marked trails or visitor centres. The paths are informal but well-trodden, winding between moss-covered boulders and through clearings where bluebells carpet the ground in spring. Dog walkers have clearly claimed this as their own - you'll encounter plenty of locals exercising their pets along the main routes.

Access appears to be free, which makes it a cracking spot for a morning walk before heading to nearby Pendine Sands or one of the holiday parks dotted around the area. Allow a couple of hours if you want to explore properly, though you could easily stretch it to half a day with a picnic. The wood connects well with stays at Laugharne Park Holiday Resort or Parkdean's Pendine Sands site - both under ten minutes' drive away. Just bring proper footwear as paths can get muddy after rain.