Allt Fach

The forest at Allt Fach sits just outside Tregaron in Ceredigion, and it's the sort of place you stumble into rather than plan a visit to. Ancient oak woodland wraps around steep hillsides, with paths that wind through moss-covered boulders and burn-carved ravines. In autumn the canopy goes proper golden; in spring it's all bluebells and bird calls.

This is walker terrain, full stop. You're not getting a stroll here - the ground drops away quickly and the paths can be muddy even days after rain. But if you've got decent boots and don't mind a bit of effort, the reward is genuine old woodland, the kind you'd imagine in Welsh folklore. A couple of hours in and you'll have worked up a proper appetite and seen barely another soul.

Kids aged six upwards will manage the main paths fine, though they'll need supervising on the steeper sections. Anyone younger? It's a lot of carrying and not enough instant gratification. Families staying at Cambrian Mountains Glamping and Camping just down the road have the advantage - it's only five miles away, so you can pop in for a morning walk without it eating your whole day.

Free to access, no obvious facilities on site. Go early if you can, especially weekends. The light filters through those old oaks best in the morning anyway.