Allt Hugh Siôn

Deep in the Ceredigion hills above Lampeter, Allt Hugh Siôn is a proper forest walk rather than a manicured attraction - the kind of place where you're more likely to meet a red kite than a gift shop. It's a straightforward woodland ramble through mixed forestry, with decent views across the Cambrian Mountains if you pick a clear day. The walk itself takes about an hour depending on pace, and there's nothing complicated about it: you're in among the trees, breathing in that particular damp-earth-and-pine smell that makes you forget you've got emails to answer.

This is ideal country for walkers who want some genuine solitude rather than a honeypot attraction. Families with young children might find it a touch underwhelming - there's no café, no sculpture trail, no real event to mark the walk as "done". But if you're camping at one of the nearby sites - Hafod Brynog or Cambrian Mountains are both within four miles - and you want to shake your legs off without driving anywhere, it's worth the detour.

Access is free and straightforward. Come mid-week if you can, when the forest feels entirely yours. Summer's obvious, but autumn here is genuinely special - the light filters through differently, and you'll see far fewer families with buggies. The Lampeter area itself is quiet, agricultural Wales at its most genuine, so don't expect facilities at the trailhead. Bring water, decent boots, and accept that you're here for the walk itself, not the destination.