Chesnut Copse

The woodland around Hungerford has a quiet, unpretentious charm that most people drive straight past. Chesnut Copse sits among dense beech and oak, the sort of place where the light filters through in green-gold shafts and the ground stays soft underfoot even in dry spells. It's a working woodland rather than a manicured nature reserve, which means you won't find marked trails or interpretation boards, just good sense and a decent sense of direction.

Walkers will find it genuinely rewarding. The canopy is thick enough to keep things cool even on warm days, and if you come in autumn the fallen nuts crunch satisfyingly. Spring brings bluebells in scattered patches. There's nothing dramatic about it - no waterfalls, no viewpoint with a view - but that's rather the point. It's the sort of place that rewards a slow amble, or where kids can properly explore without tripping over tour groups.

Access is straightforward from Hungerford itself, making this an easy add-on if you're based at Lorne Hill Farm a few miles south. Three quarters of an hour to two hours works well depending on how thoroughly you want to nose about. There's no visitor centre or facilities to speak of, so come prepared with water and decent footwear - it can be boggy in places. It's genuinely free to wander, and best visited outside peak tourist season when you'll have the paths mostly to yourself.