Clapper Border

The woodland around Clapper Border, just outside Hungerford, is one of those places that rewards a proper wander but won't set your camera on fire. It's a genuine working forest rather than a manicured nature reserve, which means you get actual trees doing their thing - dense canopy, decent shade, and paths that feel like they belong to the wood rather than having been engineered for visitors.

Walkers will find it worth an hour or so of poking about. The terrain is gentle enough for families with older kids, though younger ones might lose interest once the novelty of trees wears off. Bring a dog if you've got one; they'll have a better time than you probably will. There's something rather lovely about the lack of visitor infrastructure here - no café, no information boards, no organised activities. Just you, the trees, and the sound of the wood doing its business.

It slots in reasonably well if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks. Lorne Hill Farm is barely a mile and a half away, making this an easy morning sortie before heading somewhere with more obvious attractions. Evelyns Garden Glamping is a touch further but still close enough for a quick stretch of the legs.

Timing-wise, spring and autumn are probably your best bets - summer gets a bit thick and shadowy, winter a bit spongy underfoot. Free to access as far as anyone can tell, which is just as well because there's not much reason to pay.