Crookham Copse

Walking into Crookham Copse on a damp Hampshire morning, you're surrounded by the kind of woodland that feels properly ancient - gnarled oaks, dense understorey, the works. It's a small forest near Southampton, easy to reach but far enough from the city sprawl that you genuinely feel like you've escaped. The paths wind through beech and oak, with patches of bracken underfoot depending on the season.

This is walking territory, plain and simple. Families with younger kids might manage a circuit, though the terrain's a bit variable and there's not much in the way of facilities or interpretation boards. If you've got energetic teenagers or proper hikers in tow, you'll get a decent hour here without pushing it too hard. Birdwatchers and nature types will find it worthwhile - the canopy cover makes it good for spotting woodland birds, especially in spring.

It's a solid addition to a park holiday rather than the main draw. You're only a handful of miles from Beechen Glamping and Glamping at Wallops Wood, so if you're based at one of the nearby camping or glamping sites, it's a reasonable morning's leg-stretch before heading elsewhere. There's no car park that I could find clearly marked, so you'll need to know where you're going - local knowledge helps. Free access, as far as I can tell, though check before you go. Go when it's not been raining heavily - the paths get boggy. It's not spectacular, but it's proper woodland, and that counts for something in this corner of Hampshire.