Gore's Copse

A thick belt of woodland just outside Hungerford, Gore's Copse isn't the sort of place you'd stumble upon by accident. There's something properly atmospheric about it though - dense tree cover, proper forest floor underfoot, the kind of quiet that makes you realise how little of this landscape is left untouched.

It's walker territory, full stop. The paths are decent enough and it's the sort of wood where you might actually see something - woodland birds, the odd deer if you're lucky and moving quietly. Not massive, so you're looking at maybe an hour to ninety minutes max if you take your time, which you should.

The real appeal here is that it feels genuinely rural despite being close to a decent town. If you're based at Lorne Hill Farm just up the road, it's exactly the kind of spot that justifies a Berkshire break - proper woodland walk without the tat and crowds of the South's more famous forests. Families will manage it fine, though younger kids might find it a bit samey after half an hour. Serious walkers will appreciate it as a genuine piece of working woodland rather than some manicured nature reserve.

No visitor facilities that I'm aware of, so bring your own supplies. Go early morning or late afternoon if you can - that's when the light's best and you'll have it more or less to yourself. Winter's actually lovely here, proper atmospheric, though muddy.