Halsway Wood

The woodland around Halsway, just outside Holford, is the kind of place you stumble upon rather than deliberately seek out - which is precisely why it works. Ancient beech and oak spread overhead, creating that deep green cathedral feeling that proper Somerset woodland does so well. The paths wind through without being fussy about it; locals use them regularly, which keeps them clear enough to follow without turning into a tourist obstacle course.

It's excellent for a morning walk if you're based at one of the nearby campsites like Moorhouse or Haven Doniford Bay - nowhere near as exhausting as tackling the Quantocks, but properly restorative all the same. Families with younger kids will get a solid hour here before the novelty of trees wears thin; older children and actual walkers will find enough to occupy a longer ramble. Spring and autumn are the times to come - summer can feel a bit cloying with the humidity, and winter mud is legitimate.

Free to wander, no car park to speak of, and no facilities worth mentioning. Check you've got decent boots and don't plan on popping to a cafe afterwards. The woodland is the point here - it's not going to wow anyone expecting manicured trails or a visitor centre. What you get instead is the real thing: a slice of Somerset as it actually is, not as the tourism board wishes it to be. Worth a detour from Warren Bay or Mill Farm if you're after genuine forest time rather than an attraction to tick off.