Hayguard Hay Wood

The woodland around Hayguard, just outside Haverfordwest, is proper Pembrokeshire - dense enough to feel like you've actually left civilisation, but close enough that you're never more than twenty minutes from a decent cup of tea. It's the kind of place where you wander off the main paths and genuinely lose track of time among the oak and beech, listening to nothing but birdsong and the occasional crack of a branch underfoot.

There's no visitor centre or tea kiosk here, which is either exactly what you want or entirely the wrong vibe depending on your mood. The woodland is free to explore, and it works brilliantly as a morning walk if you're camped at Point Farm or Beachside Glamping Dale - both within a ten-minute drive. Bring proper boots because the ground gets boggy, especially after rain, and the paths aren't maintained like some of the busier spots around Tenby.

Historically-minded types will appreciate the old industrial heritage tucked into these woods - there are remnants of what the area was doing a century or two back, though you'll need patience to spot them. Kids will get a good hour's adventure out of it, maybe ninety minutes if they're the type who stop to examine every moss-covered stone. Photographers love it for the dappled light and gnarled tree trunks.

Really worth the detour if you're treating Haverfordwest as a proper base rather than just a pit stop. Quieter than the coast, and a proper antidote to holiday crowds.