Little Hill Covert

Little Hill Covert is a modest woodland tucked into the Gloucestershire landscape just outside Cheltenham - the sort of place you'd stumble upon while exploring the quieter corners of the Cotswolds rather than plan a trip around. The forest offers straightforward walking through mixed woodland with paths that wind through trees without any fanfare or signposting, which means you need a bit of navigation sense or a map app to make the most of it.

It's the kind of spot walkers will appreciate more than casual visitors. If you're after dramatic viewpoints or heritage centres, you'll be disappointed. What you get instead is genuine woodland - peaceful, unremarkable in the best way, and a proper escape from Cheltenham's tourist routes. An hour's exploration is realistic; you're not dealing with vast acreage here.

For families with young children, it depends entirely on what they enjoy. If they'll happily tromp through trees chasing insects and climbing fallen logs, they'll be content. If they need waymarked trails and visitor facilities, you'll want somewhere bigger.

If you're staying at Cotswolds Meadow Glamping or one of the nearby caravan sites, Little Hill Covert works as a morning walk before heading into the prettier villages like Bourton-on-the-Water. It's free access - standard woodland rules apply - though there's no official infrastructure, so go when conditions are reasonable. Rain turns the paths into mud pretty quickly.