Raspberry Copse

The woodland around Raspberry Copse offers a proper escape from the Chippenham sprawl - just a short drive east and you're under proper canopy with hardly another soul in sight. It's ancient-feeling forest, the sort where you half expect to stumble on something from a Grimm tale, though in reality you'll just find yourself on well-trodden paths threading between oak and beech. Walking it takes anywhere from an hour to three hours depending on which route you fancy and how often you stop to listen to the birds.

Walkers will get the most mileage from this one. The terrain's gentle enough that families with reasonably confident kids can manage it without drama, though buggies would be a nightmare. History types might appreciate that this corner of Wiltshire has seen Romans and Saxons march through, though Raspberry Copse itself is more about the immediate pleasure of shade and quiet than any particular landmark.

It's free to access and open all year, though autumn's genuinely brilliant here - the floor becomes a proper carpet of russet and gold. Go midweek if you can stomach the commute from Chippenham, or pair it with a stay at Glamping at Little Thornham Holidays just up the road (6.1 miles). The glamping site itself rates five stars, and honestly, a night under canvas followed by a forest walk the next morning beats most countryside breaks you'll find around here.