Swinage Wood

Dense woodland that rises steeply from the hamlet of Holford, Swinage Wood is a proper walk rather than a casual stroll. The trees crowd in tight - oak and beech mostly - and the paths climb relentlessly through ferns and leaf litter. You won't find interpretation boards or facilities here. This is the real thing.

It's walkers' territory, full stop. Families with young children might struggle with the inclines and lack of obvious "attractions" - there's no view at the top, no café, no play area. But if you're fit enough and enjoy being properly in the forest rather than walking through it, the atmosphere is undeniably good. The silence is what gets you. No tourist infrastructure, no crowds.

Allow a couple of hours if you're doing a circular walk. The mud and roots mean you can't move fast. Spring is lovely - bluebells thick on the forest floor - though the wet season (pretty much October through April round here) makes it genuinely treacherous. Wear proper boots.

From Moorhouse Campsite just 2 miles away, it's an obvious choice for a woodland walk between days at the nearby parks. Haven Doniford Bay is close enough that you could base yourself there and make it a morning mission. The contrast works well - an hour of proper forest solitude before heading back to something more manicured.