The Cleaver

The Cleaver is a proper woodland walk through dense forest just outside Malmesbury - the sort of place you stumble upon while exploring the Wiltshire countryside and think, why don't more people know about this? It's a genuine forest experience without the crowds of the better-known beauty spots, thick with beech and oak, the kind of walk where the light filters through in columns and you lose track of time.

The track itself is well-defined but can get muddy after rain, so decent boots are essential. Allow an hour for a decent ramble - longer if you're the type to stop and look at things. Dog walkers absolutely love it here, and if you've got kids old enough to manage an uneven path without constant hand-holding, they'll enjoy the scrambling bits and the sheer sense of being properly in the woods.

There's no admission charge that we can find, and it's free to access any time. The beauty of staying at one of the nearby parks - Malmesbury Glamping at Whychurch Farm is only 1.4 miles away, or Burton Hill if you prefer something more traditional - is that you can pop out for an hour or so without planning a full day excursion. It works perfectly as a morning walk before heading into Malmesbury town itself, or a late afternoon escape when you need to stretch your legs.

It's not dramatic or Instagram-ready. But if you want genuine woodland without the tourist infrastructure, The Cleaver delivers exactly that.