Top Plantation

You're not going to find signposts or visitor centres at Top Plantation - it's just a proper forest walk in the hills above Cardigan, the sort of place where you can actually hear yourself think. The woodland covers decent acreage and offers a network of trails through mixed trees, with views across the Teifi Valley that justify the climb up from town.

It works best for walkers who want something low-key and genuine, not a packaged experience. If you've got kids, they'll either love tramping through the trees or get bored after forty minutes - depends entirely on the child. The terrain isn't brutal but it's not flat either, so reasonable boots are sensible. Allow anything from ninety minutes to three hours depending on which routes you fancy.

There's no entry fee that we can find, and the access is straightforward from Cardigan itself. The nearest proper base would be Cardigan Camping and Touring Caravan Site, just four miles down the road, or Happy Campers Family Park at under five miles - both decent spots if you're building a longer Ceredigion trip. Combine it with a walk along the Teifi or a poke around Cardigan town itself and you've got a solid half-day sorted.

Best visited when the light's good - autumn works particularly well when the canopy's turning. Midweek visits are quieter than weekends. It's the sort of woodland walk that rewards you without demanding much of your time.