Our verdict
Paths criss-cross the site but aren't waymarked, so it's easy walking rather than a clear route — fine if you don't mind not knowing exactly where you'll come out. Muddy and boggy in patches after rain. Echo Lodge Meadows sits right alongside for a longer walk.
A working Forestry England woodland west of Swindon near Minety, with broadleaved woodland, conifer blocks and open felled areas giving it a varied mix of habitats for birdwatching. Open 24 hours, every day, with no parking charges.
Public forest — open access on the tracks; mind working-forest signs.