Butcombe New Woods

If the five acres isn’t sufficient for your planned roaming, don’t worry – there’s plenty more fab countryside nearby. The site is within the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a short amble from Blagdon Lake and with access to a network of footpaths to wander along. For a slightly different perspective on your rural surrounds, join horse riding outings (15 minutes’ drive), head out for a game of golf (20 minutes) or don your hard hat to head underground at Wookey Hole caves (25 minutes). The pretty Yeo Valley gardens (10 minutes) and the vineyards of Aldwick Estate (five minutes) are good spots if you’re after something low-paced. And there’s plenty of variety beyond that too: check out Cheddar Gorge (20 minutes) for some stunning scenery (and tasty cheese), head to Bristol (half an hour) for city wanderings, or get your bucket and spade ready for a seaside day in Weston-super-Mare (35 minutes).