1 If any walk in the Swindon area is going to clear the post-Christmas cobwebs, it is a brisk jaunt at Barbury Castle. The Iron Age hill fort, which is also a gateway to the Ridgeway for people with more ambitious mileage in mind, dominates its section of landscape outside Wroughton and can be - to say the least - rather breezy. Beautiful views of the surrounding countryside are not the only attraction of this rugged place; it is fascinating to walk in the footsteps of the ancient people for whom Barbury was a strategically-crucial refuge.

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2 Coate Water Country Park - www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20077/parks_and_open_spaces/487/coate_water_park - is a favourite among walkers at any time of year. Its most striking feature is, of course, the lake originally created nearly two centuries ago as a reservoir for the Wilts and Berks Canal. During the winter months, the lake and its surrounding area are home to many hardy species of birds.

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3 Of all the public open spaces in and around Swindon, Shaw Forest Park - www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20077/parks_and_open_spaces/489/shaw_forest_park - has perhaps the most unusual history. Once the site of a landfill, the tranquil park is home to an impressive array of tree, wildflower, animal, bird and insect species.

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4 As most people with an interest in Swindon’s history are aware, Lawns Park - www.swindon.gov.uk/directory_record/8466/lawns_park - was once the a seat of the Goddard family. The last of the dynasty of gentry left the handsome mansion early in the last century, and the house itself, decayed by neglect, was demolished in the 1950s. The ground plan of the building can still be seen among the greenery at the heart of what is now one of Swindon’s most popular public parks.

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5 The Midland and South Western Junction Railway, long since closed, was nicknamed Swindon’s Other Railway. Where its line once ran to the south of the town, a path much loved by walkers and cyclists was established. The path, which is easily reached from Signal Way, has many interesting features, not least a major relic of its previous incarnation - the remains of Rushey Platt Station.

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6 Stanton Park - www.swindon.gov.uk/directory_record/8470/stanton_park - near Stanton Fitzwarren is one of Swindon’s newer parks. Although established barely two decades ago, it has an enviable reputation as home to an immense variety of animal and plant life - not to mention no less than 900 species of fungi. The most impressive feature, however, is undoubtedly the large lake.

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7 Winter visitors to Clouts Wood, a Wiltshire Wildlife Trust site at Wroughton, would do well to put on mud-proof footwear beforehand - but hardy souls who brave the landscape can be sure of a treat. The trust - www.wiltshirewildlife.org - maintains the wood as a haven for many plant and wildlife species.

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8 As with the other locations on this list, Avebury makes for excellent walks at any time of the year. Unlike visitors to the rather more famous Stonehenge, visitors are welcome to walk among and touch its ancient stones, and speculate - just as countless archaeologists have done down the centuries - about its original purpose.

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9 For people willing to travel a little further than post in their search for a place to walk off an excess of turkey, pigs in blankets and sprouts, Cotswold Country Park - www.waterpark.org - is well worth considering. Its 40 square miles are distributed between Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, and there are trails to suit all tastes and levels of determination.

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10 Like Avebury, Silbury Hill - www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/silbury-hill/ - is not only a beautiful location for walkers but an archaeological enigma. Parking is readily available off the A4.

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