Gibbets Close Hill nature reserve

The walk up Gibbets Close Hill rewards you with proper views across the Oxfordshire countryside - the kind of vista that makes you understand why people settle in the Cotswolds. It's a modest climb from Witney, nothing that'll have you gasping, but the reward at the top is genuine.

What you get here is open grassland, wide horizons, and the chance to breathe properly after the drive down from the Midlands. There's a nature reserve element to it, so the ground changes with the season - wildflowers in early summer, different birds depending on the time of year. It's the sort of place where you notice things: rabbits bolting across the path, skylarks if you're lucky, the quality of light shifting across the fields.

This works best for walkers and anyone after a proper outdoors moment without the crowds of more famous viewpoints. Families with younger kids might find it a bit exposed and windswept if the weather turns. Allow 45 minutes to an hour depending on whether you linger.

If you're staying at Cotswold Edge over in Ducklington, this is basically on your doorstep - 2.2 miles and worth the morning walk. Even from Grove Farm's glamping pods, it's only 4 miles away and worth the detour. The sort of spot you visit because you're already in the area camping, not somewhere you'd drive an hour out of your way for. But if you're based locally? Absolutely go.