Midsomer

Midsomer is less a single attraction than a collection of villages scattered across the Oxfordshire countryside that you'll recognise if you've ever watched the ITV detective series. Watlington sits nearby, making it a reasonable base if you're keen to trace the filming locations of those dark murders and village intrigue that made the show so addictive.

The appeal here is straightforward: you get the satisfaction of matching real locations to scenes you've watched, wandering lanes where fictional bodies were discovered and visiting the pubs and village greens that formed the backdrop to thirty years of television. It's not especially dramatic - these are genuine working villages, not film sets - but there's something rather lovely about spotting a familiar corner or recognising the church from season two.

Walkers will find the Chilterns genuinely worth exploring. The rolling landscape that made such an effective setting for the show is actually cracking for rambling, and you can easily combine village spotting with proper walks. Families with teenagers might engage with this, though younger children will struggle to care without having seen the programmes.

There's no visitor centre or formal admission - it's all self-guided exploration on public roads and footpaths. Allow a day to cover several villages properly. The pubs are genuine local establishments, not tourist traps, which is refreshing. If you're staying at White Mark Glamping or The Chilterns View, you're well positioned to explore at a leisurely pace without needing to plan tight itineraries.