Poundon Hill

The walk up Poundon Hill takes about twenty minutes from the car park, and it's steep enough that you'll feel it in your legs but not so brutal that you can't manage it with kids in tow. The summit rewards you with proper views across the Oxfordshire countryside - on a clear day you can see for miles, and the Vale of Aylesbury spreads out below like a patchwork quilt. It's the sort of spot where you suddenly understand why this corner of the Midlands matters historically; you're standing on an Iron Age hill fort, after all, though there's not much to see of the defences anymore - mostly just earthworks and your own imagination filling in the gaps.

For walkers, this is brilliant. It's close enough to Buckingham that you can combine it with a proper day out - spend the morning here, grab lunch in town, then potter about the countryside. Families with older children will get on fine; younger ones might lose interest once they've reached the top and had their snack. The views are the main draw, really. No tea rooms, no facilities at the top - come prepared.

If you're camped at Barton Hill Farm or Glebe Leisure just down the road, this makes a natural morning objective. Embers Camping at Claydon works too if you don't mind the extra drive. Go early to dodge the school groups, and pick a breezy day when the light's sharp - the haze can kill the views. Worth the leg work, frankly.