Seven Barrows

The Berkshire Downs around Wantage hold quite a few secrets, and Seven Barrows is one worth tracking down. It's a nature reserve managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust - a proper slice of chalk grassland that's home to everything from marbled white butterflies to bird's-foot trefoil. The barrows themselves are Bronze Age burial mounds, scattered across open downland that rolls out with impressive views. You're walking through genuine archaeological terrain here, not just pretty scenery.

This is one for walkers and nature enthusiasts rather than families wanting a quick stop. The reserve demands time - allow a couple of hours minimum if you want to actually explore rather than just tick it off. The chalk grassland supports specialist plants and insects you won't see everywhere, so bring binoculars if you're serious about wildlife spotting. Spring and early summer are the best seasons, when the butterflies are active and the wildflowers are out.

It's free to visit, which is always a bonus. The nearest proper town is Wantage, close enough for supplies but far enough that the reserve feels genuinely remote. If you're staying at one of the local glamping spots - Evelyns Garden Glamping is barely a mile away - this makes an excellent morning or afternoon circuit. Combine it with a walk across the wider Downs and you've got a proper day out. It's not flashy or famous, but that's rather the point.