The Eyecatcher

You won't spot The Eyecatcher from the road - that's rather the point. This 18th-century folly sits in the Oxfordshire countryside near Kidlington, a deliberately eye-catching structure designed to punctuate someone's parkland view from a distance. It's the sort of architectural oddity that makes you wonder what the original owner was thinking: build something tall and distinctive enough to catch the eye across fields and woodland, then leave it largely to itself.

What you're actually looking at is a brick tower, modest in scale but not in ambition. It's the kind of thing that appeals to people who enjoy spotting follies and walking to off-the-beaten-track heritage spots - the architecture geeks and countryside wanderers rather than families after a splash park afternoon.

You'll need to do some legwork to reach it, which keeps the crowds minimal. There's no visitor centre, no facilities, so come prepared with proper walking shoes and a decent map or GPS. The real value here is the walk itself through Oxfordshire's quieter corners, combined with the satisfaction of standing in front of something genuinely odd and genuinely old.

If you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Greenhill Leisure Park or Weston Caravan and Campsite are both within striking distance - this makes a decent morning's exploration before heading into Kidlington for lunch. Don't expect crowds or amenities. Expect solitude and a bit of history.