The Rollright Stones

A Bronze Age stone circle on a Oxfordshire hilltop that feels properly remote despite being just outside Chipping Norton. You're looking at around 77 stones arranged in a ragged circle - less manicured than Stonehenge, which is precisely why it works. The locals call it the King's Men, and there's a genuine sense that you've stumbled onto something the tour buses don't bother with.

What makes it worth the drive is the walk itself. You're climbing moorland with proper views across the Cotswolds, and the stones themselves don't announce themselves - you round a bend and suddenly you're among them. It's free to visit, open all hours since it's just sitting there in a field, and you need maybe 45 minutes unless you're the type to sit on the grass with a map and a thermos.

This appeals most to walkers and anyone with a genuine interest in prehistory rather than Instagram moments. The light does shift beautifully across the stones in late afternoon, if you're minded to hang around. Kids under eight find it a bit abstract - rocks are rocks until they understand the age of the thing.

Stay at Cotswold Hills Country Park just 2.6 miles away and you're perfectly placed for this and other walks in the area. The glamping at Moreton-in-Marsh, a few miles further, gives you slightly more comfort if you want to base yourself properly. Chipping Norton itself has decent pubs when you're done with the outdoors.