Watlington Park

The chalk grassland at Watlington Park rolls across the Oxfordshire landscape like something out of a watercolour painting - open, airy, and properly managed to keep the rare plants thriving. It's a nature reserve run by the National Trust, and what you get is genuine downland with all the botanical interest that comes with it. Walk the slopes and you'll find cowslips in spring, orchids later in the season, and birds that simply don't turn up in managed farmland anymore.

This place works best for walkers with a genuine interest in wildflowers and insects rather than families after a quick stroll with an ice cream. The paths are decent but undulating - nothing too steep, though it's clearly chalk country underfoot. You can spend a solid couple of hours here if you're the type to stop and identify what's growing. Bring binoculars and a decent wildflower guide.

It's free to visit and open year-round, though spring and early summer are obviously when the reserve sings. The nearest town is Watlington itself, a proper little market town that won't detain you long but has the basics. White Mark Glamping sits barely a mile away if you're after somewhere comfortable to stay, while The Chilterns View and Home Farm Camping offer more conventional accommodation within striking distance. The reserve fits neatly into a wider Chilterns exploration - combine it with walks across the hills themselves and you've got a proper couple of days mapped out.