Wayland's Smithy

Climbing up to Wayland's Smithy feels like stepping into someone else's story - which, in a way, you are. This Neolithic long barrow sits on the Berkshire Downs near Wantage, and it's properly atmospheric in a way that most Bronze Age burial mounds aren't. The structure itself is modest - a grass-covered earthwork with a stone-built chamber at one end - but the legend attached to it is anything but. Medieval travellers reckoned a blacksmith lived here who'd shoe your horse while you slept, if you left payment and went away.

What you actually get is a peaceful walk across open downland, finishing at a chambered tomb that's over 5,000 years old. The views from up here stretch across the Vale of White Horse, and on a clear day you can see for miles. It's not a massive site - twenty minutes is enough time to have a proper look - but the walk there and back easily fills an hour if you're not rushing.

Histor enthusiasts will find the mythology fascinating, and walkers love this route as part of a longer Ridgeway trail. Kids get restless quickly unless they're into archaeology. The site's free and there's nothing to stop you wandering up any day of the week. If you're staying at Nordic Glamping at Botswicky or Evelyns Garden Glamping nearby, this is a solid morning's outing that won't feel like effort. Not Instagram-famous, but genuinely worth the detour if you're exploring the chalk downs.