Wheatley Library

Wheatley Library sits in the heart of this Oxfordshire village, about four miles east of Oxford, and it's the sort of place locals genuinely use rather than tourists photograph. The building houses a solid collection of fiction, non-fiction, and reference materials, plus a decent selection of children's books if you're traveling with kids who need entertaining on a rainy afternoon. There's access to computers and public wifi, which matters if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan sites like Common Leys Farm or Durham Leys Farm and your mobile signal isn't great.

It's free to enter, and the opening hours are spread across the week - Tuesday afternoon through Saturday morning, so plan accordingly. Allow an hour if you're genuinely browsing; twenty minutes if you know exactly what you want. You won't spend a whole day here, and frankly, that's not the point. What makes it useful for holiday makers is that it anchors you in village life. It's the kind of place where you can grab a book for the evening, check your email, or let the children burn off energy in the kids' corner while you drink a quiet cup of tea.

For families based at Green Acres Holiday Retreat or Cedar Hollow, this beats staring at four walls on a wet Tuesday. History enthusiasts heading to Oxford itself might stop in on the way through - the staff are helpful if you're researching local connections. Not a destination in itself, but genuinely useful if you're staying within a few miles.