Windmill Hill

The walk up Windmill Hill from Wantage takes longer than you'd expect for what looks like a modest bump on the map, but that's rather the point. Once you're up there - and yes, it's a proper trudge - the whole Vale of the White Horse spreads out below like someone's rolled it flat. On a clear day you can see for miles across Oxfordshire's gentler countryside, nothing dramatic, just the kind of landscape that makes you understand why people have lived here for centuries.

The hill itself is more about the journey and the views than any single feature at the top. There's a bench, there's the wind - which has clearly inspired its name - and there's time to catch your breath and actually look around. It's the sort of walk that feels achievable for families with older kids, though the younger ones might grumble on the way up. Give yourself a good hour minimum, longer if you're dawdling or stopping for photos.

If you're basing yourself at Evelyns Garden Glamping just down the road, Windmill Hill makes a solid morning or afternoon excursion without needing to drive anywhere. The area around Wantage has proper walking country - this is just one of several decent ridges in the region. Best visited when the weather's cooperative and you've got decent visibility. On a murky day, you'll be walking up into cloud and wondering why you bothered.