Calvert Jubilee Nature Reserve

The wetland here is genuinely worth a detour if you're camping anywhere near Buckingham. Calvert Jubilee Nature Reserve sits on what used to be an industrial site - chalk workings, to be precise - and now it's been rewilded into something rather special. You get open water, reedbed, grassland, and woodland all in one go, which sounds simple but makes for proper diverse birdwatching territory.

What you're actually doing is walking around managed trails taking in whatever's about that day. Winter brings wildfowl in serious numbers. Spring and summer mean warblers and breeding birds if you're quiet and patient. There's a visitor centre with viewing platforms, and the whole thing is accessible enough for families with young kids, though the paths can get muddy. Allow two to three hours if you're serious about it, or an hour if you just fancy a wander.

It's free to visit, which is brilliant. The real value is in the peace - you won't find crowds here the way you might at bigger attractions. Birdwatchers will absolutely rate it, and anyone after a genuine outdoor reset will too. Kids might lose interest quickly unless they're the spotting type, so go in with realistic expectations there.

Being just over two miles from Embers Camping at Claydon makes it a proper no-brainer for a rainy afternoon or early morning venture. Barton Hill Farm and Glebe Leisure are also within striking distance if you're after somewhere to base yourself for a few days. The flatness of the Oxfordshire landscape means you can chain together several walking spots without much effort.