Grebe Lake

The water at Grebe Lake sits impossibly still on most days, which makes it all the more jarring when a handful of grebes surface without warning. It's a proper little spot just outside Buckingham, tucked away in the Oxfordshire countryside where you can actually hear yourself think. The lake itself is modest - you're not talking about a sprawling reservoir here - but that's rather the point. There's a walking path that circles it, taking maybe twenty minutes if you dawdle, which you should. Fishermen come for the pike and carp. Bird watchers come because, well, the grebes are there, along with whatever else fancies the water that week. Families with young kids will get a solid hour out of it, especially if they bring binoculars and make a game of spotting things. Older walkers appreciate the straightforward route and the fact there's barely anyone else about. The lake is free to access, and there's a simple car park area nearby. Best visited early morning or late afternoon when the light's better and the water's calmer. It fits nicely into a camping holiday in the area - Embers Camping at Claydon Campsite is just a couple of miles away, and Barton Hill Farm only four miles further on. You could absolutely combine it with a morning walk here before heading somewhere busier later. Don't expect drama. Expect peace.