Page's Shaw

Page's Shaw is a proper woodland walk just outside Watlington, the sort of place you'd stumble upon if you weren't checking your phone every five minutes. It's a small forest - nothing vast - but the trees are thick enough that you genuinely feel away from it all, which is saying something this close to Oxfordshire's busier stretches.

The woodland floor is soft underfoot, and there's a network of paths that loop through without being complicated. Most visitors knock it out in 45 minutes to an hour, though you can easily potter longer if you're the sort who stops to look at things. It's honestly brilliant for families with younger kids who get tired quickly - they won't feel shortchanged by the distance, and there's something about proper woodland that keeps them entertained longer than you'd expect.

Walkers will appreciate the peace more than the views, since this isn't high ground. The payoff is the quietness and the chance to actually hear the forest rather than the usual car noise that haunts the Home Counties. Bring wellies if it's been wet - it can get boggy in patches.

If you're based at Swiss Farm Touring and Camping or Henley Four Oaks just down the road, Page's Shaw works well as a morning mission before heading into Watlington proper for lunch. It's free and there's no real infrastructure, so show up when you like. Worth the short detour if you value a genuine woodland walk over something Instagram-ready.