Upper Lake

Upper Lake sits just outside Bourton-on-the-Water, a proper slice of Cotswolds calm that most visitors miss entirely. It's a working reservoir, really - not some manicured tourist attraction - which is precisely why it works so well. You get water views without the crowds, walking paths that loop around without feeling engineered, and genuine peace. The banks are gentle enough for families to wander without it turning into a trudge, though it's the kind of place that rewards a proper circular walk rather than a quick twenty-minute poke about.

This is ideal for anyone staying at Cotswolds Meadow Glamping or Bourton-on-the-Water Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite who wants to stretch their legs without heading into the honey-pot villages. Walkers will appreciate the lack of tat, the open views, and the chance to actually think. It won't take more than ninety minutes to do the full loop, which makes it a solid morning or late afternoon plan rather than an all-day commitment. The water itself is off-limits for swimming - it's a water supply - but that somehow keeps the whole place feeling less like a day-tripper destination and more like something locals actually use.

Best visited when the light's soft, either early or late in the day. The surrounding farmland changes colour with the seasons, which matters when you're mainly walking and looking. Not dramatic, not Instagram-baiting, just genuinely nice. Well worth the detour if you're in the area.