Little Haresfield

It's really just a handful of houses and farms, but the main reason to come here is for the walking. Little Haresfield lies on the Cotswold Way, the 102-mile National Trail that runs along the escarpment, and this stretch genuinely offers some of the best views around. On a clear day you can see right across the Severn Valley towards Wales, and that vista hardly gets tiresome no matter how often you walk it.

The area is made for getting outdoors. You can walk north towards Painswick, which has a historic churchyard and a good selection of independent shops, or head south to Stroud, a working market town with galleries, antique dealers, and several worthwhile restaurants. The footpath itself is well-maintained with several newer sections added since it gained official National Trail status in 2007, making navigation easy to follow.

The hamlet itself has almost no facilities, so bring what you need with you. Painswick is about three miles away and has proper amenities, with Stroud a bit further south if you need more options. But if you're looking for a place to walk where you can genuinely breathe and have space around you, Little Haresfield delivers that straight away.