West Hanney

It's the sort of place where you can spend a peaceful couple of hours walking through countryside without encountering crowds, which is precisely what draws people here.

The village itself contains a modest church and a handful of traditional stone cottages, though the real appeal lies in the landscape surrounding it. Walking routes cross the Vale of the White Horse, the chalk downland that defines this area's character. You can wander through farmland and follow paths that have been used by locals for centuries. Wantage, a proper market town with shops and cafes, sits just a short drive away if you need more substantial facilities.

There's an interesting literary connection here. The village name inspired the surname of Richard Hannay, the spy character created by Scottish author John Buchan. If you've watched the 1935 Hitchcock film The 39 Steps, you'll recognise the character. Buchan based his protagonist loosely on real military and intelligence figures from his era, and he apparently borrowed the surname from this Oxfordshire location, giving the village a small but genuine connection to cinema history.

It makes a good stop if you're exploring the Vale and after somewhere genuinely quiet to walk.