The quaint countryside trail that is one of the best winter day trips from London

Sometimes being in London can bog you down. There are only so many evenings you can spend inside an overly packed pub, rubbing shoulders with one person banging on about their amazing new gig as a creative director, and another who really wants you to come to their IDM DJ set at The Glove That Fits.  

But that’s what day trips are for, silly. Sometimes a bracing day in the country is just what you need to fight the city blues (and make you realise that living in the capital is actually pretty great). So, that’s why we’ve just named a country trail in Oxford as the second-best day trip from London to take this winter. 

Need to clear your lungs after one too many vogues at the Spurstowe? No worries. This scenic amble in Oxford is just the tonic for fuzzy-headed city dwellers who could do with a break from all the wine bars and small plates with bit of fresh air, actually. 

Port Meadow country park is totally free to visit and very easy to get to from the capital. On your walk (which you can make however long or short as you please) you’ll stroll over ancient meadows, spot ponies and wildflowers, and see the River Thames looking particularly pretty and tranquil. 

If that’s all a bit too country for you, fear not, because Port Meadow is tantalisingly close to civilisation and the streets of the quaint university city, so you won't feel like you're going incredibly off-grid. After stretching your legs and admiring the views, find a spot by the fire at The Perch, at seventeenth-century thatch-roofed pub framed by an old willow tree. Their mulled cider is worth the trip alone.

The rambler’s paradise can be reached from the Big Smoke in just one hour via a train from London Paddington to Oxford. So stick on your Salomons, hop on the GWR, and come back feeling ready to drink overpriced pints once again. 

And if you’re looking for more reasons to escape the city for a day this winter, we crowned this quaint steam train the number one trip from London for winter 2025. 

Find all of Time Out’s brilliant winter day trips from London here.