Wittenham Clumps

Wittenham Clumps is a pair of beech-topped chalk hills above the Thames in south Oxfordshire, one of the most-loved viewpoints in the county and famously painted by Paul Nash. From the top you look out over the river, the Sinodun hills, Dorchester and a huge sweep of the Oxfordshire countryside, all of which make superb aerial subjects, especially the round clumps of trees seen from above. The land is managed by the Earth Trust as an open, freely accessible nature site with a car park at the foot of the hills. The important consideration here is airspace: RAF Benson lies only about six kilometres to the east and is an active military helicopter base. While the Clumps sit just outside Benson's flight restriction zone, low-flying Pumas and other aircraft operate across this whole area, so check for NOTAMs, keep well below 120 metres, maintain constant visual watch and be ready to land immediately if military aircraft approach. The site is popular with families, dog walkers and photographers, so it can be busy at weekends. A calm weekday morning offers the safest, quietest flying and the softest light over the Thames valley below.