Watlington is a small, attractive market town directly beneath the Chiltern escarpment, with Watlington Hill — a National Trust chalk downland reserve with a famous Watlington White Mark cut into the hillside — rising immediately above. The Ridgeway national trail runs along the ridge top.

A small but well-placed market town directly beneath the escarpment, Watlington makes an excellent base for accessing the Ridgeway and the Chiltern chalk downland nature reserves with minimal approach walking.