Ballooning may be an unwelcome activity on grouse moors and irk dairy farmers but hot-air balloons do provide a spectacular view of this green and pleasant land.

Costs vary, inevitably increasing the nearer you get to London, but Aerosaurus Balloons in Exeter can take up five adults, if they’re not too heavy, for £795 (to maximise return, choose those shooting hosts who have held back on the treacle pud).

Flights last for three-and-a-half to four hours and the company launches from venues dotted around the Westcountry, giving you a pheasant’s-eye view of many shoots you may have visited during the season or suss out those coves likely to hold a bass in the summer months.

Food and drink is extra on most balloon trips, so probably best to pack one hamper before you climb into another.

Aerosaurus Balloons, tel 01404 823102