Bath Road Recreation Ground

The flat, open expanse of Bath Road Recreation Ground offers exactly what you'd want from a nature reserve on the Isle of Wight - proper walking territory without the crowds you'll hit at the island's more famous spots. It's a working landscape, really, rather than a pristine nature park. You get open grassland, scattered trees, and the kind of quiet that lets you actually hear the birds rather than just looking at them.

This is where walkers with no grand expectations do best. If you're after dramatic clifftop views or a two-hour hike with a proper destination, look elsewhere. But if you want to stretch your legs for an hour, spot some wildlife, and breathe without bumping into families with ice creams, it delivers. Birdwatchers should bring binoculars - the open ground attracts plenty of species.

The reserve sits just outside Brockenhurst, putting it within easy reach of the camping parks clustered around Shorefield and the rest of the New Forest area. Lytton Lawn and Shorefield Country Park are your closest base camps at under 3 miles, making this perfect for a morning walk before or after a day exploring the broader holiday parks in the area.

No admission charge as far as we can tell, and you can do it in whatever time suits you - forty minutes if you're pressed, two hours if you potter. Go early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the day trippers.