Hanmer Mere

The water at Hanmer Mere sits perfectly still on a grey morning, reflecting nothing but cloud. It's a proper lake, one of Cheshire's best, and it's the kind of place that rewards a slow walk rather than a rushed visit.

You get a circuit path around the mere itself - nothing strenuous, just a gentle loop that takes the best part of an hour depending on how often you stop to watch the waterfowl. There's real birdwatching potential here: cormorants, herons, grebes and ducks that won't put on a show but will repay patience. The banks are reedy in places, wooded in others, and the whole thing has that quiet, contemplative feel that makes you understand why people come back year after year.

Families with young children will manage the walk fine, though it's not a destination if you're after a day of activities. Walkers and bird enthusiasts will find it genuinely worth the trip. If you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Woodland Park Lodges or Fernwood, both just a few miles away near Ellesmere - this becomes an easy, cost-free morning out that breaks up a longer stay.

There's a visitor centre with facilities, though opening hours aren't always predictable depending on the season, so ring ahead. The landscape around here is quietly engaging rather than dramatic, and that's rather the point. Come for the walking, the birds, or simply to sit by the water with a flask. It's the kind of lake that doesn't shout about itself.