How Hill National Nature Reserve

How Hill sits right on the edge of the Norfolk Broads, just a short drive east of Great Yarmouth, and it's one of those places that rewards a proper wander rather than a quick snap. The reserve is a patchwork of reedbed, wet grassland and open water - exactly the kind of habitat that makes East Anglia special. Bring binoculars. Seriously. The birdwatching here is legitimate, particularly in winter when you'll spot bitterns, marsh harriers and shoveler ducks that most people never get near.

It's best suited to patient types rather than fidgety kids - there's no playground or café, just footpaths and observation points. Allow a couple of hours if you're actually watching birds; thirty minutes if you just want a leg stretch. The whole thing is free, thankfully, and accessible year-round, though spring migration season (April-May) and autumn (August-October) are when serious birdwatchers make the pilgrimage.

If you're camped at Norfolk Broads Haven or Clippesby Hall, this is genuinely worth the fifteen-minute drive. It's the sort of place that makes you understand why people get obsessed with the Broads. There's something about the emptiness of it - the big skies, the silence broken only by marsh birds - that feels properly restorative. Don't expect drama or grandeur. Expect mud, mosquitoes in summer, and the kind of quiet that's harder to find than you'd think.