Long Ponds

Long Ponds sits on the Somerset Levels near Crewkerne, a quiet water that feels properly removed from anywhere else. It's the sort of place you stumble upon rather than plan for - a flat expanse of water that catches light in that particular way the Levels do, especially on a still morning. Walkers and birdwatchers get the most from it. You can't do much else here, to be honest. There's no café, no visitor centre, no reason to linger for hours unless you've got binoculars and patience. That's rather the point.

The ponds work well as a leg-stretch between your campsite and somewhere else. Wytch Wood Camping and Thorney Lakes are both within striking distance, so if you're based at either for a few nights, this makes a decent morning walk before breakfast. Bring decent boots if it's been wet - the Levels can be boggy and muddy even when it doesn't look it. Summer evenings are better than midday if you want to see waterfowl active. Allow an hour maximum unless you're a serious birder, in which case you'll want to come back at dusk.

Families with small children will get bored fast. Teenagers might find it dull. But if you're after a genuine slice of quiet Somerset countryside that hasn't been tarted up for tourism, this is it. Free access, no facilities, no fuss. Just reedy water and the sound of birds.