Riverside walk

The River Greet flows through Southwell with a proper lovely walk along its banks that locals have been treading for years. You'll find yourself on a gentle path that winds past the cathedral town's edges, with water on one side and open fields or tree cover on the other depending on which stretch you've chosen. It's not dramatic or wild - this is the East Midlands, after all - but that's rather the point. The walk gives you space to think, room to let kids run ahead without worrying they'll disappear, and enough of a change of scenery to feel like you've actually gone somewhere.

How long you spend depends entirely on your mood. A brisk walker could cover a decent section in forty minutes. Someone with a camera or a pushchair will take twice that. The beauty of a riverside walk is you can turn back whenever you fancy - no loops to complete, no designated endpoint nagging at you.

It works brilliantly if you're staying at Southwell Retreat or New Hall Farm, both within a few minutes' drive. Families appreciate it because the path is flat and mostly safe. History types might enjoy walking into Southwell itself once they've had their fill of fresh air - the minster is proper worth seeing. If you're after something more structured or dramatic, this isn't it. But if you want to stretch your legs between glamping pods or before heading elsewhere, the riverside delivers.