RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh

You'll need binoculars and patience to get the most from RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh, a sprawling wetland reserve just outside Hesketh Bank in Lancashire. This isn't a manicured visitor centre with gift shops and coffee - it's proper birdwatching territory, flat and windswept, where the appeal lies entirely in what you might spot through your lens.

The marsh stretches across reclaimed farmland now managed for wildlife, with viewing areas dotted along the footpaths. Winter brings lapwings, golden plovers, and the occasional rare visitor; spring and summer are quieter but reward early risers with breeding warblers and terns. You're looking at a couple of hours minimum if you're serious about it, longer if you're the patient type who settles in one spot and waits for activity.

It's absolutely free to wander, which is the RSPB way. Families with young kids might find it a bit of a slog - there's no playground or indoor shelter, and frankly, standing around in a Lancastrian wind waiting for a redshank to appear isn't everyone's idea of fun. But if anyone in your group is even remotely keen on birds or nature photography, it's worth the drive from whichever caravan park you're based at - Sea View or Donkey Creek Farm are closest at just over two miles.

Go at dawn or dusk for the best chance of seeing something. Bring a waterproof jacket without fail. The land is exposed and unforgiving, but that's precisely why the birds thrive here.