Sutton on Sea Promenade

The promenade at Sutton on Sea curves along the Lincolnshire coast like a proper working seafront - no theme park nonsense, just a long stretch of sea wall where you can actually see what the coast does. This is a nature reserve, though it won't feel like tramping through woodland; instead you're watching waders and wildfowl work the mudflats and salt marsh, especially good in winter when migrating birds drop in. Bring binoculars. The walk itself is flat and easy, which matters on the Lincolnshire coast where drama comes from light and weather rather than topography. You'll spot oystercatchers, redshanks, and if you're lucky, occasional rarer visitors. The best time is definitely autumn and winter when the birdwatching gets serious, though it's pleasant enough in summer if you want a quiet seafront stroll without the arcade-and-ice-cream crowd you get further down at Mablethorpe.

It's free to access and you can spend as long as you like - twenty minutes for a quick walk, an hour or more if you're into birds. Families with younger kids might find an hour is about right before they get restless; keen birdwatchers will want the better part of an afternoon. The nearest proper town is Mablethorpe, just a couple of miles south, which has the usual seaside facilities. If you're staying at one of the caravan parks dotted nearby - Sutton-on-Sea Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite is practically on your doorstep - the promenade makes a solid morning or evening walk that doesn't require driving anywhere. It's the sort of place that grows on you rather than wow-ing you immediately, but that's part of its appeal.