The Towers

The Towers is a proper Lancashire nature reserve just outside Fleetwood, where you can actually spot something different from the usual seaside fare. It's a working landscape - part woodland, part open grassland - that draws serious birdwatchers and casual walkers in equal measure. The reserve sits on what was once industrial land, which gives it an interesting character; you're never quite sure what you'll find round the next corner.

Walking the trails here takes anything from forty minutes to a couple of hours depending on which way you fancy going. Spring and autumn are cracking times to visit when migration patterns bring in unusual species, though frankly the place has year-round appeal if you're into that sort of thing. Families with kids won't get bored - there's enough space to let them run about, and if you're lucky you might spot something that'll actually impress them rather than send them back to their phones.

The real strength of The Towers is how it slots into a proper Lancashire holiday. Stay at Midwood Caravan Park (just 4.7 miles away) and you've got both the seaside appeal of Fleetwood and actual countryside within spitting distance. Rawcliffe Hall and Wilson House are equally close. Come for the beach, stay for a morning or afternoon ramble through proper habitat restoration work. It's honest, no-nonsense Lancashire conservation without the twee factor.