Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve

Three Brooks isn't flashy or marketed to death, which is precisely why it works. You've got three streams converging in a proper working valley just outside Wotton-under-Edge, and the Reserve does the job nature intended without much fuss.

The walking here is straightforward - you follow the brooks themselves, jumping between bank paths and the occasional wooden bridge. Water cuts through everything, so the ground stays boggy underfoot most of the year, which means you'll want decent boots. The best thing is how quiet it stays. You won't find crowds even on weekends.

This suits walkers far more than young kids, to be honest. Children might manage an hour if they're into spotting ducks and wading about, but there's no playground or visitor centre to anchor a day trip. What you get instead are dragonflies, overhanging willows, and genuine countryside that feels overlooked.

If you're staying at Wixoldbury Farm Glamping - just six miles away - it's an easy half-day walk that breaks up a longer holiday nicely. The Reserve is free access, which keeps things proper. No visitor information centre as far as I can tell, so come prepared with a map.

Go early morning in spring or summer when the water levels make sense and the birds are vocal. The Reserve does what it says on the tin: it reserves land for nature, not for Instagram moments. Refreshingly unglamorous.