Wolverton Manor Garden Fair car park

The car park at Wolverton Manor Garden Fair doubles as the entrance to a proper little nature reserve that punches well above its weight. You're on the Isle of Wight's southern edge near Ventnor, and this pocket of protected land offers the sort of peaceful wandering you don't often find in holiday parks, despite being just minutes' drive from several.

What you're looking at is genuine woodland and grassland habitat - the kind of place where you might spot adders basking on sunny days or catch sight of buzzards working the thermals overhead. The paths are manageable for families with older kids, though younger ones might find the uneven ground a bit tricky. Expect to spend 45 minutes to an hour properly exploring, depending on how often you stop to watch birds or simply sit and do nothing.

It's free, which is the first proper point in its favour. The second is that it's genuinely quiet even when nearby Warren Hill Camp and Grange Farm are full. Go midweek if you can, or early morning when the light hits the woodland just right and you've got the place to yourself.

For holiday park guests at Warren Hill Camp or Grange Farm - both within easy reach - this works as a proper break from facilities and activities. It's the sort of place adults find restorative and kids find interesting without needing constant entertainment. Bring binoculars if you've got them. The reserve rewards patience more than it rewards rushed visits.