Attenborough Nature Reserve

Just south of Nottingham, Attenborough Nature Reserve sprawls across flooded gravel pits that have been left to do what nature does best - rewild themselves into something genuinely special. You're walking around man-made lakes ringed by woodland and scrub, following paths that loop past hides where serious birdwatchers camp out with their spotting scopes. Spring and autumn are peak migration seasons, which means the place heaves with warblers, flycatchers, and the odd rarity that gets people properly excited.

It's free to wander about, which makes it an obvious addition to a camping trip at one of the local parks - Holme Pierrepont is just down the road. Allow two to three hours if you want to do the longer circuits properly; an hour gets you round the main highlights. The flat, easy terrain suits families fine, though young kids might lose interest without binoculars or a specific creature to hunt for. Serious ornithologists will absolutely love it here, especially if you time it right with migration seasons.

The reserve isn't flashy - there's no cafe or visitor centre theatre - but that's rather the point. You get proper habitat restoration, the genuine article. On a decent morning, with water reflecting a pale sky and nothing but birdsong, it's considerably better than the sort of manufactured nature experience you get elsewhere. Worth factoring into a Nottinghamshire break.