Barmston village pond

The pond itself is modest - a shallow expanse of water fringed with reeds and the sort of vegetation that thrives in Yorkshire's damp coastal margins. It's the kind of place you might pass without thinking much of it, unless you're actually looking. But that's rather the point.

This is a working nature reserve, and what makes it worth stopping for is the birdlife. Waders, wildfowl, and breeding species depending on season. Spring and autumn migrations pull in the serious twitchers, but even casual visitors will spot something worth watching if they hang about for twenty minutes. The paths are easy and flat - no scrambling required. You could dawdle here for an hour or move through in half that time.

It's free to access and costs nothing. There's no visitor centre or facilities to speak of, so this isn't a destination on its own. What it is, though, is a proper addition to a coastal caravan holiday in the Driffield area. If you're staying at Parkdean Resorts Barmston Beach Holiday Park or one of the other sites nearby, the pond is practically on your doorstep. Families with young children who fancy a gentle nature walk rather than a beach day will find it engaging enough. Bird enthusiasts will appreciate it genuinely. Anyone else? It depends whether you like quiet, unmanicured spaces where things happen without interpretation panels telling you what to think.

Go early morning or late afternoon when the light's proper and the birds are more active. Summer crowds thin out the wildlife, so spring or autumn works better.