Barton-under-Needwood Fish Pond

The Fish Pond at Barton-under-Needwood is a proper little water feature that draws walkers and locals in equal measure. It's a tranquil spot - shallow, reed-fringed, and home to waterfowl that'll keep the kids entertained for a good twenty minutes if you're lucky. The pond sits within the village itself, so it's not some grand reservoir; it's intimate and manageable, the sort of place you'd stumble upon and think "well, that's rather nice."

You can walk the perimeter without breaking a sweat - it's the kind of stroll that suits everyone from toddlers to pensioners. The setting is typically rural Staffordshire, with trees providing shade and the occasional bench for sitting and watching the water. There's no grand visitor centre or facilities to speak of, so come prepared if you're making an afternoon of it.

It works best as a gentle walk en route to somewhere else rather than a destination in itself. If you're based at Peake's Retreats - a cracking holiday park just four miles away - this makes a decent morning wander before heading to Burton-on-Trent for lunch. It's free and unrestricted, so turn up whenever suits you. Peak times would be early morning or late afternoon when the light's softer and the pond's quietest. Worth thirty minutes of your time, no more, unless you're seriously into bird-watching.