Bathwick Meadow

The meadow sits just outside Bath, a proper riverside walk that locals know about but tourists often miss. You're looking at water meadows that flood seasonally, creating temporary pools where waders and wildfowl turn up in genuine numbers. It's the kind of place where you actually spot things - we saw a kingfisher skimming the water and several green sandpipers poking about in the shallows.

The walking is straightforward, mostly flat along the river with good paths. Allow an hour if you're just ambling through, longer if you've brought binoculars. Spring and early summer are best - May especially brings migrant warblers - though winter brings different species entirely. Birdwatchers will get the most from it; families with young kids might find it a bit quiet after twenty minutes unless there's water activity happening.

It's free to access, which is refreshing. The nearest proper facilities are back in Bath itself, so grab a coffee before you head out. If you're staying at Campwell Farm just three miles away, this is an easy morning outing that breaks up a holiday nicely. Pair it with a walk around Bath's Georgian centre afterwards and you've got a solid day. The other farms - Stowford Manor and Widbrook Barns - are a bit further out but still within easy reach if you're camped locally. The meadow won't take long, but it's genuinely worth stopping for if birds interest you at all.