Black Dike

The water at Black Dike catches light differently depending on the time of day - that's the first thing you notice when you arrive near Withernsea. It's a straightforward lake, the kind you can walk around in twenty minutes or linger by for an hour if you've brought a book and the weather's holding. The setting is quintessentially Yorkshire flatlands: open sky, minimal fuss, no gift shop or entrance gate.

This works best for walkers who prefer solitude over spectacle, or families with young children who want a gentle spot to burn off energy without the crowds you'd get at a proper attraction. There's nothing to "do" in the conventional sense - no boat hire, no facilities that we could identify - but that's rather the point. You come here to walk the perimeter, maybe watch for waterfowl, get some air. It's the sort of place that appeals to people who think a day out doesn't need attractions so much as a change of scenery.

If you're staying at Parkdean Resorts Withernsea Sands Holiday Park just down the road, Black Dike makes a useful half-hour detour on foot or a five-minute drive. The coastal town of Withernsea itself has the pier and seafront to keep kids occupied, but if you want genuine quiet and open countryside without driving far, this lake delivers. Bring proper shoes - the ground can be boggy after rain - and don't expect facilities.