Brickyard park

A former clay extraction site turned nature reserve, Brickyard Park sits just outside Ashbourne and proves that industrial wastelands can become genuinely worthwhile places to spend an afternoon. The flooded clay pits have settled into proper wetlands over the decades - reed beds, open water, and scrubby woodland all working together to attract a solid range of birds and insects.

Walkers and birdwatchers will get the most from this spot. Bring binoculars and a guidebook; the mix of habitats means you might clock anything from wildfowl to warblers depending on the season. The paths are straightforward and manageable, though it's not exactly dramatic terrain - this is gentle countryside pottering rather than peak bagging. Most people will find an hour or so does the trick, though patient birders could happily lose half a day here.

It's free to access and sits nicely within reach of the Ashbourne area's cluster of holiday parks - Callow Top and Sandybrook Lodges are barely ten minutes away if you're based at one of those. If you're staying at Mulino Lodge's glamping pods or anywhere else in the vicinity, this makes an easy morning walk without requiring a drive further afield. Particularly good in spring and autumn when migration brings variety to the reserve. Not a destination in itself, but absolutely worth the detour if you're already in the area and fancy a bit of nature-spotting without the crowds.