Brownwich Pond

The water at Brownwich Pond sits perfectly still most mornings, reflecting the Hampshire sky like a sheet of glass. It's a modest body of water near Southampton, nothing dramatic, but that's rather the point - this is the sort of place locals know about and visitors tend to miss.

You can walk around it easily enough, taking in whatever light's available and watching for waterfowl. The pond itself draws anglers and bird-watchers more than casual strollers, though there's no reason you couldn't combine a visit with time at one of the nearby caravan parks. Solent Breezes Holiday Park sits less than a mile away, making this a natural half-hour detour if you're based there or at Dibles Park Caravan Park a bit further off.

It's free to access and there's no formal opening hours to speak of - you simply turn up. Allow 30 to 45 minutes unless you're seriously into birdwatching or photography, in which case you could happily spend longer. Families with young children might find it a bit quiet for their liking; it's not a splash-about sort of spot. But if you're after some proper solitude and don't mind a landscape that's understated rather than showy, it's well worth the small diversion from Southampton.