Cock Marsh

The Thames Path walks you straight through Cock Marsh without ceremony - it's one of those places you stumble upon rather than plan a trip for. Just outside Marlow, this meadowland sits alongside the river where the water bends properly, the sort of spot where you might see herons actually doing something other than standing motionless.

It's free to access and costs nothing to wander the paths. The whole thing takes twenty minutes unless you stop to watch the boats pass or sit with a coffee from Marlow itself. The grass floods in winter, which is exactly when the wetland birds turn up, so time it right and you'll see more than just rabbits and joggers.

Families won't find playground facilities or visitor centres - this is low-key countryside, not a manicured attraction. Walkers get something proper though: the Thames Path is excellent through here, and if you're camping nearby at one of the riverside sites like Hurley Riverside Park or Hurleyford Farm, it becomes a natural morning stroll. Birdwatchers should show up with binoculars. Everyone else can take it or leave it.

It works best as part of a longer riverside walk or a break from a park-based holiday in the area rather than a destination in itself. The Marlow-to-Medmenham stretch is lovely, and Cock Marsh sits right in the middle. Go because you're passing, not because you've read about it online.