Cop Mere

Cop Mere sits just outside Stafford as a proper country lake, the sort of place where you can actually hear yourself think. It's a working fishery, so don't expect manicured shores or visitor facilities - this is a working water where locals come to cast a line, and that's rather the point.

The walk around it takes a decent chunk of an hour depending on your pace, with paths that loop the perimeter giving you views across open water and the surrounding woodland. It's flat enough for anyone reasonably mobile, though the ground can be boggy after rain, so proper footwear matters. Bring binoculars if you're into birds - you'll spot waterfowl dotted about, and on a quiet morning there's something quite peaceful about the place.

Historically it's an old manmade mere, the sort of thing Staffordshire has dozens of, but that doesn't diminish it as a walking destination. Families with teenagers or adults after a simple circular route will get the most from it. Young children might find an hour enough before they're ready to move on.

There's no charge that I'm aware of - it's an open landscape - but check locally as fishing rights operate separately. Best visited on a weekday when it's quieter, or early morning if you're a dawn person. If you're based at one of the nearby sites like Copper Beech or Fledgling Farm, it's close enough for a decent morning's outing without burning fuel.