Cotswold Country Park & Beach

A proper inland beach and leisure complex that genuinely surprises you - it's not what you'd expect in the middle of Wiltshire, about twenty minutes from Cirencester. There's an actual sandy beach area with water features, a fun bit if you've got young kids who need to burn off energy without the drive to the coast. The park side offers walking trails and green space, so it works well as a half-day stop rather than an all-day commitment.

It's family-focused, really. Toddlers love the water play area, older kids might find it a touch limited after an hour or so, and if you're into serious walking you'd probably head to somewhere like the Forest of Dean instead. That said, it's brilliant if you're based at one of the nearby holiday parks - Hoburne Cotswold is less than two miles away and rates well, so you could easily combine a morning here with proper countryside exploration elsewhere.

The practical side: it's free to enter the park and walking areas, though there may be charges for specific activities and facilities - worth checking ahead. Best visited in summer if the weather's decent, obviously. On a grey November afternoon it'd feel a bit pointless. Allow two to three hours maximum if you've got little ones, less if you're just passing through. It fills a gap between beach holidays and traditional Cotswolds countryside, though it's not going to replace either one.