Coulson Park

A walk through Coulson Park is a proper Cornish countryside experience - the kind of place where you can actually breathe without hearing ice cream vans or car parks. It's a nature reserve just outside Bodmin, which means pathways rather than manicured gardens, and the kind of wildlife you'd expect: birds, small mammals, the occasional flurry of activity in the undergrowth.

What makes it work is the lack of fuss. No entrance fees, no gift shop, no crowds of school groups with clipboards. You're here for the walk and the peace. The terrain's manageable for families, though children under eight might struggle with the full circuit. Allow a couple of hours if you want to take it slowly and actually notice things. Spring's the best time - proper explosion of life - though even on a grey afternoon in November it's got its charm.

If you're staying at Eden Valley Holiday Park just down the road, or any of the other parks scattered around Bodmin, Coulson makes an easy half-day outing. It's the sort of place that fills an hour or two without demanding much, which is exactly what you want when you're in holiday mode and can't face anything too ambitious.

Worth going out of your way for? Only if you're keen on birds or sketching. But if you're in the area and need a gentle walk that actually feels like somewhere real, you could do far worse.