Felsted Recreation Ground

A proper Essex nature reserve that sits just east of Braintree, Felsted Recreation Ground is the kind of place locals know and tourists miss - which is entirely their loss. It's a straightforward green space with grassland and woodland, the sort of spot where you can actually hear yourself think rather than queue behind fifty people with selfie sticks.

What you get here is a decent walk through something genuinely wild for Essex. The paths are clear enough, the trees offer shelter when the wind picks up off the North Sea influences, and there's enough space to let kids burn off energy without worrying about them bolting onto a main road. Birdwatchers come for the seasonal migrants, dog walkers treat it like their private kingdom, and families appreciate the fact that entry won't dent the holiday budget.

The real strength here is that it works brilliantly as part of a caravan holiday at either Golden Grove or Stocks Farm, both within striking distance. You're talking a fifteen-minute drive maximum, which means you can base yourselves at the park, wake up, and get out into something green without arsing about with traffic. Allow an hour to ninety minutes depending on how much poking about you fancy doing.

Go early on a weekday if you want solitude. Weekends bring the whole of Braintree out, fair enough, but it does get a touch rammed. There's no café or facilities to speak of, so bring water. Free to access, naturally.