Gerry Park

A proper walk through Cornish woodland and moorland, Gerry Park sits just outside Redruth and gives you that rare thing - genuine peace without the seaside crush. The reserve is a mix of scrubby heathland and patchy trees, the kind of place where you'll see buzzards overhead and hear nothing but your own footsteps for stretches. It's small enough that you won't need more than an hour here, but large enough that it actually feels like you've left town behind.

Walkers will get more from this than most. The terrain is straightforward - no steep climbs or technical bits - but the paths wind properly through the landscape rather than just shuttling you round a loop. Birdwatchers should come early. Families with young kids might find it a bit quiet after thirty minutes, though it's free and you can bail out without feeling like you've wasted anything.

The real point of Gerry Park is as a break between longer activities. If you're staying at Lanyon Holiday Park just 2.5 miles away, or the glamping at Little Menherion closer to 4 miles out, this is the sort of place you pop to mid-afternoon when the weather's half decent. It's not a destination in itself - you're not driving hours to see it - but it scratches that 'get outside without faffing about' itch. Go when the light's low if you can. The heather looks better for it.