Grant Thorold Park

The reed beds stretch out endlessly from the path at Grant Thorold Park, just inland from Cleethorpes. You're walking through proper wetland habitat - the kind of place where you actually stand a chance of spotting something interesting without needing a guidebook and a pair of expensive binoculars.

It's a nature reserve, so the rules are straightforward: stay on the paths, keep noise down, bring binoculars if you've got them. Birdwatchers absolutely thrive here. Winter brings visiting ducks and geese, while spring and summer are alive with breeding birds. The walks are flat and easy - no scrambling over rocks or pretending you're fitter than you actually are.

Give it an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're the patient type. Families with younger kids might find it a bit slow after forty minutes unless there's something dramatic happening in the reeds. Serious twitchers, however, could spend half a day here. The landscape is very Lincolnshire - wide open, wind-swept, undramatic but genuinely peaceful.

As part of a Cleethorpes holiday, it works well as a morning activity before heading to the beach or popping into town for lunch. Haven's beach holiday park is only three miles away, which makes this a logical stop when you're staying in the area. It's free to access and there's no formal opening hours to worry about, so you can slip away whenever suits you. Just go when the light is decent - dull grey afternoons here feel properly bleak.