Gunwade Lake

The water at Gunwade Lake sits perfectly still most mornings, which is exactly why people drive out from Peterborough to fish here. It's a proper working fishery - carp, pike, and perch mostly - so don't expect manicured lakeside paths or cafes. What you get instead is a genuine spot where anglers have been casting lines for years, with decent car parking and a no-nonsense approach to letting people get on with their day.

If you're camping at Nene Outdoors or Ferry Meadows - both right on the doorstep - this is an obvious add-on, though whether you'll want to spend hours here depends entirely on whether you fish. Non-anglers might manage twenty minutes circling the bank before moving on to somewhere with more going on. The lake itself is modest in scale, and there's not much woodland drama or walking infrastructure to write home about.

What makes it work for holiday park visitors is proximity and simplicity. Park up, have a wander, maybe bring binoculars if you're into birdwatching - it's quiet enough for that. If you're staying locally with kids, they'll get a kick out of watching the fishermen at work, though you're not looking at the sort of visit that'll fill a whole afternoon. It's the kind of place that's worth knowing about when you're already in the area, rather than worth driving an hour out of your way for.