Harby “The Leys” Park

The Leys at Harby is a proper nature reserve where you can actually see what the East Midlands landscape looked like before we tarmaced everything. It's a working wetland - flooded gravel pits, really - that's become a haven for water birds and the occasional visiting wader if you time it right. The walking is easy enough, mostly level paths around the water, though the ground gets boggy after rain so wellies aren't a bad shout.

Birdwatchers will spend hours here with binoculars, picking out grebes and various ducks depending on the season. If you've got kids who can manage a 40-minute walk without complaining, they'll probably enjoy spotting things moving in the reeds. The light's best in morning, and genuinely, watching a heron fish while you're standing in the middle of nowhere five miles from Nottingham feels like a small win.

It's free to access and there's no formal visitor centre or facilities to speak of, which keeps it peaceful but means you need to come prepared - bring a flask, decent binoculars if you're serious, and check conditions before you visit because it can get genuinely muddy. Worth combining with Janson Fishery Caravan & Camping if you're staying locally; the park's close enough for a morning visit before doing other stuff around Nottinghamshire. Not Instagram-famous and all the better for it.