Hempsted Recreation Ground

The River Severn loops back on itself here, creating a proper crescent of land that's been left to do its own thing. Hempsted Recreation Ground sits on the Gloucestershire bank just outside Gloucester, where you've got open grassland sloping down to the water's edge - the sort of place locals have been bringing their kids and dogs for decades without much fuss. There's rarely a crowd, which is the whole point really.

What you're actually here for is the walking. The riverside path is easy enough for families and takes you through different habitats - reed beds at one end, rough grassland with scattered trees, the odd bench if your legs need a rest. Birdwatchers come for the winter migrations; you might spot kingfishers if you're patient and quiet. The views of the Severn are decent without being dramatic - more pastoral than postcard.

It's free, naturally, and you can spend anything from forty minutes to three hours here depending on your pace. Best in spring when things are actually growing, or autumn when the light softens the whole landscape. Summer can get a bit bare and scruffy. If you're staying at Baldwin's Brook or Apple Orchard - both well-rated sites just down the road - this is a useful escape when you fancy stretching your legs without going anywhere fancy. Nothing fancy about it at all, actually. That's precisely why it works.