Holbeach Saint Johns

The RSPB reserve at Holbeach Saint Johns sprawls across fenland that's genuinely wild - proper marshland where you feel a world away from the caravan parks dotting Spalding. It's birdwatching territory first, a place where keen ornithologists will spend hours scanning for bitterns, marsh harriers and the occasional rarity that gets tongues wagging on the local forums. You walk the viewing platforms and hides dotted throughout, binoculars essential, patience even more so. Spring and autumn migrations bring the most activity, but winter has its own appeal if you can handle the wind coming straight across the fens. The landscape is utterly flat, which some find meditative and others find rather bleak - depends on your mood, really. Allow three or four hours if you're serious about it, though you can easily do a swift circuit in ninety minutes. Families with restless younger kids might find it a bit thin on instant gratification, but teenagers interested in wildlife will genuinely get something from it. The nearest facilities are back in Spalding, so bring a flask and snacks. It works brilliantly if you're based at one of the local parks - Laurel Park Campsite or The Lawns are both within easy reach - as a morning or afternoon escape from the more manicured holiday atmosphere. Free to access, naturally, which is how these reserves should be.