Holt Lowes

The Lowes at Holt are a pair of shallow lakes that sit just east of the market town, created centuries ago when locals dug out marl and chalk. They're proper Norfolk - reedy banks, wildfowl pottering about, and the kind of light that makes you understand why painters came here. You can walk the perimeter easily enough, spotting mallards and the occasional heron if you're lucky. It's a gentle spot rather than dramatic, but that's rather the point.

Who gets the most from it depends on pace. Bird-watchers and photographers will happily spend an afternoon here with binoculars and a thermos. Families with young kids find it decent for a forty-minute mooch around the water before heading into Holt town itself for fish and chips. Walkers treating it as part of a longer loop through the Norfolk countryside will appreciate the open views and flat terrain - no hills to grind through. If you want something showier, it's a bit underwhelming on its own, to be honest.

The real value is how it slots into a Norfolk park holiday. Both North Norfolk Camping Glamping and Old Brick Kilns are within striking distance, so you can base yourself at either and make the Lowes part of a morning walk before heading to the coast or the market towns dotted across the region. Go early if you want the place to yourself, or midweek in shoulder seasons when tourist traffic thins out. It costs nothing and demands nothing except a pair of decent shoes.