Isis Lake

The lake itself is rather modest - a shallow, tree-lined body of water just outside Cirencester that fills up depending on the season. It's the sort of place locals know about but most visitors driving through the Cotswolds completely miss.

What you actually get here is a quiet walk around the water's edge, maybe forty-five minutes if you're not rushed. The trees create decent shade, and there's something genuinely peaceful about it when you're not thinking about where else you could be. The banks are gentle enough for children to paddle about, and if you're into birdwatching, you'll spot the usual suspects - ducks, coots, the occasional heron if you're lucky.

It's free, obviously, and you can turn up whenever. No facilities to speak of, so bring what you need. The real value is as a leg-stretcher between Cirencester's Roman museum and a walk around the town's park. If you're bunking at Hoburne Cotswold Holiday Park just up the road, it's perfectly serviceable for an easy morning before doing something more interesting.

Worth a visit? Only if you're already in Cirencester and fancy twenty minutes away from shops. On its own merits, it's a bit underwhelming. The water's often murky, there's no real focal point, and you've walked it all in under an hour. Combine it with the town itself and you've got a decent afternoon. Come alone and you might wonder why you bothered.