Knebworth Recreation Ground

The open grassland at Knebworth Recreation Ground rolls out flat and wide, the kind of place where you can actually see the sky properly without trees hemming you in. It's a proper nature reserve - not a manicured park, but genuinely wild bits mixed with maintained paths that make it accessible without being boring.

You'll find ponds dotted about, which means dragonflies in summer and the chance of spotting newts if you're patient. The scrubland areas attract birds, and in spring the wildflowers take over patches of the ground. It's the sort of place where walkers and nature spotters get real value - you can spend an hour doing a circuit or three hours if you're seriously into birding or photography.

Families with older kids do well here. Younger ones might find it less gripping than a playground, though the ponds usually hold their attention for a bit. The lack of facilities means you're not dropping a tenner on an ice cream, which is refreshing.

It sits just east of Welwyn Garden City, which puts it within easy reach of several quality caravan parks. Almshoe Glamping and Jacks Hill Caravans are both close by - under six miles - so you could base yourself there and use Knebworth as a morning walk before heading elsewhere. The ground's free to access and there are no obvious restrictions on when you can visit, though you'll want decent weather to make the most of it. Late spring and early autumn are your best bets for avoiding mud and maximizing wildlife spotting.