Lake 8

The Great Ouse curves through Huntingdon, and Lake 8 sits right where the river bends - a proper spot for a couple of hours if you're staying at Huntingdon Boathaven nearby. It's not a grand alpine lake; this is fenland water, flat and wide, with reedy banks and the sort of light that changes everything depending on when you visit.

You'll find walkers here mostly. The paths round the water are decent enough for families with older kids, though don't expect anything steep or demanding. Birdwatchers come too - grebes, cormorants, the usual suspects. Bring binoculars if you're into that sort of thing.

There's a certain appeal to just sitting on the bank with a flask, watching the water. It won't set your pulse racing, but it's genuine Cambridgeshire, the kind of place that makes sense when you're doing a longer park holiday in the area. Huntingdon itself is walkable from the caravan park, so you could combine a morning here with a proper look round the market town. The lake works as a quieter counterpoint to that - somewhere to slow down rather than rush through.

Go early if you want solitude, or late afternoon when the light goes golden across the water. It's free, obviously, and you can spend as little as thirty minutes or stretch it to a half-day walk. Worth the trip if you're in the area; dull if you've driven specially.