Lawton Mere

You'll find Lawton Mere just outside Sandbach - a proper Cheshire lake that sits quietly enough to have real appeal if you're after something low-key. It's the sort of water that draws walkers and bird-watchers rather than day-trippers chasing Instagram shots, which honestly works in its favour.

The walk round the mere takes a decent hour depending on pace and whether you stop to actually look at things. There's a good footpath, and on a clear day the water reflects the sky in that particular way that makes you understand why people bother getting up early for landscape photography. It's not dramatic - you won't get the kind of view that stops you dead - but it's the gentle kind of pretty that grows on you.

Families with young kids will find it manageable enough, though there's nothing to actually do once you've walked the perimeter. Older children and teenagers who don't mind a ramble will get more from it. Birdwatchers come here properly equipped, so if you're into that you'd have company and that's usually worth something.

If you're staying at Yellowstone camping just down the road near Sandbach, Lawton Mere is an easy morning or evening walk - not a day destination on its own, but a solid addition to a park holiday in the area. Go when it's not raining. That's not being fussy, just honest.