Little Acre Fen Pocket Park

A couple of hundred metres of boardwalk through reed beds and wetland - that's Little Acre Fen in a nutshell. It's the sort of place you walk once round, spot a few birds if you're lucky, and either love it or wonder why you've bothered. Honestly, it depends what you're after.

The fen itself is proper fenland - flat, wet, and surprisingly peaceful given it's just outside March. You get views across open water and scrubby vegetation where bitterns and marsh harriers show up if the timing's right. Spring and early summer are best for birdwatching, though even then you're competing with reeds for sightlines. Bring binoculars or don't bother.

It's a 20-minute stroll, tops. Not one for kids who need constant entertainment, but families with patient young naturalists or a proper interest in wetland ecology will find it worthwhile. The boardwalk keeps your feet dry, which matters on the Fens where puddles are permanent fixtures.

Access appears to be free and unrestricted, though facilities are minimal - no café, no visitor centre, no car park to speak of. You're banking on finding a verge somewhere nearby. If you're camped at Fields End Water or one of the other caravan parks within a few miles, it's worth a morning visit to break up the holiday routine, but don't drive across Cambridgeshire specially for it. Combine it with a walk around March itself or a visit to one of the bigger nature reserves in the area for a proper day out.