Little Mere

A proper little pocket of water just outside Knutsford, Little Mere is the sort of place where you'll find locals walking their dogs and families throwing bread at ducks on a Sunday afternoon. The lake itself is modest - maybe a twenty-minute walk around it if you're taking your time - but it's got a gentle, unhurried feel that makes it worth the trip if you're camping nearby.

What you get here is simplicity. A decent footpath circles the water, there's a small car park, and on decent days the reflections off the surface are genuinely lovely. It's not going to blow your mind with dramatic scenery, but that's rather the point. Bring the kids if they're young enough to be entertained by waterfowl; older ones might find it a bit tame after thirty minutes. Serious walkers treating it as a warm-up loop before heading elsewhere will appreciate how straightforward it is.

Stay at Pickmere Leisure Park just down the road - four miles away - and you can easily pop over here on a morning stroll before heading into Knutsford proper for lunch. Greenfields Campsite and Royal Vale Caravan Park are both within six miles if you're looking for quieter pitches. Free to visit and no fancy facilities, which keeps it refreshingly low-key. Best done in spring or early autumn when the light's gentler and you won't be melting in the afternoon heat.