Longcrof Pool

Water reflects sky just outside Shrewsbury, and that's Longcrof Pool - a proper working fishery that's been here for donkey's years. It's the sort of place where anglers come to spend a full day waiting for a bite, but walkers drift through too, especially if you're staying at one of the nearby parks like Spring Lea Holiday Park just a mile down the road.

The pool itself is straightforward - a decent-sized body of water surrounded by typical Shropshire countryside. Trees line the banks in places, and there's enough of a path to get around without scrambling through undergrowth. If you're expecting some grand scenic vista, you'll be disappointed. This is functional rather than flashy, which is exactly why locals keep coming back.

Families with young kids might manage thirty minutes if the light's good and the ducks are out. Keen anglers will pitch up for the full works - bringing a flask, a packed lunch, and settling in for whatever the weather throws at them. It's free to walk round, though if you want to fish you'll need a day ticket and probably some experience.

Best visited during the warmer months when the footpath isn't a mud bath. Winter can be grim round here - bleak and wet. The spot works well as a leg-stretcher between your caravan site and exploring Shrewsbury itself, rather than as a destination in its own right. Worth twenty minutes if you're camped nearby. Don't go out of your way specially.