New Lount Nature Reserve

The old colliery at Lount has been transformed into something rather different these days - a nature reserve that's quietly doing proper conservation work without making a fuss about it. What you get is a patchwork of restored habitats: open water where the mining subsidence created pools, grassland that's slowly rewilding, and enough trees to make it feel separated from the Leicestershire sprawl nearby. The reserve sits between Derby and Coalville, close enough to either town for a morning or afternoon visit but genuinely feels like you've slipped away from things.

This is walker territory, not a theme park. You're after birds - great crested grebes, reed warblers, the occasional kingfisher if you're lucky - and dragonflies come summer. The paths are manageable, though they can get muddy after rain, and there's no grand visitor centre or cafe, so bring your own thermos. Families with patient kids will find plenty to look for; anyone after a serious birdwatching spot will appreciate the habitat diversity.

The beauty of Lount is it works as a morning mission before heading to one of the nearby camping spots - Field of Dreams Glamping and Broadleaves are both under five miles away, making it a natural pairing for a longer Midlands trip. There's something rather honest about it: no entrance fees to navigate, no crowds, just a real working nature reserve where the focus is on what lives there, not what you pay to experience. Allow two to three hours if you're proper about it, less if you just fancy a stroll.