Northallerton Sports Village

The water meadows around Northallerton Sports Village aren't going to stop you in your tracks, but they're a solid spot if you're camping nearby and want a proper walk without heading into the hills. It's a local nature reserve that's genuinely useful rather than spectacular - wet grassland, a few ponds, and enough birdlife to keep enthusiasts happy through binoculars. You'll find lapwings, redshanks, and if you're lucky, the occasional snipe picking through the marshy bits.

Walkers get the most from this place. It's flat, easy-going terrain, nothing that'll knacker you or demand special kit, which makes it ideal if you've got kids along or just fancy a gentle morning before breakfast. An hour's ramble covers the main bits, though you could stretch it to ninety minutes if you're the lingering type. The reserve works particularly well as a quick detour from Thirsk - you're never far away - and slots nicely into a caravan holiday at Cote Ghyll or Pembroke, both within six miles.

The reality is this isn't a destination in itself. You won't drive an hour to get here. But if you're based at one of the local parks and the weather's neither raining nor blazing, it's the sort of place that fills a morning usefully. Admission should be free - it's working farmland with public access - though check locally when you arrive. Best visited during breeding season (April to June) when the bird activity's worth the trip.