Ockwells Park

The Thames floodplain here is where Ockwells Park does its work - a nature reserve that's quietly brilliant if you know what to look for. It's the kind of place where you'll spot kingfishers if you're patient, or at least the flash of them vanishing round a bend in the water. Reed beds, wet woodland, and open water meadows make up the reserve, and it shifts with the seasons in ways that suburban Windsor simply doesn't.

Walkers and birdwatchers get the most from it. You're not talking theme park thrills here - this is about sitting still and watching, or taking a slow loop around the perimeter. Families with older kids who can handle a bit of muddy ground will find it more rewarding than those with toddlers in buggies. The reserve is free to access, which is the only way these things should work, and it's close enough to Maidenhead that you can easily slip it into a day. Allow a couple of hours if you're taking it seriously.

If you're staying at one of the caravan parks nearby - Queens Acre or Amerden are both within spitting distance - this makes a proper morning or afternoon break from sitting on your pitch. It's not a headline attraction, but that's rather the point. Real reserves don't need to shout about themselves.