Play Park

The Coquet Valley's best-kept secret sits just outside Morpeth - a proper nature reserve where the river does most of the talking. Play Park lives up to its name without a single playground in sight. Instead, you get woodland paths that meander alongside the Coquet, open grassland where you can actually breathe, and the kind of quiet that makes you remember why you left the house in the first place.

It's ideal for families who'd rather their kids climb actual trees than plastic structures, and walkers after something gentler than the Cheviot hills. You'll spot kingfishers if you're lucky, and the paths are wide enough that buggies won't cause a mutiny. Expect to spend two hours here without rushing - longer if you pack a picnic and lose track of time watching the water.

The reserve sits perfectly between Riverside Rothbury Holiday Park and Whitton Glebe, both within spitting distance, so it works brilliantly as part of a caravan week. The lack of formal facilities means you'll want to bring what you need, but that's precisely why it feels so unspoilt. Come in spring when the riverbanks are busy with life, or autumn when the light turns everything gold. Midweek mornings beat weekends hands down for peace and quiet.