Priory Duck Pond

The pond itself is small - you won't need more than twenty minutes to walk around it properly - but that's rather the point. Priory Duck Pond near Bodmin is the sort of place that rewards you for slowing down. Moorhens pick their way through the reeds, dragonflies zip across the water in summer, and if you're lucky you'll spot a heron standing absolutely still at the margins, waiting.

It's a genuine nature reserve rather than a manicured attraction, which means the paths can be a bit muddy and the facilities are minimal. Bring binoculars if you're into birds - the reserve attracts quite a few species - and wear decent shoes. The water level changes seasonally, so what you see in June won't be what you see in October.

Families with young kids will get maybe an hour out of it, assuming they're the patient type who actually enjoy watching wildlife rather than demanding constant activity. Serious birdwatchers and photographers will spend much longer. It's free to visit, and there's no obvious opening hours business - you just turn up.

If you're based at Camp De Lank, which is only five miles away, this makes an easy morning walk that breaks up a holiday spent sitting in a caravan. It's not spectacular by Cornish standards, but it's quiet and genuinely peaceful. Sometimes that's exactly what you need.