RSPB Freiston Shore

The path to Freiston Shore winds through salt marsh and mudflat in that particular corner of Lincolnshire where the Wash meets the mainland. You're watching for waders mostly - redshank, curlew, lapwing - and on a decent day the binoculars stay glued to your face for hours. It's the kind of place where you can actually hear yourself think, which these days feels like a luxury.

This is proper birdwatching territory. The reserve works best from autumn through spring when the migrating flocks arrive and the place fills with purpose. Summer is quieter, hotter, and the insect life becomes the main event if you're into that sort of thing. Bring decent optics and don't expect tropical beaches - this is working coastline, industrial in its own way, with mudflats that stretch for miles under a flat grey sky.

It costs nothing to access, which helps. A couple of hours walking the hides and paths is about right for most people; serious birders will happily spend a full day here. Families work best if the children are old enough to actually use binoculars rather than just complain about the wind. For a quiet base, Long Acres Touring Park sits seven miles inland near Boston, offering a proper contrast to the exposed marshland just down the road.

Freiston Shore rewards patience. It won't wow you in the way a stately home does, but if you're after genuine wetland character and the chance to see rare migrants, this corner of the Wash delivers.