Sandgate Park. Military Road

Military Road runs right past this modest nature reserve just outside Folkestone, and it's the sort of place you'll either love or walk straight past depending on what you're after. Sandgate Park sits tucked between suburban streets and the seafront, offering a genuine slice of coastal Kent wildlife without the fuss of a major attraction. The reserve protects grassland and scrub that's genuinely important for local birds and insects - this isn't a manicured park with play equipment, it's the real thing.

Walkers and keen naturalists will find it worthwhile, especially in spring and summer when the migrant birds turn up and the wildflowers are out. You're looking at a straightforward hour or so if you want to properly explore the trails. It's free to access and there's no faffing about with admission fees or opening hours - you just turn up. The downside is facilities are thin on the ground, so bring water and don't expect loos or a cafe.

If you're based at Varne Ridge Holiday Park or any of the other sites dotted nearby within five or six miles, Sandgate Park makes a decent addition to a broader coastal walk rather than a destination in itself. The real draw is combining it with Folkestone's seafront and the Shorncliffe promenade, turning a quiet morning here into part of a longer day out. Families with younger kids might find it a bit thin on attractions, but serious birders and anyone after genuine Sussex grassland habitat will rate it.