Seafront Promenade

The stretch of coast at Burnham-on-Sea pulls you in with something you won't find further down the Somerset coast - a proper working promenade that actually feels used. It's less manicured nature reserve and more lived-in seafront, where the tide comes in fast across the mudflats and locals know which bits flood when.

What you get is tidal mudflats, salt marshes, and that particular kind of grey-green brackish landscape that grows on you. Waders work the flats at low tide - oystercatchers, redshanks, and if you're lucky, spoonbills in winter. The birdwatching can be genuinely decent if you time it right, particularly during migration periods. Bring binoculars and patience.

It's not a destination for three-year-olds wanting candy floss and donkey rides. Teenagers will find it dull within half an hour. But walkers, especially twitchers and anyone who likes to actually watch wildlife rather than just walk past it, will get real value from an hour or two here. The promenade itself is walkable whatever the weather - the sea wall gives you shelter when it's rough.

If you're based at Warren Farm, Diamond Farm, Golden Sands, or any of the cluster of parks within a few miles of Burnham, this is an easy morning slot. Free to access, no hassle with car parks or entry fees. Go at low tide if you want to see the flats properly exposed. High tide narrows everything right up against the wall and kills the interest. October through March is peak season for migrating birds - that's when the place properly comes alive.