Severn Ham, Tewkesbury

A flat riverside meadow where the Severn and Avon meet just outside Tewkesbury - that's Severn Ham. It's the sort of place locals walk their dogs and families spread out a picnic without paying a bean. The real draw is the vantage point: you get a proper sense of how the two rivers converge here, and on a decent day the light across the water is genuinely pleasant. Walk the perimeter if you're after a longer ramble, or just plant yourself on a bench and watch the boats slide past.

Walkers and bird-watchers will get the most from it. The meadow's open enough that you can see across to Tewkesbury Abbey in the distance, which anchors the whole scene nicely. If you've got restless kids, thirty minutes is about right before they want to move on - it's not dramatic or playground-equipped, so manage expectations. Go early morning or late afternoon when the light's softer and fewer people are about.

It sits handily close to several caravan parks if you're basing yourself in the area - Millavon Holiday Park is barely a walk away, and Croft Farm Water Park a couple of miles south offers more in the way of facilities if you need them. The real strength of Severn Ham is how accessible it is and how it gives you a genuine feel for Tewkesbury's position on the rivers. A quick stop rather than a full day out, but worthwhile.