Shephalbury Park

The Shephalbury Park nature reserve sits just outside Hitchin, a proper slice of Hertfordshire countryside where you can actually hear yourself think. It's a working landscape - meadows, woodland, and the sort of hedgerows that make you remember why people bang on about the English landscape. The walking trails wind through grassland that gets absolutely wild with wildflowers in spring and early summer, which is when most people should visit if they want the full experience.

You'll spot butterflies, grasshoppers, and if you're lucky, some of the rarer birds that have made this their home. It's not a manicured park with benches every fifty metres - this is more about proper countryside rambling. Families with older kids who can manage a decent walk will find plenty to occupy them; those with toddlers might find it a bit demanding. Birdwatchers and keen photographers come back regularly. Entry appears to be free, which is genuinely rare these days.

Allow a couple of hours minimum to get anything meaningful out of it. There's no visitor centre or cafe, so bring a flask and something to eat if you're planning to stay. It works brilliantly as a morning or afternoon expedition during a caravan holiday at one of the nearby parks - Almshoe Glamping or Church Farm Ardeley are both within easy driving distance and would make good bases. Hitchin town itself is worth an hour or two if the weather turns.