Stepping Stones

The River Sow winds through Stafford in a way that feels genuinely wild for a town setting, and Stepping Stones is where you get closest to that water on foot. It's exactly what the name suggests - a series of stones across the river that you can pick your way over, turning a simple riverside walk into something that actually feels like an adventure.

You'll find yourself wading through shallow water, balancing on rocks worn smooth by centuries of footfalls. Kids absolutely love this bit, though keep an eye on them when the water's high - it moves faster than it looks. The whole reserve around here is proper pleasant: wooded banks, decent bird life if you're into that, and the kind of peace you don't expect this close to town centre.

Walkers get the most from this place. The stepping stones themselves take maybe twenty minutes to cross carefully, but you can extend it into a longer loop along the riverside paths. Go when it's dry, obviously - after heavy rain the water level climbs and the rocks get treacherous. Summer mornings are best, before Stafford wakes up properly.

It's free to access and sits nicely alongside a park holiday at Pillaton Hall Farm, just four miles away. Neither takes hours, so you could combine them with other Stafford attractions in a day without feeling rushed. The stones themselves aren't Instagram-famous or overcrowded, which is rather refreshing.