Stonar Lake

The water here is properly still, mirror-flat most mornings, and it catches the light in a way that makes you understand why people bother to visit a reservoir in Kent. Stonar Lake sits just outside Sandwich, that medieval gem of a town, and it's become something of a local favourite for a quiet afternoon walk rather than a dramatic attraction demanding your whole day.

It's a working reservoir, so don't expect wild swimming or picnic facilities - this is about the walking path that runs alongside it and the birdwatching that's genuinely decent here. Bring binoculars. In summer the dragonflies are mental, and winter brings proper migratory birds that make twitchers get excited. The path isn't demanding - flat, straightforward, takes about an hour for a full loop depending on how often you stop to stare at the water.

Families with young kids will get maybe 45 minutes out of it before they start asking when you're going to the ice cream van. Serious walkers and nature types will find it oddly meditative, the sort of place you go to clear your head rather than tick off achievements. There's no admission fee that we can find, no facilities to speak of, so come prepared.

If you're staying at Birchington Vale Holiday Park nearby, this makes a decent half-day excursion before heading into Sandwich itself - the town's where the proper interest lies. Stonar Lake is the warm-up act, not the headliner.