Stourbridge Common

A sprawl of open grassland and wetland just east of Cambridge, Stourbridge Common is the sort of place you stumble into while cycling along the Backs rather than deliberately book a day trip for. That said, it's genuinely worth an hour or so if you're camping nearby at Gayton Farm or Cherry Hinton.

The Common itself is fairly flat and unremarkable on first glance - boggy in patches, dotted with hawthorn scrub, the kind of landscape that only reveals itself if you slow down. Birdwatchers do well here, particularly in spring when migrating warblers pass through. The River Cam runs along one edge, giving you a sense of actually being in the Fenland proper rather than suburban Cambridge.

It's best in May or June when the wildflowers are out and the insect life picks up. Winter visits feel pointless unless you're into your wetland ecology. Families with small children won't find much to occupy them - there's no playground, no café, just open space. Walkers and anyone with binoculars will find it a proper breath of fresh air after the colleges and punting hordes.

Access is free and straightforward. Allow 45 minutes to an hour if you're just wanting a decent walk; longer if you're trying to spot something specific. It's the kind of place that works brilliantly as a morning wander before heading into the city centre, or as a wind-down after a sticky afternoon of sightseeing. Not spectacular, but honest and quietly useful.