Sutton Broad

The water at Sutton Broad is genuinely still - the kind of glassy surface that reflects the sky so perfectly you lose track of where one ends and the other begins. It's one of Norfolk's quieter broads, sitting just east of Norwich, and it draws a completely different crowd from the busier Hickling waters nearby.

You can walk the perimeter easily enough, and there's proper birdwatching to be had if you're patient. Marsh harriers quarter the reed beds, and in winter the wildfowl populations explode. The banks are soft, sometimes boggy, so good boots matter. Some stretches are fenced off for conservation - fair enough, given the fragile habitat.

It's not a spectacle in the way Broads newcomers sometimes expect. There's no drama, no sudden reveals. What you get instead is a meditative kind of beauty - the sort that takes time to appreciate. Families with restless kids might find an hour is enough; walkers and nature enthusiasts will happily spend half a day here. If you're staying at any of the caravan parks within five miles - Hickling Campsite is closest at under two miles - this makes an excellent morning or evening outing when the light's low and everything's quieter.

Access is straightforward from the nearby lanes. Bring binoculars if you've got them. Leave the speedboats behind.