Teal Pit

The water at Teal Pit is unnervingly blue - the kind of blue that makes you stop and stare for a moment, trying to work out if it's real or some trick of the light. This flooded quarry near Shrewsbury is a proper oddity: clear enough to see down into it, yet somehow looking more like a swimming pool than a natural lake. It's small, compact, the sort of place you can take in fully within twenty minutes of walking around it.

It's become something of a magnet for photographers and social media types wanting that Instagram-worthy shot, which means weekends get busy. The walk itself is straightforward - no scrambling required - and families with younger kids will manage it fine. Walkers passing through the area on longer routes might make a quick detour, though honestly, once you've photographed it, there's not a vast amount to do. You're not going for a swim here, and facilities are minimal.

The surrounding landscape is pleasant enough: quiet Shropshire countryside with fields rolling away from the water's edge. If you're based at one of the nearby holiday parks - Love2Stay is only two and a half miles away, or Spring Field Dark Skies Eco Camp if you want something slightly different - it's an easy morning outing. Worth combining with a proper walk or a visit to Shrewsbury itself rather than making it your main event. The novelty is genuine, but brief.