Thackeray Park

The path into Thackeray Park winds through dense woodland on the outskirts of Chester, and within minutes you're properly away from the city. It's a proper nature reserve - the kind of place where you actually see things if you're quiet about it. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, occasional deer if you're lucky enough. The reserve sprawls across woodland and open grassland, with various walking routes that take anything from twenty minutes to a couple of hours depending on which way you fancy going.

Birders will have a field day here, especially in spring and autumn when migrating birds pass through. The wetland areas attract waders and wildfowl, and in summer you'll spot butterflies and dragonflies that most people rush past without noticing. The walking itself is straightforward - well-maintained paths, nothing too demanding - so it works equally well for families wanting a gentle afternoon stroll or serious naturalists wanting to sit quietly and actually observe wildlife.

Free to enter, open all hours as you'd expect with a nature reserve. Early morning is genuinely your best bet for seeing anything interesting; by mid-morning most animals have gone to ground. You'll want at least an hour here, two if you're making a proper day of it.

Stay at Netherwood Touring Site just down the road - barely a mile and a half away - and you can slip over here for a morning walk before heading elsewhere around Chester. Little Pig Glamping is further out but still within reach for a half-day visit. It's not flashy, but for anyone who actually enjoys nature rather than just photographing it, Thackeray Park delivers.