The Cuckoo Pen

The Cuckoo Pen sits just outside Tewkesbury and is a proper little nature reserve that punches well above its weight. It's a small woodland and meadow site, the kind of place where you can actually hear birds rather than just look at them through binoculars and hope.

What draws most people here is the birdwatching - the reserve gets its name from the cuckoos that used to call through spring and early summer, though spotting one is never guaranteed. You'll walk gentle trails through scrubby woodland and open grassland where warblers, woodpeckers, and the occasional sparrowhawk turn up. It's not dramatic scenery, but it's intimate and real.

This is solid territory for anyone who fancies a two-hour woodland walk without the crowds you'd get at more famous Cotswold spots. Families with kids aged five upwards will manage the paths fine, though there's not much to hold younger children's attention beyond the novelty of spotting a bird or two. The real draw is for proper birdwatchers and anyone wanting a quiet morning out before heading into Tewkesbury's town centre.

If you're staying at Winchcombe Camping & Caravanning Club just down the road, this makes an easy morning venture. Go early - that's when the birds are most active and vocal. Admission appears to be free, which makes it a proper no-risk addition to your itinerary. Bring decent binoculars and maybe a field guide if you're serious about identifying what you see.