Tywardreath Marsh Nature Reserve

The marsh sprawls out grey-green and alive, a proper working wetland just outside St Blazey where you'd least expect to find something this good. Tywardreath Marsh is a Cornwall Wildlife Trust reserve, and it's the kind of place that rewards patience. You won't get dramatic cliffs or sandy beaches here - instead there are reedbeds, wet grassland, and channels of dark water where bitterns hide and water voles slip between the vegetation.

Birdwatchers make the pilgrimage for obvious reasons. Winter brings visiting wildfowl in good numbers, but spring and summer are when things properly sing - warblers nesting in the reeds, the occasional spotted crake if you're lucky and quiet. The walking is easy enough, flat paths that don't tax you, though the ground can be boggy after rain so proper boots aren't optional.

You'll need anywhere between an hour and half a day here depending on what you're after. Just wandering and watching takes less time than serious birding with binoculars and a field guide. Families with young kids might find it a bit slow - there's no playground drama, just the subtle drama of wildlife if you know how to look for it.

Free admission, which is brilliant. It works perfectly as a morning stop if you're based at Tremeer Farm or Mena Farm, both within five miles. Pair it with one of the nearby coastal parks like Pentewan Sands if you want a more varied holiday. Go in April or May when the reserve is at its busiest and noisiest.