Wharfemeadows Park

The Wharfe meanders through this nature reserve on Ilkley's doorstep, and it's proper worth a wander if you're staying at any of the local caravan parks. You get genuine riverside meadows here - the sort of place where you'll spot kingfishers if you're lucky, or at least hear them before you see them darting along the water. It's a working landscape, not some manicured nature centre, which is refreshing.

Walkers love it. The paths run alongside the river and through grassland that changes with the seasons. Spring brings wildflowers, summer's thick with birdsong, and autumn turns the whole thing golden. You can knock out a solid hour's walk without breaking a sweat, or spend half a day if you're the type to stop and stare. Families with younger kids will get a couple of hours' enjoyment at best - there's a river to watch but no obvious play areas or visitor facilities that we could dig up.

It's free to access and no booking required, which is why it works brilliantly as a break from being camped at Clarion Lodge or Fairmead Farm down the road. Combined with a walk up into Ilkley town itself or a push towards Moor Valley Country Park a few miles further on, you've got a decent day shaping up. The real trick is timing it right - early morning or late afternoon when the light's proper golden and you'll have the place largely to yourself.