Winterbourne Duck Pond

The water sits still and dark between stands of willow, and within minutes of arriving at Winterbourne Duck Pond you'll spot why it's worth the detour from Wotton-under-Edge. This is proper waterfowl territory - mallards, coots, the occasional heron if you're lucky enough. It's a small reserve, nothing grand, but that's rather the point.

You can walk the perimeter in twenty minutes or so, though most people linger longer, watching the ducks squabble and dive. The paths are straightforward and flat, which makes it fine for families with pushchairs, though there's not much to keep under-eights entertained beyond "look at the birds" for more than an hour. Bird watchers and photographers will spend considerably longer, particularly in spring and autumn when migrants pass through.

There's no charge for entry and no facilities to speak of - bring a coffee in a thermos rather than expecting a cafe. Best visited in the quieter months when the water is calm and the light proper, not during school holidays when it gets a bit rowdy.

If you're staying at Wixoldbury Farm Glamping nearby, this is the sort of place that fills a quiet morning before heading somewhere with more going on. It's a gentle warm-up to the day rather than a destination in itself, but the Gloucestershire countryside around Wotton-under-Edge is worth exploring properly, and this pond slots nicely into that picture.