This was a silica sand quarry, and it grew into something better: a set of shallow lakes, woodland and heath half a mile west of Rufford, run by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust. Six hides and a viewing platform look over the water, and the bird list through the year is long enough that serious birders show up in the car park with scopes. The Trust says 95 per cent of the paths suit a wheelchair or a pram, and only the shortcut through the pine wood is off limits.
Add a visitor centre with a cafe, a shop, accessible toilets, baby changing and a picnic area, and it becomes a place you can spend a morning in. The car park is open around the clock but costs £4, which pays for the reserve's upkeep, and the visitor centre and cafe run Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Dogs are allowed on a lead.
What it costs: No admission charge. Parking is £4, and three, six and twelve month parking passes are available. The car park is open 24 hours a day.
A quiet bonfire on an island in the lake, lit at 7pm, with no fireworks and no rides, acoustic music and the cafe open. Good for small children, sensory-sensitive kids and dogs. You must pre-book a parking ticket or you cannot park.
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