Ashworth Moor Reservoir

The water here sits dark and still, hemmed in by moorland that rolls away toward the Pennines. Ashworth Moor Reservoir, just outside Bury, is the kind of place you stumble upon rather than plan for - and that's rather the point. It's a working reservoir, so don't expect facilities or visitor infrastructure, but the walk around the perimeter is genuinely worth doing, especially on a clear day when you can pick out the ridge of Winter Hill in the distance.

This works brilliantly if you're based at Dearden Wood holiday park nearby and fancy a leg-stretcher that doesn't involve the same tired loops everyone else does. The moorland setting means proper wind and exposure - wrap up well. It's not dramatic in the way the Lake District is, but there's something honest about it. Grey water, working landscape, no nonsense. Families with older kids and decent walkers will get the most from it; toddlers and the"let's just sit and admire" crowd might find it a bit bleak.

Allow an hour for a casual circuit, longer if you want to explore the wider moor. Spring and early autumn are the best times - summer can feel oppressive on exposed moorland, and winter mornings here are genuinely atmospheric but slog work. It's free, obviously, because there's nowhere to charge you. The nearest town is Bury, which has proper amenities if you need them afterwards.