Beacon Fell Visitor Centre

The tower itself isn't much to look at from distance - a stubby stone structure on moorland that could easily be missed if you weren't paying attention. But that's rather the point of Beacon Fell Visitor Centre, perched above Preston near Chorley. You're here for the views and the walk, not for architectural drama.

Once you're up there, the Lancashire landscape spreads out properly. On a clear day you can see across to the Pennines; on a grey one, which is likely, it's all rolling farmland and moorland stretching away from you. The visitor centre itself offers shelter, information about the fell and its ecology, and a reason to break up the walk. Most people spend an hour here total - twenty minutes climbing, fifteen looking about, twenty drinking tea if there's a café on.

This is walker territory first, families with young children second. The approach isn't steep enough to be dramatic, but it is a genuine pull uphill. You won't be bored if you're into landscapes or local history - there's proper fell walking country around here. In winter it gets bracing; summer's when the moorland flowers.

If you're staying at Beacon Fell View Holiday Park just down the road, or any of the caravan parks scattered within a few miles of Preston, this makes an obvious morning out. Pair it with a walk around the fell itself rather than just visiting the centre. The real reward is the walk, not the building.