Broken Scar Picnic Area

The path down to Broken Scar cuts through proper old-growth woodland before opening onto a steep limestone valley that'll make you stop dead. It's a working nature reserve near Shildon, and the effort to get down here pays off - you're looking at a narrow ravine carved by a stream, with high stone faces on both sides and the kind of quiet you don't often find in Yorkshire.

This is one for walkers rather than casual strollers. The descent is steep enough that you'll feel it in your calves on the way back up, and the ground can be muddy even days after rain. But if you're into geology or just want to see what the landscape looked like before humans flattened it all, it's worth the trek. The stream runs year-round, and in spring the wildflowers make a proper showing along the water's edge.

Allow a good two hours if you're taking your time and actually looking at things. It's free, which is always welcome. The nearest town is Shildon, though you're better off basing yourself at Hewn Yorkshire - a solid five-star holiday park just under six miles away - and visiting as part of a larger walk around the area's other valleys and moorland. Don't come expecting manicured paths or information boards. This place feels more wild than managed, and that's exactly the point.