Cawthorne Park

The moorland around Cawthorne, just outside Barnsley, is proper walking country - open, windswept, and the sort of place where you can actually think. Cawthorne Park itself is a nature reserve that rewards those willing to leave the car behind and get their boots on. Depending on what time of year you visit, you'll see different birds of prey circling overhead, heather in full purple bloom across the slopes, or frost-stiffened grassland that crunches underfoot on winter mornings.

Walkers will find the most value here. This isn't a manicured destination with visitor centres and tea rooms - it's the kind of place you go because you want to move through wild land, not because you've ticked a box. Families with older kids who can manage uneven terrain will do well, though toddlers and buggies would be a fight against the environment rather than through it.

The reserve sits within reach of several decent camping spots. Broad Close Farm Campsite is less than two miles away, making it an easy base for a few days of moorland exploration. High Lea Farm and Ingfield Farm both offer proper family camping if you want something slightly less remote. Boots and Bubbles, a touch further out, brings a bit of luxury glamping to what is otherwise genuine countryside.

Allow a couple of hours for a solid walk, more if you're the type to sit and watch for birds. Go in late summer or early autumn when the heather peaks - any other time can feel bleak without being particularly rewarding.