Cock Lake

The walk up to Cock Lake from Barnard Castle direction rewards you with proper moorland views across County Durham, though calling it a lake is generous - it's really a small reservoir, fairly unremarkable when you get there. What makes it worth the trek is the landscape around it: rolling hills, heather in late summer, and on a clear day you can see for miles across the Pennines.

It's a walker's destination, no question. Families with young kids might find the hike a bit slog-heavy for what amounts to a modest body of water. Hikers heading up from the valleys around Barnard Castle will get their money's worth from the moorland scenery, particularly if you're doing a longer circular route across the ridges.

There's no entrance fee or facilities at the lake itself - it's open access moorland, so you turn up when you like. Allow two to three hours depending on which route you take. Spring and autumn are best when the paths aren't boggy and the light is sharper.

If you're basing yourself at Leekworth Caravan Park or Mickleton Mill Caravan Park, both within five miles, Cock Lake works as a solid half-day walk that complements visits to the wider Pennine terrain. It's not a must-do on its own, but it fits naturally into a proper moorland-walking week.