Damflask Reservoir

The water at Damflask sits dark and still, cupped between moorland hills just north of Sheffield. It's a proper working reservoir - not a tourist attraction with a visitor centre, just a place to walk and breathe. You get there through quiet lanes, and the walk around the perimeter takes a good hour depending on your pace and how often you stop to look back at the water.

It's brilliant for people who want a straightforward moorland walk without the crowds you'd find at more famous spots. The paths are well-maintained, though muddy in places, and there's something peaceful about the scale of it - big enough that you feel away from everything, small enough you're not exhausted by the end. Families with older kids will find it decent; younger ones might get restless unless you break it up with a picnic by the water.

There's no admission charge or facilities to speak of - no cafe, no car park attendant. Just turn up, park sensibly at the informal spots near the dam, and get on with it. Spring and early summer are lovely when the moorland plants are out. Winter can be grim and waterlogged.

If you're staying at Boots and Bubbles, the luxury glamping spot not far away, this makes a solid morning activity before you settle in for the evening. It won't take your whole day, but it'll clear your head. That's rather the point.