Derwent Reservoir

The water stretches out grey and vast, hemmed in by moorland that rolls back towards the Pennines. Derwent Reservoir is one of those places that creeps up on you - you don't arrive expecting much, then find yourself standing there for longer than you planned, watching light move across the surface.

It's a proper working reservoir, built in the 1960s to supply water to the North East, but the walk around it has become something of a local favourite. The main circuit takes the best part of two hours, depending on pace and how many times you stop to look about. The path is straightforward enough - well-trodden, muddy in patches after rain - and takes you past forestry plantation on one side and open water on the other. On clear days you get views back towards the Dales; in mist, it all feels rather more dramatic than it has any right to.

Walkers will get the most from this. Not a destination for small children expecting thrills, but anyone who likes a straightforward tramp in decent scenery will find it worth the drive from Consett. There are car parks at the main access points, and it costs nothing to walk the perimeter. Spring and autumn are best - less crowded than summer, and the light's friendlier.

If you're staying at one of the caravan parks nearby - Village Green is barely a mile away - it's an obvious half-day outing. Not flashy, but solid.