East Lancashire Railway - Rawtenstall Station

Steam trains still run between Rawtenstall and Bury, and it's rather brilliant. You'll find yourself at Rawtenstall Station surrounded by the sort of Victorian railway infrastructure that makes you feel like you've stepped back about 120 years - red brick, period signage, the whole lot. The East Lancashire Railway operates heritage trains along this stretch, so depending on when you visit, you might actually board one of their restored engines and trundle through the Rossendale Valley proper.

Historically minded folk will love this place. Train enthusiasts too, obviously - the rolling stock includes some genuinely significant locomotives from Britain's railway past. Families with kids aged eight and up tend to get the most from it; younger children find the waiting about a bit tedious. Allow a couple of hours if you're just looking round the station and taking a short journey. A full round trip takes longer, though the railway's website will sort the current timetable.

It's worth timing with a visit to either Dearden Wood or Rossendale Holiday Cottages & Glamping - both are less than four miles away - since you can combine it with walking in the surrounding hills and a proper explore of Bury's market town. The station itself sits on the edge of proper countryside, so you're not stuck in an urban sprawl. Whether you go for a ride or just potter about admiring the engines depends on your budget and how much you fancy steam and smoke, but it's a genuine slice of working railway history, not just a museum.