Eavestone Lake

Water this clear doesn't happen by accident. Eavestone Lake sits just outside Ripon, a glacial finger of water so clean you can see straight to the bottom - proper moorland scenery without the walk to get there. The lake itself is small, maybe a couple of miles around the perimeter, but that's part of its appeal. You're not dealing with crowds or car parks the size of football pitches.

It's a walker's spot, mainly. The path around the water is straightforward enough, taking you past woodland on one side and open moorland on the other. Bring binoculars if you're into birds - the lake draws them in year-round. Families with younger kids will manage the walk fine, though there's not much else to keep them entertained once you've done the circuit, so don't expect to spend a full day here.

Getting to Eavestone from Woodhouse Farm Holiday Park - just 2.4 miles away - makes it a solid morning outing before heading somewhere with more going on. Ripon itself has the cathedral and the market square if you want proper town time afterwards. The water never gets crowded, even on decent weekends, which says something about how unspoilt this bit of Yorkshire still is. It's one of those places that feels a bit removed from the usual tourist drag, the kind of spot locals actually use rather than pass through.