Hades Hill

The walk up Hades Hill from Rossendale takes you through proper Pennine moorland - the kind of place where the weather can turn in twenty minutes and the views stretch all the way to Manchester on a clear day. It's not a long trek, maybe forty minutes to the top depending on your fitness, and the path is reasonably well-trodden though it can get boggy after rain.

Once you're up there, you get the sense of being genuinely isolated despite being so close to town. The hillside itself is moorland scrub and heather, with a trig point at the summit that's seen better days. The real appeal here is the solitude and the walking itself rather than any particular landmark or feature - you're after that sense of having earned the view.

Walkers will absolutely rate this. Families with older kids will find it rewarding without being punishing. If you're after a manicured viewpoint with a cafe and signage, move along. This is honest moorland walking.

We'd suggest doing it as part of a longer Rossendale area walk rather than a destination in itself. Pair it with the nearby parks - Rossendale Holiday Cottages & Glamping is five miles out and gives you a decent base, or Dearden Wood if you want somewhere more traditional. Allow half a day including a proper amble, and go on a clear day when visibility is decent - no point trudging up in cloud.