Hartshead Pike

The walk up Hartshead Pike rewards you with proper Pennine views the moment you crest the ridge above Greenfield. It's not a serious climb - more of a steady trudge through moorland that opens out rather than a gasping scramble - but the stone tower at the summit has been drawing people up here for centuries.

You're looking at roughly two hours round trip from the car park, depending on your pace and how long you linger. The tower itself is modest, honestly. But stand there on a clear day and you've got the valley spread beneath you, industrial heritage mixed with rolling countryside - exactly what Lancashire moorland should look like. On damp afternoons it gets properly atmospheric, mist rolling through the gullies.

Walkers will get the most from this one. Families with teenagers keen on a decent leg-stretch will manage it fine, though younger kids might find the moorland a bit bleak. There's nothing to do once you're up there except take in the view and head back down, so come prepared for weather.

If you're based at Dovestone Holiday Park just down the road, this makes a solid morning out before lunch. The moorland terrain is typical Pennine underfoot - boggy patches, tussocky grass - so proper walking boots matter more than on easier routes. Free to access, naturally. Best visited when you can actually see something; come in proper fog and you'll have wasted the effort.