Hurst Cross

There's not much left to see at Hurst Cross, to be honest - just a weather-beaten stone cross standing alone on the moors between Greenfield and Saddleworth. But that's rather the point. This is a proper medieval marker, one of several that once guided travellers across these high, exposed routes when the landscape was far wilder and lonelier than it is now.

You'll find it on the moorland walks that crisscross the Pennine foothills. The cross itself dates back centuries, though which century exactly depends on who you ask and how legible the markings are on any given day. It's the kind of thing that rewards a bit of detective work - local history types and serious walkers tend to get more from it than families after a quick photo stop.

The real appeal is context. Walk out here on a clear day and you understand why the thing exists at all - the moors roll on endlessly, navigation is no joke, and this stubborn old stone once meant everything to someone trudging across in foul weather. It's free, obviously, and takes five minutes if you're passing, or longer if you're doing a proper circuit from Dovestone Holiday Park, just four and a half miles away.

Worth a detour? Only if you're already hiking the area. Don't come out specially. But if you're based at Dovestone and fancy a moorland walk with a bit of historical backbone, this gives you something to aim for.