Laneshaw Reservoir

Water stretches out between moorland ridges just outside Colne, and Laneshaw Reservoir is where locals actually go when they want some quiet. No gift shop, no crowds demanding selfies - just a proper walk around the perimeter if you're after it, or a simple sit-down by the water if you're not.

You get decent views across the Lancashire hills from here, especially from the eastern bank where the land rises up. It's the sort of place where you can actually hear yourself think. Walkers will appreciate the footpath that runs alongside - nothing strenuous, just a gentle couple of miles with water on one side and moorland on the other. Families with young kids won't get bored as long as they like being outdoors; older children who've got some stamina will find it worth doing as a loop.

The best time to visit is probably late afternoon when the light softens over the water and the midges back off a bit. Summer weekends get busier than you'd expect, so if you want that sense of space and solitude, come mid-week or in shoulder seasons.

It works well as a morning or afternoon activity alongside a stay at Shay Gate Farm Campsite just down the road, or as a quick detour if you're based at Trawden Forest Glamping nearby. Don't come expecting facilities - there's nothing here, so sort yourself out in Colne first. But if you want somewhere genuine and unpolished to spend an hour or two in the Pennines, this delivers.