Langthwaite Reservoir

The drive up to Langthwaite Reservoir from Lancaster takes you through proper Pennine country - moorland and stone walls giving way to something altogether more dramatic. Once you arrive, you're faced with a substantial body of water that catches the light differently depending on the weather, and on a clear day the views back towards the hills are genuinely arresting.

It's a straightforward place. There's walking around the perimeter - the kind that takes a couple of hours at an easy pace - and decent bird-watching opportunities, particularly if you're into waterfowl. The reservoir has a working feel to it; you won't find visitor centres or fancy facilities, just a lake doing its job. That's rather its appeal, honestly. You get the sense of seeing Lancashire's landscape as it actually functions, not as a tourist attraction wrapped up with interpretation boards.

Walkers will get the most from this. The paths are manageable without being challenging, making it suitable for families with decent fitness levels, though young children might find a full circuit tedious. It's the sort of place you come to for an hour's stretch of the legs rather than a full day out. If you're staying at Crook O'Lune Holiday Park, just three and a half miles away, or Moss Wood Caravan Park six miles south, Langthwaite makes a logical morning visit before heading elsewhere.

Go mid-week if you can. Weekends attract the full complement of Lancashire day-trippers, and somehow that diminishes the appeal. The light's usually better in late afternoon anyway.