Little Spring

You won't find Little Spring on many maps, which is precisely why it's worth seeking out if you're rambling around South Yorkshire. It's a proper woodland spot just outside Sheffield where a natural spring bubbles up through the forest floor - the kind of place that feels like you've stumbled onto something locals have known about for years.

The walk itself is gentle and manageable, threading through beech and oak with the sound of water running beneath your feet. In spring the bluebells are thick on the ground; in autumn it's all bronze and copper. The spring itself is modest - don't expect some gushing torrent - but there's something rather lovely about the way it just emerges from the earth, clear and cold. You can drink it if you fancy, though most people just sit on a log and watch the water.

It's ideal for walkers who want something quieter than the peak district routes, and families with kids will manage it easily enough, though there's nothing to hold their attention for hours. Bring a flask and settle in for twenty minutes. The whole visit takes an hour or so including a gentle explore of the surrounding woodland.

If you're based at The Holiday Pod nearby, this makes a cracking morning walk before heading back for lunch. It's free, naturally, and open whenever you fancy turning up. Go midweek in autumn if you can - the crowds are non-existent and the light through the trees is proper atmospheric.