Meir Heath

The moorland around Meir Heath rolls out across Staffordshire in a way that surprises people who think the region is all pottery factories and urban sprawl. It's proper walking country - open, windswept, and genuinely quiet once you're away from the roads near Stoke-on-Trent.

What you get here is straightforward: a chunk of heathland with decent views across the Potteries and towards the moorlands beyond. It's the sort of place where you can spend twenty minutes or two hours depending on mood. The paths are reasonably maintained but can get boggy after rain, so decent boots matter. There's no cafe, no visitor centre, no facilities to speak of - just the heath itself.

Walkers will find it worthwhile, particularly those who want to tick off a peak without the fuss of the more famous hills further north. Families with older kids who don't mind moorland can make an afternoon of it, though younger children might find it a bit exposed and featureless. History buffs should know the area has old mining heritage underfoot, though there's not much to see now.

If you're staying at one of the caravan parks dotted around - Stone Wall Farm is closest at just over four miles away - Meir Heath makes a decent morning walk before heading elsewhere. It's not a destination in itself, but as part of a broader Staffordshire ramble it works well. Go when the light's good; the moorland's bleaker than beautiful most days, but catch it right and it's rather fine.