Mill Ghyll

The beck tumbles down through a steep wooded ravine just outside Ilkley, and Mill Ghyll is where you want to be if you fancy a proper walk without the tourist crowds of Bolton Abbey. It's a nature reserve that gets its charm from the water itself - the gill (that's the local word for stream) carves through sandstone, creating pools and small waterfalls as it drops toward the valley floor.

The woodland here is lovely in late spring when the bluebells come through, though it's worth visiting any time if you're after peace and some decent scrambling. It's not a casual stroll - the path can be boggy and there are exposed tree roots everywhere, so proper footwear matters. Most people allow an hour to ninety minutes for a decent circuit, depending on how many pools you want to explore and whether you stop to just listen to the water.

This suits walkers and families with older kids far more than casual day-trippers. Under-eights will struggle with the steep bits and the wet patches. If you're staying at Catgill Farm, just five miles away, adding Mill Ghyll to your itinerary makes sense - you get the moorland feel without venturing onto the high ground, and it's close enough that you won't spend half the day driving.

There's no visitor centre or cafe, so bring what you need. Free admission, obviously. Go early on weekends if you want it to yourself.