Mount Cross

The cross that stands on Mount Cross commands views across the Rossendale Valley that'll stop you mid-stride. It's a proper piece of Lancashire heritage, this one - a historic marker that's been watching over the moorland for centuries. The walk up isn't demanding, but the gradient catches plenty of visitors off guard, so decent shoes matter.

What you're actually looking at is a waystone of sorts, marking something significant in the landscape's past. The surrounding moorland gives you that open, windswept feeling you either love or find bleak depending on the weather. On a clear day the vistas stretch for miles. On a grey one, it's atmospheric in a different way entirely.

Walkers will get the most from Mount Cross - it's not a destination you'd drive to for thirty minutes of looking around. It works brilliantly as part of a longer moorland route, especially if you're based at one of the nearby glamping spots like Rossendale Holiday Cottages, which sits just over four miles away. Old Chamber Camping and Hebden Bridge Caravan Club are both within easy striking distance too, if you want to base yourself properly in the area and do the walks properly.

Allow a couple of hours if you're making it a dedicated trip, though honestly it's the landscape around it that justifies the effort more than the cross itself. Go when the weather's settled - this exposed moorland turns grim fast when it clouds over. Admission is free, naturally.