Pinocchio Pot

The entrance to Pinocchio Pot is easy to miss if you're not looking properly - it's a modest opening in the hillside near Carnforth, nothing that screams 'explore me'. But that's rather the point. This is a proper caving experience, the sort where you're crawling through narrow passages and getting genuinely muddy, not wandering round a lit tourist cave with a gift shop at the end.

It's a short cave system, so don't expect hours underground. What you get instead is the real thing - limestone passages, a bit of scrambling, and the genuine thrill of being in actual active cave. The water still flows here, which means it's genuinely alive. Families with children aged ten and up will manage fine if they're not claustrophobic, but toddlers and nervous types should probably give it a miss.

You'll need proper caving kit or at minimum sturdy clothes you don't mind destroying. Bring a torch - actually, bring two. The cave is free to enter but you'll want to research access and current conditions before heading out, as water levels can change. Early autumn or spring tends to be best when the streams aren't in full spate.

If you're staying at Primrose Glamping Pods nearby, this makes a genuinely different afternoon activity. It's only a few miles away, and breaks up a holiday of outdoor walking rather nicely. Don't expect anything polished. That's exactly why it's worth your time.