Podgill Viaduct

The viaduct itself is a proper Victorian engineering feat - 14 arches spanning a moorland valley just outside Kirkby Stephen. You don't need to pay to see it, and honestly, the best views come from walking underneath or along the trackbed rather than trying to photograph it from the road.

It's worth a detour if you're into industrial heritage or just fancy a bracing moorland walk. The structure has that solid, no-nonsense look typical of 19th-century railway engineering - all pale stone and geometrical precision. The valley it crosses is genuinely wild; on a clear day the views stretch across the Pennines.

Allow an hour if you're making a proper visit - walking up from the road takes longer than you'd think. There's rough ground underfoot, so bring decent boots. Spring and autumn are best; winter can be boggy, summer brings midges.

If you're staying at Gillcumber Glamping Pods nearby, this makes an easy morning's walk. It combines well with exploring the market town of Kirkby Stephen itself, which has proper cafes and shops for afterwards. The viaduct sits on an old railway line, so keen walkers can push further along the trackbed in either direction. It's the kind of place that appeals to railway enthusiasts and fell walkers equally - not somewhere you'd drag reluctant kids, but exactly right if your family enjoys getting outside on the Pennine slopes.