Summit Reservoir

The walk up to Summit Reservoir catches most people off guard - you're expecting a moorland trudge and instead you get something genuinely dramatic. Sitting at 350 metres up near Kirkby Stephen, this isn't a tourist honeypot. It's working water infrastructure, proper Yorkshire grit, and the views back down the valley are the sort that make you stop mid-stride just to stare.

The reservoir itself is straightforward - a substantial body of water ringed by moorland, with a good track running most of the way around. On a clear day you can see for miles across the Pennines. On a grey one, which is more often the case, it develops this moody quality that photographers actually prefer. The walk is accessible without being trivial - it'll take a couple of hours depending on how much circling about you do.

Families with older kids will manage this fine. Little ones might find the moorland repetitive, and there's nowhere to shelter if weather turns. Walkers and landscape enthusiasts get far more from it than casual visitors - you need to appreciate the terrain for its own sake rather than expect facilities or views from a car park.

It's free, naturally, and open whenever. Go in spring or early autumn when the light's better and you won't broil in the sun or freeze solid. The Gillcumber Glamping Pods just down the road in Kirkby Stephen make a sensible base - comfortable without being fussy, and close enough that you're not spending half the day driving to the start.