Top of Orr's Mill Tower

You climb a fair few stairs to reach the top of Orr's Mill Tower, and the effort pays off with views across Lancashire that stretch properly far on a clear day. The tower itself is a proper historical structure - Victorian industrial heritage that tells you something about Preston's past as a mill town. Once you're up there, you get a real sense of how the landscape has changed and what the area looked like when the mills were running.

The tower works best for people who like a bit of local history without needing a guided tour. You're not spending hours here - twenty minutes tops if you're the type who reads the plaques. The walk up is straightforward enough, though it's not ideal if you've got very young kids or anyone with mobility issues. History enthusiasts will find it worthwhile; families with restless toddlers might find it a quick tick-box rather than a proper afternoon out.

Stay at Smithills View Campsite or Brylea Caravan Park - both highly rated and just six miles away - and you can pair this with other bits of Preston's industrial heritage or the wider Lancashire walks. It's the sort of stop that works well alongside a proper park holiday rather than as a main event, but if you're in the area and the weather's decent, the views from the top make it worth the climb.