Torside Reservoir

The walk around Torside Reservoir is one of those proper moorland circuits that rewards you with water views without requiring technical fell-walking skills. It's a dark, peaty expanse hemmed in by high moorland, the kind of place where the light changes constantly and you feel properly away from things.

The reservoir itself isn't dramatic - no dramatic dam wall or Alpine moment - but that's rather the point. It's working infrastructure that happens to sit in wild country, and the walking is genuinely absorbing. The circuit takes roughly two hours at a steady pace, following the shoreline for much of it with views back towards Greenfield. The moorland around it rolls on, rough grass and heather giving way to higher ground, and on a clear day you can see proper distance.

This suits walkers far more than casual visitors. If you're after a cafe and a look-around, you'll be disappointed. Bring proper footwear - it gets boggy - and check the weather. The exposure up here means wind and rain can arrive without warning, even when the forecast looks reasonable.

It fits well into a broader Pennine walking holiday. The nearby Whitegate Leisure site is just 5.8 miles away, making it a natural base for exploring this stretch of moorland. Combine it with walks around the other reservoirs dotted across the High Peak - there's real substance to a few days' walking in this region. Go in spring or autumn when the light is best and the midges aren't quite so vicious.