Warrior 6

The walk to Warrior 6 starts properly between Richmond and Swaledale - a stretch of moorland that doesn't announce itself with signs or visitor centres, just open sky and the sound of wind through the heather. You're looking at a nature reserve that demands a bit of leg work to explore, but the payoff is genuine: rolling hills, upland heath, and the sort of quiet you don't find near car parks.

This is walker territory, no question. The reserve works best if you've got decent boots and a couple of hours to spare. The moorland itself is the main draw - wide open spaces with proper views across Yorkshire's uplands. On a clear day you can see for miles, which sounds obvious but genuinely takes your breath away when you're standing in the middle of it. Birds and native plants are what the conservationists care about here, and they're managing it seriously - the habitat restoration is the sort of behind-the-scenes work most visitors never notice.

It pairs well with Kiplin Country Park just down the road, which has proper facilities and more structured activities if you're travelling with younger kids who might find an unmapped moorland reserve a bit too wild. Richmond itself is worth an afternoon for the ruins and the market square.

Timing-wise, spring and summer are better - winter wind up there is no joke. Go when the weather's settled, bring a proper map or download the area offline, and don't assume mobile signal will save you.