Waugh's Well

You'll find Waugh's Well tucked away near Bury - a small stone structure that marks one of Lancashire's quirkier historical spots. It's named after Dr John Waugh, an 18th-century physician who apparently found the water here had medicinal properties, which is exactly the sort of claim that gets people excited in those days, regardless of whether there was any truth to it.

The well itself isn't dramatic. It's modest, honestly - a low stone edifice that you can walk past without realising its significance. But that's rather the point. This is the sort of place where you come to understand the landscape rather than gawk at it. Local walkers know it; casual tourists mostly miss it entirely.

It works best as part of a wider ramble around Bury and the surrounding moorland rather than as a destination in itself. Combine it with a walk through Burrs Country Park - the caravan site there is excellent if you're basing yourself in the area - and you've got yourself a proper afternoon. Dearden Wood and Rossendale Holiday Cottages are both close enough that you could stay at either and explore this corner of Lancashire without faffing about.

The industrial history of Bury will interest you more if you've got a thing for 19th-century mills and the cotton trade. For families with young children, frankly, Waugh's Well on its own is brief. But for walkers and anyone keen on the quieter side of Lancashire heritage, it's worth seeking out.