Wyming Brook Nature Reserve

The water's cold even in summer, and the walk down to Wyming Brook itself takes about twenty minutes through proper woodland. It's a steep descent - nothing mountainous, but enough to make you feel like you've actually gone somewhere rather than wandered round a park near Sheffield. The reserve sits just above Stannington, which helps when you're trying to explain where you've been to people back home.

What you're actually doing here is following a stream through mixed woodland, with moss-covered rocks and the sound of water proper constant. It's not showy - no viewpoints with plaques or anything like that. Just good, straightforward walking through the Pennines foothills. The stream pools make it worth the trek if you've got kids who like paddling, though they'll need shoes with grip.

This works best if you're staying at one of the nearby campsites - Wyming Brook Farm is right on top of it, and Fox Hagg and East Peak are close enough for a morning outing. It's the sort of place you'd spend ninety minutes maximum unless you're a serious botanist keen on the woodland management side of things. Walkers will appreciate it far more than families after a full day's entertainment.

The real appeal is how accessible it is yet how quiet. You won't battle crowds, and the terrain keeps it interesting without being gruelling. Worth doing if you're based nearby, but don't plan a trip to Sheffield just for this.