Barnoldswick

Rows of terraced stone houses climb the Pennine slopes, their weathered walls telling stories of Lancashire's textile past. Barnoldswick sits where the valleys meet the moors, a proper mill town that's traded spinning wheels for walking boots without losing its gritty character.

The surrounding landscape is a walker's paradise. Pinhaw Beacon offers cracking views across the Pennines, while Greenber Hill and Bigams Hill provide gentler rambles for families. For those after a bit more history with their hiking, Burwen Castle - the remains of a Roman fort - sits atop the moors, proving the ancients knew a good vantage point when they saw one.

Horrows Hill and Ray Bridge Hill frame the eastern approach to town, their heather-clad slopes dotted with dry stone walls that have stood for centuries. Come autumn, the moors around Bleara Moor turn purple with flowering heather - a sight that's well worth the trek from the valley floor.

Skipton lies just eight miles south, making Barnoldswick an excellent base for exploring both the Yorkshire Dales and Lancashire's quieter corners. The town itself keeps things low-key - no fancy boutiques or gastropubs here, just honest Yorkshire stone and the kind of pubs where locals still prop up the bar.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense if you're planning serious fell walking. Trawden Forest Glamping and Higher Grange Glamping put you right on the doorstep of Dancliff Hill and High Cross Hill, while Thornton Hall Country Park offers easy access to the archaeological sites at Bleara Lowe. After a day tramping the peaks around Acliffe Hill and Busky Hill, you'll appreciate having somewhere comfortable to collapse.