What a fantastic day out! We drove down to Shropshire to meet our friends who suggested an…read moreexploration of the fantastic Hawkstone Park and Follies (to where, despite growing up in its backyard, they had never been either). There's lots to do here-- a hotel, outdoor activities like off-road driving, archery, balloon flights and, of course, hiking. Open year round, they have specialty activities around all the major holidays and there's something for the whole family. The hike through The Follies is pretty spectacular. The circular trail takes you through forests, terrific rock formations weathered from, well, weather it seems!-- and caves (you need a torch!). It's not an easy hike-- the uneven surfaces, steep inclines and equally steep (and narrow!) steps cut into the rocks are daunting. If you add rain into the mix (which we had), it makes for a bit of a precarious (and slippery!) adventure. But well worth it. There are picnic tables and benches dotted along the way-- and on a nice day, it is a fantastic place for a picnic-- if not only for the excuse to take a bit of a breather when you make it to the top. Estimated to be a three-hour round trip hike (depending on your pace and how long you stop to admire the plethora of incredible views), it's well worth your time. Plus, if you start early enough, you can make it back before the little tea room with veranda at the visitor's centre closes to reward yourself with some well-earned sweets and of course, the quintessential English cuppa (in a little teapot and everything). Well worth the trek-- we will be coming back here again!

Just 20 minutes by train from Manchester and around 30 minutes from Leeds - sandwiched in the…read morePennines is the glorious Dovestones. Most people walk around the 1st reservoir and enjoy the stroll. You can however walk around as many as 4 reservoirs in total and increase the challenge. If your particularly fit or an experienced Walker then walk to the tops and enjoy some fantastic views. The place changes every day with the weather, and lots of different routes to take so you won't get bored. Always wear good shoes/boots and take your waterproofs just in case. There is ample parking on weekdays, but very busy at weekends.

Our mission to go for at least one walk in the great outdoors each month of 2016 continues - at…read moreDove Stone Reservoir up in the hills of Saddleworth. Hoping lots of folks would have been put off by the cold weather and fallen snow, our group were met by total carmageddon at the official car park (which was full on a Sunday lunchtime and proved difficult to find a space). After a couple of circuits without success, we drove back to the main road, up the hill a few hundred yards and found plenty of room at the Binn Green car park. It's supposed to be pay and display but there were no machines - double winner. We took a stepped path down from this car park (it's a tad muddy in winter so choose appropriate footwear) and then eventually met the main paved/gravelled route around the reservoir. It's pretty flat all the way and there are gorgeous views to be had, so lots of photo opportunities. The shorter circular route is about 3 miles, whereas if you include the route past Yeoman Hey and Greenfield Reservoirs this increases to 5 miles. We were getting hungry by this point so decided to just do the former!

Dovedale is a disaster waiting to happen. People climbing the mountains with large rocks nearly…read moremissing people head. Witnessed a small rock hitting a poor young child. Seen delinquents rolling rocks from the top of the mountain. If those rocks hit anyone it's game over for that person. Multiple barbecues being held on site with people smoking shishas. No security on site. No signs of any rangers in site. Litter everywhere. A disaster waiting to happen from what I saw today

Just north of Ashbourne, Dovedale is most peoples first foray into the Peak District. As a result…read moreit can be unbelievably busy on bank holidays and on any nice day in the British summer. It is a lovely place to go walking, picturesque countryside and a straightforward circular walk back to the car park of around 6 miles. Great in the winter to stretch the legs, but the stepping stones that Dovedale are famous for will probably be flooded in the winter, so don't get caught out on the wrong side of the river and have to retrace your steps! Its close proximity to Derby and Ashbourne means that the best time to go to Dovedale is 'off peak', unless you are partial to queueing and crowds.

As picturesque as it gets in Bolton, the Jumbles is a firm favourite for locals and outsiders…read morealike. This was at full testimony on my last walk (Sunday) when the weather had perked up a little as almost half of Bolton had decided to do the same! That could sound quite negative but it's definitely not, theres room and space for all. Most would say it's better when the sun is shining and you don't need to wrap up like you're about to tackle an blizzard on Snowdon, but sometimes it's just as beautiful to walk round when it's bitterly cold and the trees are frosting in stead of blooming. I'm very lucky to have this on my doorstep although I don't utilise it enough. If you're looking for a new walking route or a different reservoir to explore, make the Jumbles your next stop - and call in at my house for a cuppa on your way out!

This is a great little wooded/countryside walk that apparently you can get a guide for or walk on…read moreyour own. That is, I assume you can walk it on your own considering the start of the trail is marked very clearly by the side of the road. It's a pretty walk, and a refreshing escape from the city.

It's a little out of the way but a must when in Wales. Make a reservation for a steam train ride…read moreto the top or plan your hike. Lots of hikers on the trail to the summit At the base of the mountain you'll find a small movie theatre which shows a 15 minute movie about the train's history. There are also bathrooms, souvenir and sandwich shops. Steam train takes an hour to get to the top. You stay at the summit for half an hour and then begin your return. The views are breath taking. The experience is a MUST.

Who's your daddy? I am! Okay maybe not but in terms of outdoor areas to go in the area, Otley…read moreChevin has a real claim at using that statement. Otley itself is a wonderful retreat in the heart of some stunning countryside. So it makes sense that the Chevin is a quality place to go. I go purely for the views. Anything else is just a bonus but that's a bonus it can boast. Not only do you have a wealth of wildlife and conserved areas but you've also got loads of activities to get stuck into. There are plenty of events spread throughout the year and copious amounts of guided walks. I can highly recommend a guided walk to get the most out of your trip. Not only that, try your hand at orienteering or it's sister sport Geocaching. Don't worry I'd never heard of it before either but if you want to find out more check out www.geocatching.com. See I'm a walking public service machine. There is even a wildlife group and the friends of the park are always looking for volunteers to help out with the general maintenance so if you're feeling generous give a little back. All in all this is a must for outdoor lovers', walkers or people who just love the sensational county that is Yorkshire. Sheer class.

Chevin Forest is a place I stumbled across by accident when I was out for an afternoon drive with…read moremy friend. We went to one of the many car parks spread around over Otley and decided to go for a little walk. We came across some amazing views where we could see the whole of Otley, really beautiful. It's a great place for serious walkers as it's so huge and has so many alternative pathways. It's also a nice place to go for picnics with children or just friends as there's lots of beauty spots with benches and tables to sit down at. Beware though, the Forest is literally huge. We turned up unprepared, got lost and ended up wandering around a village on the opposite side to where we'd came from! It was quite an adventure though, and one we've re-created many times since!

As a gift for my boyfriend's birthday a couple of years ago I organised a trip up to Ingleborough…read moreCave. I wasn't sure what to expect but I love day trips out and it was a great excuse to get out in Yorkshire and have a lovely day in the sun. A bunch of us piled into a couple of cars and set off. I think having the day so full on sunshine helped but the location was utterly beautiful. We arrived in the little town nearby and parked up right near a beautiful waterfall, which stemmed from the caves, and ensuing river. There were beautiful old buildings and gorgeous flowers everywhere! A brief fifteen minute walk along the most beautiful countryside, in a deep valley, and we reached the caves. Fortunately we were just in time for the next tour, which occur every hour. We each picked up a hard hat before entering and were on our way. The lady who showed us around was lovely, really very knowledgeable and direct, and when the lights suddenly completely went out, kept us calm by very quickly explaining they were on a timer and there was no need to worry! (That bit was a little hairy!) Features worthy of note include 'Lady Victoria's Bloomers' - a rock formation that really look a little more like something in the nether regions of the male of the species to me, but were dubbed thus in (obviously) the Victorian times. The tour took about 50 minutes and was really interesting, the stalagmites and stalagtites are just beautiful. There are all the standard amenities, drinks, food, snacks and such, but my favourite feature was the gift shop! So many shinys! There were hoards of gemstones, keyrings, gifts, salt lamps and all sorts of beautiful items - most of which were much cheaper than most gift shops in town. All in all this was one of the best days out I've had in my time up north - well worth the (albeit lengthy) trip!

The Trans Pennine trail is a series of paved walking trails throughout England that use the old…read morerailroad track routes. They are well marked with signs indicating distances and destinations, and make a very pretty place to walk outside the city. They stretch for miles and miles, as far as Leeds in one direction, York in another, and various other cities. You can find entrances to the trail in various places in Liverpool. Bikers sometimes also use these trails, as they make up part of the National Cycle Network, but you won't find cars here, and motorbikes, quads, and mopeds are also illegal to use on the trails. Only certain sections are available for horseback riding. However, a policeman acquaintance of mine informed me that even during the day some sections of the trail are not safe to walk alone, especially for women and children. Sometimes gangs and druggies hang out here, so it's probably preferable to walk with a group, or take your dog.

When the Queensway Tunnel was dug beneath the river, the subsequent rubbish pulled from the ground…read morewas dumped and landscaped into what is now Otterspool Prom. Here you can do everything there is to possibly do on a riverside promenade; things such as walk, ride a bike, look at the water and...um...well that's about it. I suppose you could rollerblade if you wanted. If it's a warm day and you don't mind the style your hair will be sculpted into by the blustering gales, you can follow the prom and its interconnecting paths right up to the Pier Head. If you don't fancy that, try and unearth the ruins of the 1984 Garden Festival, which lies hidden by tree trunks and weeds. You don't know how overtly creepy something is until you accidentally stumble across a kid's overgrown swing park. I still have nightmares.

What a spectacular view. Did you ever see such a coastline? Especially when the waves are choppy…read moreand the wind blustery. I absolutely love the promenade; walking along beside the river with the breathtaking view of the Welsh hills in the background is really relaxing, there's lots of cyclists and dog-walkers around and it's a lovely environment on a clear sunny day. The park which was renovated through the 'Pride in our Proms' project is Amazing. It's a mini world of Big Kid heaven... for me anyway I regressed about 10 years and was on the swings, seesaw and monkey bars, and when we'd totally worn ourselves out running around and taking cool scenic pictures of the sunset we went for a well earned pint from the Otterspool pub which is handily a hop skip and a cartwheel across the park. Go fly a kite, see the sights, play on the park and grab a pint!