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!

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!

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.

A natural underground cave complex in which regular guided tours are led by guides. There is a…read morepaved walkway with a few steps. Dramatic lighting has been installed that highlights features. It is really beautiful in the caves and the history although including an element of myth is interesting too. It is quite cold in the caves so take a jacket or coat

During a family weekend in Buxton the weather turned a bit miserable so we decided to sack off the…read morehiking and head to the caves for some shelter. A large school trip beat us to the mark so we had to wait 45 minutes for another tour. There's a good size cafe and a small shop attached to the caves so we sat and had hot drinks and freshly baked cakes whilst we waited. The cakes were absolutely delicious and the portion sizes were more than generous. As the caves are situated next to Go Ape (a tree top adventure park) there's plenty going on around it. There's a forest that you can walk through with various lengths and difficulties of walk. So there's definitely plenty to see and do whilst visiting. We were called to the cave entrance once the school trip had finished and we were welcomed to the caves. Basic health and safety rules were stated and then the tour began taking us underground into the depths of the caves. The staff are full of knowledge so the tour was very educational as well as interesting. Each tour lasts around 45 minutes and the staff are happy tour answer any questions you may have. Please note the caves stay at a constant temperature of 7 degree so no matter what the weather outside you're going to need a light jacket when in the cave.

Amazing walking area! If you like to go for a bike ride or a gentle stroll. 100% come to Cannock…read moreChase

This is my local gym where I regularly enjoy mountain biking, trail running, and walking nature…read moretrails. Leave No Trace! and please act responsibly by taking those bags of dog mess home

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!

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!

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!

This is another glorious place to visit in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. It's a little way…read moreoff past Ilkley and takes roughly an hour to drive to from Headingley, but man it is worth it for that view. It's literally on the border between Leeds and Harrogate and is one of those notorious walking spots for anyone local to the area. My boyfriend and I decided to drive out here, with our housemates who wanted to join us, for the August meteor shower as it was the highest and clearest place we could think of to escape Leeds' heavy light pollution. It was a lovely late night drive and once we'd navigated up those hellishly thin country roads we parked and began the hike. It takes maybe fifteen minutes or so to ascend to the top of the hill where there is, basically, a ruddy great big set of rocks at the top. For those sure of foot it's great fun to climb up them all - some being really quite a challenge, but given that it was pitch black at my first visit I decided not to risk life and limb. The view from all around is breathtaking! I will issue a warning though, these rocks are really huge and have some real ankle-twisting cracks inside. There are even some pretty nasty cracks big enough for the less careful climber to become wedged deep inside, which was my nightmare, so go really carefully around those bits! Sadly the meteor shower on that particular night was hampered by tons of mist, but it was a great night anyway. The views were worth the jaunt and about fifteen other people had the same idea as we, and so it turned out to be a fun night all in all. Totally worth checking out - get your hiking boots on!

I was overjoyed to discover such an amazing spot so near to Leeds city centre. Before I go on I…read moremust correct Rowena's review below - its no where near as far as Ilkley! Its not even as far a Otley. If you've ever been in the passenger seat of a car driving from Headingley to Otley and on the winding road downhill spotted a massive rock on top of a hill - that is Almscliff Crag. Its so easy to get to if you don't have a car too - from the city centre train station you can get the train that goes to Harrogate through Burley Park and Headingley and jump off the stop past Horsforth called Weeton. It takes about 20 minutes and once off the train, cross the road and follow the 'public footpath' signs with yellow arrows. I have been countless times when wanting a bit of the countryside but not wanting to go all the way out to the Moors or the Dales. I have occasionally gotten lost whilst not walking with someone who has done it before. You'll tramp through fields uphill then come to a sign that points a little downhill through a wooded area. I made the mistake of not following this sign and getting stuck in some fields full of cows once. Once you've reached the top you will be stunned - by the 180 degree panoramic view where you can see Leeds city centre one way and Harrogate another; by the sheer size and shape of the rock that appears to have been placed here, perfectly balancing; by the old graffiti carved into the rocks by fellow walkers. The top face of the rock is covered in dates and initials. The oldest I have found was from 1842! It was incredible to think that some one that long ago stood in the same spot and was awed by the view just like I was recently. So I fully encourage a visit to this place on a sunny day. Always good foot-ware like wellies or walking boots and a coat because no matter how warm feels at the bottom of the hill its usually pretty windy up there.