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!

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

I'm really such a fan of it here. I've been for walks, bike…read morerides, picnics, all sorts at all times of the day. It covers acres and acres in beautiful heathland and forest, with all sorts of wildlife, possibly most notably deer, some claim to have seen black dogs and ghost girls and escaped pumas and wild boar too. The centre is great, with classes, den building, pond dipping and all sorts of similar classes in summer, plenty aimed at children and adults, trekking centres on horses, go ape- both the high ropes course and the forest segway activities, a play area, and the bike tracks people travel across the country for, follow the dog and the monkey for trails, and stile cop for downhilling, and those are just the purpose built ones! There are different little lovely walking/picnic places too, like the stepping stones for example, and there are miles and miles of tracks. It's also great for star gazing, staffs not having big towns or cities means there isn't a great amount of light pollution, just watch out for the deer and the doggers! And speaking of that, dispose of your dog poop properly!

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

Go up river since it can get quite busy if you go only to the southern end car park and walk from…read morethere - we went further north and it quickly quietened down. Also explore the hills and valleys nearby - wonderful

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.

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!