Bingley Five Rise Locks

Five enormous stone chambers rise up the hillside like a watery staircase, lifting boats 60 feet in just 320 yards. This is engineering from 1774 that still works perfectly today, watching narrowboats negotiate the locks is proper theatre. The gradient here was so steep that normal locks wouldn't work - hence this extraordinary solution that remains unique in Britain.

Kids love counting the gates (there are ten) and working out how the whole contraption functions. Patient boat crews often don't mind explaining the process as they work through each chamber. The walk along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal from here to Saltaire takes about an hour and passes some lovely countryside.

Families staying at nearby parks like Upwood Holiday Park or Esholt Holiday Caravan Park will find this makes a cracking half-day out. The towpath is pushchair-friendly, though you'll want to keep little ones away from the lock edges. There's a decent pub nearby if you time it right.

Shipley is just down the road, making this easy to combine with a trip to Saltaire's UNESCO World Heritage mills and shops. Free to visit and fascinating to watch in action - though if no boats are coming through, it's essentially just a very impressive flight of empty stone boxes. Check the Canal & River Trust website for busy periods when boat movements are more likely.