Knypersley Reservoir

Water, sky, and the kind of walking path that makes you forget Stoke-on-Trent's just down the road. Knypersley Reservoir sits on the edge of Staffordshire moorland like a proper oasis, and once you're here, the industrial grime feels miles away instead of minutes.

It's a working water supply for the area, but that doesn't stop it being genuinely pleasant. The reservoir itself is the thing - roughly two miles around if you fancy the full loop, with decent paths for families and walkers. The water reflects everything on grey days and looks almost Mediterranean when the sun's out, which happens just often enough to justify the trip. You'll see ducks, cormorants, the occasional heron if you're lucky. No shops, no ice cream van, no crowds demanding your attention.

History types might appreciate that this was dammed up back in the 1850s, part of that Victorian obsession with engineering and progress. There's something satisfying about standing on nineteenth-century infrastructure.

Allow two to three hours for the walk and a potter about. Come on a weekday morning if you can - weekends bring the keen photographers and dog walkers, which is fine but takes the edge off the peace. Free to access, no entry fees or registration needed.

If you're staying at Sky View or Castle Camping just a couple of miles away, this becomes an obvious morning or afternoon jaunt. It's the kind of place that won't set your heart racing, but that's rather the point. Good solid outdoor time without the theatrics.