Phoenix Park

The wide open moorland around Wigton offers proper walking country, and Phoenix Park sits right in that landscape - a nature reserve that sprawls across a decent chunk of Cumbrian fell. It's the kind of place you come for the space and the air rather than facilities, because there won't be much waiting for you in terms of visitor infrastructure.

You're walking through heathland and moorland here, with the sort of views that remind you why people bother with the Lake District in the first place. The reserve protects a genuine chunk of upland habitat, and if you're into birds or want to spot mountain hares if you time it right, it delivers. The walk itself varies - some folk do a quick circuit, others make a proper day of it pushing across the higher bits.

It suits walkers far more than families with young children, if I'm honest. Toddlers will struggle with the terrain and there's nowhere obvious to get ice cream or shelter. Keen naturalists will find it worthwhile though, particularly in spring and summer when the place is actually humming with wildlife.

The nearest proper bed is Wallace Lane Farm Holiday Park just outside Wigton, which would make a solid base if you're plotting walks across this moorland. Most of the reserve is free to access - you're not paying entry fees - but allow a good three to four hours if you want to properly explore without feeling rushed. Winter's grim up here; autumn or late spring works best.