Sheffield

Rolling hills stretch endlessly across this slice of the South Yorkshire countryside, where dry stone walls carve up green fields and ancient villages dot the landscape. This is proper Yorkshire Pennine territory - the kind of place where sheep outnumber people and the air tastes different.

Emley Moor dominates the skyline with its famous transmitter mast, but it's the cluster of reservoirs that really define the area's character. Ingbirchworth Reservoir sits like a dark mirror reflecting the sky, while Scout Dike and Royd Moor reservoirs offer equally dramatic backdrops for walking. The water draws anglers and birdwatchers in equal measure.

Villages like Denby Dale and Skelmanthorpe retain their Yorkshire grit alongside newer developments. Denby Dale's famous for its giant pies - they've been making record-breaking ones since 1788. The train stations here still serve Sheffield and Huddersfield, making this surprisingly well-connected countryside.

Blacker Wood provides decent woodland walks when the moors feel too exposed. Meanwhile, Ingbirchworth War Memorial and Chapel remind you this landscape has been home to farming communities for centuries. The Millennium Green in the village offers a proper spot for a picnic when the weather's kind.

Camping and glamping sites scattered across the farms make perfect sense here. You're twenty minutes from Sheffield's buzz but wake up to curlew calls instead of traffic. The night sky actually shows stars, and morning mist rolls off the reservoirs like something from a painting. It's the Yorkshire Pennines without the tourist crowds.