Shipley

The Leeds-Liverpool Canal cuts right through the heart of this former mill town, its towpath now a proper favourite with cyclists and dog walkers heading between Bradford and Saltaire. Shipley sits in that sweet spot where industrial heritage meets Yorkshire Dales countryside - close enough to Leeds for a quick train journey, yet surrounded by the kind of moorland walking that makes you forget you're in West Yorkshire at all.

Saltaire's World Heritage mill village lies just down the road, complete with David Hockney's gallery and those grand Victorian streets that UNESCO loves so much. The town itself keeps things real though - proper working Yorkshire rather than tourist trail material. Baildon station connects you nicely to the wider region, while the old mills and chimney stacks remind you this was once the wool capital of the world.

Up on Baildon Moor, the views stretch right across to the Pennines on a clear day. It's a bit of a climb from the town centre, but well worth it for the sense of space after all those terraced streets. The moor connects to longer walks towards Ilkley if you're feeling ambitious, or just makes for a decent Sunday morning stretch of the legs.

Getting here couldn't be easier - the train from Leeds takes 20 minutes, Bradford's even closer. Staying at one of the nearby parks like Esholt Holiday Caravan Park puts you right in the sweet spot for exploring both the industrial heritage of the valleys and the wild country up on the tops. Plus you're close enough to nip into Bradford for a proper curry when the mood takes you.