Free access

Top Withens has long been thought of as the inspiration for the Wuthering Heights that Emily Bronte describes in her eponymous novel of 1847. Originally "Top of the Withens", Top Withens (or Withins) is a ruined farm thought to date from the second half of the 16th century. It was last inhabited in the 1920s, has been disused since the 1930s and is now completely ruined. In fact, ruined structures pepper the landscape all around. It is actually generally believed that the building Emily Brontë described bore no resemblance to Top Withens whatsoever; but, as a plaque placed on the wall by the Brontë Society says, “the situation may have been in her mind when she wrote of the moorland setting of the heights.” You can walk to Top Withens from a variety of directions and along the Pennine Way. The post code directs you to the village of Stanbury, from which there is a relatively easy path.

Pen-y-Ghent is one of the Yorkshire Dale's Three Peaks and the lowest at 2,277 feet (694 metres). There are good paths to the top from most directions, the most popular route starting and ending in Horton in Ribblesdale. The post code given is that of the Crown Hotel in Horton. The summit of Pen-y-Ghent looks like some kind of brooding creature and involves a bit of scrambling up or down, depending which way you go. Along the route, divert to Hull Pot, a collapsed cavern said to be one of the largest holes in England. It is 300 feet (91 metres) long x 60 feet (18 metres) wide by 60 feet deep. Extreme care is needed here. Walking Pen-y-Ghent is a serious and often strenuous hike, necessitating proper clothing and footwear as well as a supply of water and something to eat.

The Three Peaks of the Yorkshire Dales (Whernside, Pen-y-Ghent and Ingleborough) are often tackled by the very fit for fun or charity in a time of +/- 12 hours covering a distance of approx 24 miles.

The Craven and Murgatroyd Limeworks, better known locally as the Hoffmann Lime Kiln, is just north of Langcliffe between the Settle-Carlisle railway and Stainforth Scar. It is a disused Victorian industrial complex that includes the remains of two separate but adjacent limeworks - the Murgatroyd and the Craven Lime Company works. The remains of the huge Hoffmann kiln (it had 22 chambers) are astonishing – it’s like being inside a cathedral, but without the religion. The Craven Lime works lasted until 1931, though were used again briefly during WW2 before being abandoned and left to decay. The nearby quarry was used as a refuse tip by the local authority between 1967 and 1990, but the whole site has now been preserved. Plans to open it as a major tourist attraction were shelved; there is now a self-guided walk with information boards, some of which incorporate recorded commentary. In addition to the Hoffmann kiln, there are the remains of other types of kiln, ancillary buildings, an inclined plane, railway tracks etc. Once so busy and noisy, parts of the surviving complex now attract wildlife and it's a peaceful spot.

From the B6479 between Langcliffe and Stainforth, take a minor road east under a low railway arch and follow it to a small car park.

Studland Bay is best known for its 4-mile stretch of sandy beach, popular with people of all ages. It sits between Poole Harbour and Old Harry Rocks, to the east of Swanage. There are actually five beaches - Shell Bay, Knoll Beach, Middle Beach and South Beach - all but the last managed by the National Trust. There is a naturists (nudist) beach in the middle. Studland allegedly was the inspiration for Enid Blyton's Toytown ("Noddy, put your clothes back on at once").  The heathland behind the beaches is full of wildlife, including all six native British reptiles.

Lulworth Cove is a beauty spot, part of Dorset's Jurassic Coast. It is a perfect horseshoe shape and a short(ish) walk from other local geological and scenic attractions, including Durdle Door - a natural limestone arch (pictured).