Lymm Dam

It is a dam, not a lake, as the village will politely remind you. The loop is about 2km with barely any climb, which puts it in that sweet spot where a four-year-old can walk the whole thing and still claim to have done a big walk. Ducks, woodland, an old sandstone escarpment, and information boards to read bits off.

Managed by Warrington's ranger service, and the basics are handled: a public toilet by the car park open 8am to 6pm, a coffee van most days except Mondays, and the Church Green pub at the top with a hatch selling ice cream and coffee. Pushchairs cope fine in dry conditions.

Push on past the main loop to the bongs and the decaying Crossfield bridge if you want the walk to feel like an expedition. It was built for houses that never got built, which is a good story to tell at the halfway point.

What it costs: Everything is free, including the Crouchley Lane car park. The village pay and display car parks at Davies Way and Pepper Street are a short walk away if it is full.

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