Etherow Country Park

If you want a woodland walk complete with den-making, wildlife, picnic spots, and beautiful views, Etherow Country Park on the edge of Stockport ticks the boxes.

Its car park and cafe looks out over the first of a chain of lakes that follow the River Etherow up the valley. There’s fishing, a model boat club, and sailing available, and it’s a popular spot for feeding the ducks and geese (buy a bag of feed from the shop next to the cafe).

If you follow the path along the lake, the park opens out into beech woodland, pine forests, pastures and marshland, which make for an interesting mix of scenery on a walk. You can easily wander for a couple of hours on the well-marked footpaths within the park, or extend your hike by heading up nearby Werneth Low. This hill above Hyde offers fantastic views of Manchester from the top.