Cumbria is famous for its lakes and rugged mountains, which bring visitors flocking to the area.
Despite being a coastal county, its seaside is usually overshadowed by the Lake District.
The Furness Peninsula is dominated by the industrial town of Barrow, but also has unspoilt coasts and islands.
This little expedition was a revelation. If you’re heading to the lakes, consider a little detour.
Lyme Park is a stunning stately home and grounds in easy reach of Manchester.
It found television fame in 1995 as the setting for Pride and Prejudice and the heart-fluttering moment when Mr Darcy (Colin Firth) was caught after a dip.
This is a retreat that has it all – hilltop walks, a magnificent folly and gardens to match.
The cities of Manchester and Salford are so close, but retain distinct identities.
I live on the Manchester side of the great divide and work in Salford. But crossing between the two is an easy feat.
I’ve explored both with my camera recently, and here’s just a taster of what I saw…
This was an escape from Manchester to the Merseyside coast.
Formby isn’t your usual jolly seaside resort, but a haven of tall sand dunes, gnarled pine trees and a broad stretch of beach.
Wind turbines stand tall out to sea and the mighty city of Liverpool is in view.
It’s a place to clamber, walk and inhale the bracing air – not to mention capture in photographs.
Much of the UK has had its first taste of winter. Here in central Manchester, the show of snow was disappointing.
But in the lower reaches of the Pennines on the edge of Greater Manchester, we found a wintry wonderland. The hills near Marple were transformed to create a very memorable walk.
Snow can be a serious challenge to photograph – time to furiously adjust the white balance and find what colour you can. Worth the freezing fingertips…
