Semerwater

A broad sheet of water lying in Raydale, a side valley off Wensleydale, ringed by farmland and rising hills. This lake was formed by glaciers, not dug or dammed, and it is one of only two natural lakes in the Yorkshire Dales. The pull is simple: open water, big skies, a foreshore you can walk down to, and a landscape of fields and fells.

The lake, the surrounding nature reserve and the foreshore work as one visit, and you can see the best of it in half a day.

• Walk the circuit. A footpath leaves the foreshore and loops around toward the reserve, the ruined 17th-century church above Stalling Busk, and the hamlet of Marsett. Allow more time than the distance suggests, because the ground slows you down.
• Get on the water. Canoeing, sailing, paddleboarding and wild swimming all happen here, but there is no equipment hire on site, so bring your own kit. Water users are expected to carry third-party liability insurance and to follow the local rules for the lake. Judge conditions, depth and cold for yourself before going in.
• Photograph the setting. The combination of water, drystone walls, barns and hillside makes a strong landscape frame.

There are no toilets, no café and no shop at the lake, so carry food, drink and anything else you need. Wear boots rather than trainers, and bring a warm layer. The narrow approach roads and rough paths are the two things people most often underestimate, so treat this as a half day outdoors rather than a quick roadside stop.