I went to the Lancashire hidden gem with its own paddling pool - perfect for a new year's outdoor dip

Where? Sunnyhurst Wood in Darwen.

If you’re from East Lancashire, then you probably stand a better chance of knowing about this little gem, but for most other people, it will go overlooked, in favour of those places that are better marketed or shout louder.

For comparison, I recently took a trip to Fairy Glen near Parbold - one of the North West’s most recommended places to visit - and Sunnyhurst Wood knocks spots off it.

I’m from Preston and the only reason I know about it, is because in a former life, I was the Darwen reporter for the Lancashire Telegraph. Over several years I spoke with the lovely Dennis Gillibrand, founder of the Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood, about projects and ongoing concerns, but as a girl in her early 20s, it wasn’t really my scene.

Well, now I’m a bit older and have a family and a dog, and I needed somewhere to go for a family walk. And it’s brilliant.

You get to the woods by turning off the main road through Darwen (A666 Bolton Road) and going up Earnsdale Road. I parked up on the roadside and it was quiet, but bear in mind residents might not like it, so try the official car park on Sunnyhurst.

There’s a few different ways in, but we chose the sloping trail that brings you out close to the Olde England Kiosk and Visitor Centre. Immediately you’re miles away from the old industrial town down the hill, and have entered a calm oasis with picturesque Tudor-style buildings, cultivated greenery, ornate bridges and waterfalls.

Walk a little further, bear left and it opens up more - and the paddling pool area welcomes you. Purpose built in 1905 by local benefactors, it’s a delightfully old-fashioned way to have fun, with children and dogs splashing about in shallow waters, walking over small bridges, and frolicking on the shingly/muddy shore. There’s a line of benches for you to sit and watch (or dry off on, if the weather is warm enough), as well as picnic benches and bins galore.

Further up, there’s woods, streams, a fish pond, a band stand, and several walks off to Darwen Tower and to Earnsdale Reservoir. A young roe deer even sprinted passed us, much to my son’s delight.

We decided to check out the reservoir, and we’re glad we did. It was perhaps 3/4 of a mile from the paddling pool area, on undulating but not tricky paths, and then, it opens up with rolling hills, farmland, water, all sat underneath the iconic Darwen Tower.

Again, there’s plenty of benches and bins in the area, should you take a picnic or need a breather. You can even go on a loop around the reservoir or take in the Tower.

The whole place is clean, well-kept (plenty of signs of woodland management), and is about to get investment in its paths under the Blackburn with Darwen Town Deal.

It was very quiet when we went, and I wondered if that’s because people just weren’t aware of what a delightful place it is. But go, and have a look, you’ll have a great time.