Stocks Reservoir

A cracking easy circuit around Stocks Reservoir with big water views, quiet forest tracks and barely any nav faff at all. It is one of those walks I keep coming back to when I want fresh air, steady miles and a route that just gets on with it.

This is a proper straightforward Ribble Valley outing, and sometimes that is exactly what you want. The path around Stocks Reservoir is really well signposted all the way, so you can settle into the walk without constantly checking your phone or map every five minutes. I usually park on the bridge and set off from there, then just follow the signs around the water on a mix of easy paths and forest tracks, with lovely open stretches where the reservoir steals the show.

It is not massively difficult, which makes it a great one for an easy-going morning or afternoon when you still want to feel like you have properly been out. There is a nice rhythm to this route too, with wooded sections, open views across the water and that pleasing sense of making a full circuit without much effort or drama. If you like your walks scenic, simple and low on nonsense, this one is hard to beat.