Carlecotes

With no hotels of its own, Carlecotes relies on the wider Dunford parish and neighbouring Pennine villages for places to stay. Expect farmhouse B&Bs, stone-built cottages and the odd pub with rooms rather than large hotels — the appeal here is a quiet, rural base rather than resort-style facilities. Holmfirth and Penistone, both a short drive away, offer a broader spread of guesthouses, inns and small hotels for visitors who want more choice of restaurants and services within walking distance of their room. Wherever you stay, expect sweeping views over the Dark Peak moorland and easy access to Winscar Reservoir and the Trans Pennine Trail. Booking ahead is sensible during summer weekends and school holidays, when the wider Holmfirth and Peak District area gets busy with walkers and day-trippers. Out of season, the area is markedly quieter, and a stay here suits those after solitude, dark skies and long moorland walks rather than nightlife or shopping.

The real appeal of Carlecotes is what surrounds it — reservoirs, moorland trails and Pennine market towns are all close at hand.

• Winscar Reservoir — a large reservoir just up the valley near Dunford Bridge, with a circular path popular for walking, running and picnicking with views over the Dark Peak.
• Trans Pennine Trail — the former Woodhead railway line, now a walking and cycling route, passes near Dunford Bridge a couple of miles from Carlecotes and runs through classic Pennine scenery.
• Holmfirth — the market town made famous as the filming location for Last of the Summer Wine, with independent shops, cafés and the Holmfirth Vineyard, a scenic drive over the tops from Carlecotes.
• Peak District National Park (Dark Peak) — Carlecotes sits right on the park's eastern boundary, giving quick access to the heather moorland, gritstone edges and reservoirs of the Dark Peak.
• Penistone — the nearest market town, with a Thursday and Saturday market, shops and a direct rail line to Sheffield and Huddersfield.

There is no pub or café in Carlecotes itself — the nearest was the Stanhope Arms at Dunford Bridge, which has since closed and become a private house. For food and drink, visitors head into Penistone or Holmfirth, both within a short drive, where traditional Yorkshire pubs, cafés and the Holmfirth Vineyard offer a proper stop after a day on the moors.

Carlecotes and the surrounding Dark Peak moorland offer some of the wildest scenery in South Yorkshire, but wild camping without the landowner's permission remains illegal in England, including here, so pitch only at a proper campsite or with express consent. The exposed, high ground around Winscar Reservoir and the Woodhead Pass is starkly beautiful but can turn wet, windy and cold with little warning even in summer, so come prepared with sturdy kit rather than a lightweight festival tent. The best camping season runs from late spring to early autumn, when the moorland trails are driest and the long evenings suit a walk up to the reservoir or along the Trans Pennine Trail before dark. Nearby villages such as Dunford Bridge, Holmfirth and Penistone have a small number of campsites and caravan parks offering pitches within easy reach of the hamlet, generally with more shelter than the open tops above Carlecotes itself. For those who would rather skip guy ropes altogether, glamping pods and shepherd's huts are increasingly available across the wider Peak District and Holme Valley, giving a solid roof and proper bed while still being close to the moors. Whichever way you camp, the pay-off is the same: genuinely dark skies, the sound of curlews and grouse on the moor, and walking routes straight from the tent flap into some of the Peak District's least crowded corners. Facilities directly in Carlecotes are minimal to non-existent, so stock up on supplies in Penistone or Holmfirth before heading up, and always check the specific access and camping rules for any site before pitching, since much of the surrounding moorland is privately owned grouse and grazing land.