Weekend escape: the lakes of the Greyling Hills, a short bus ride from the city

The bus from Wrenhaven bus station climbs out of the Asher Valley through Netherby and Holloway, then the hedges give way to stone walls and open fell. An hour and twenty minutes after leaving the city, it drops passengers at the foot of Tarnmere, the largest of the Greyling Hills lakes, where the water lies flat and dark beneath a ring of grey crags.

There are seven lakes in the range, linked by a network of footpaths that make it easy to string two or three together in a day. Tarnmere has a level 6-kilometre shore path suitable for most walkers. Above it, a steeper climb of about 400 metres leads to Hollin Water, a small, cold lake cupped in a rocky hollow, and on to the ridge with views back to Greyling Bay on a clear day.

Where to stay and eat

Accommodation is limited, which is part of the appeal. The youth hostel at the head of Tarnmere has dormitories and a handful of private rooms from €32 a night. Two inns in the village of Coldbeck serve food until nine, and a farm at the eastern end of the lake rents out four shepherd's huts with wood stoves.

Sigrid Dahl, who has run the hostel for eight years, said the autumn weekends were her favourite. "The light is low and gold, the bracken turns copper and the paths are empty by four," she said. "People arrive tense from the city and leave having slept nine hours."

Bring a warm layer and a map on paper, because the phone signal gives up long before the hills do.

That advice comes from the volunteer hill rescue team based in Coldbeck, which was called out 31 times last year, mostly to walkers caught out by low cloud on the ridge. Daylight shortens quickly at this time of year, and the last bus back to Wrenhaven leaves Tarnmere at half past five.

Getting there is simple. The service runs four times a day at weekends, and a day return costs €9. Bicycles can be carried on the rack at the back of the bus, though space is limited to two, so arrive early if you plan to ride the quiet lanes around the lakes.

Swimming is permitted in Tarnmere, though the water is already cold enough to take the breath away. Locals recommend the shingle beach on the south shore, where the bottom shelves gently.