A few years ago, Hebden Bridge was named the ‘fourth funkiest town in the world’ and its little boutiques and quirky shops are worth driving up the few miles from Manchester at any time of the year. But when the town really comes into its own is in autumn, when the steep hills above the valley turn golden red and the smell of burning wood rises out of the old weavers’ cottages.

My favourite walk is along the Rochdale Canal towards The Stubbing Wharf where poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes used to drink. Narrowboats glide past silently while the mossy dry stone walls offer some protection from the harsh winds that lash down from the moors. Down here, it’s so peaceful and quiet. If the weather is mild, you might want to venture further on towards the Fox and Goose pub and then tackle the steep climb up to Heptonstall, a perfect little cobblestone village with a spooky ruined church and two cosy pubs with open fires. I couldn’t think of a nicer place to be on a dark October night.

Image by Anna Regeniter