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Get away from it all at one of these idyllic spots in rural Britain, selected from the newly published 52 Weekends in the Country
The UK's largest nature reserve, Caithness and Sutherland
The vast peaty space of far-flung Forsinard in Caithness and Sutherland is thrilling. Here, the almost 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) of the Forsinard Flows nature reserve (01641 571225, rspb.org.uk) shelter a massive expanse of blanket bog peatland. The scenery is immense, the people few. The Forsinard Flows visitor centre is on the isolated platform of Forsinard station, an unstaffed outpost on the Far North Line rural railway – known as Frozen'ard by first world war troops bound for London. A platform information board relates that there is no bus stop nearby, no taxis in the vicinity, and just three spaces in the station car park. But there's a warm welcome in the visitor centre, where the cosy cinema screens a 40-minute film showing the Flows' extraordinary landscape through the seasons.
Bird activity peaks in summer: merlin, greenshanks, dunlins, golden plovers, common scooters, red-throated divers and hen harriers all breed here.
For accommodation, who could resist a lochside campsite 25 miles from the shops with a shingle beach and grazing sheep? The Caravan Club's Grummore site (Altnaharra, Highland, 01549 411226, caravanclub.co.uk, from £3.40pp adults, £1.10 children, pitches £4.40) is very special. Or discuss the size of your catch in the bar of the Forsinard Hotel (01641 571221, theforsinard.co.uk, B&B doubles from £118), which is also a post office.
Tunnel vision, Marsden Moor, West Yorkshire
Magnificent Marsden Moor is on the fringes of towns important to Britain's textile industry. Packhorse routes cross unenclosed land, and helter-skelter roads wind around hills. This is walking and cycling country; a car is not necessary. Take the train (from Manchester Victoria or Huddersfield, about 30 minutes, single £8.40) to Marsden station, where there's a small National Trust visitor centre (nationaltrust.org.uk/marsdenmoor).
From here, a 15-minute towpath walk beside the Huddersfield Narrow canal leads to the extraordinary Standedge Tunnel beneath the moor. This is the longest, highest and deepest tunnel in Britain, 3.25 miles long and 193m above sea level. Commissioned in 1794 to link the Ashton-under-Lyne and Huddersfield canals, it took 17 years to complete, compounded by the realisation that diggers from either end were not destined to meet in the middle. At great expense, Thomas Telford was drafted in to get the waterway back on course. Trace this story at the visitor centre on Waters Road (stand
edge.co.uk), then take a two-hour journey into the dark aboard a glass-roofed narrowboat (adults £10, concs £8). You can walk back over the moor, or take the 30-minute return trip (£4.50/£3.50). Both are exhilarating.
Weirside B&B (01484 840601, marsdenbedandbreakfast.com, doubles £55) in Marsden is handy for sublime ice-cream at A Month of Sundaes on Peel Street (amonthofsundaes.com). Come in October and you can catch the Marsden Jazz Festival (12-14 October, marsdenjazzfestival.com).
The trail of the Welsh Chekhov, Gwynedd
Discover the landscape that inspired quarryman's daughter Kate Roberts – Plaid Cymru nationalist, journalist and Queen of Welsh literature. Regarded as the most distinguished 20th-century writer of prose in Welsh, Kate is often described as the Welsh Chekhov.
Kate lived in Rhosgadfan, in a cottage surrounded by slate heaps. Born in 1891, she was influenced by the family pastime of reading poetry and prose, in Welsh and English. The restored cottage, Cae' r Gors (caergors.org, £3.50/£3), reveals the simplicity and grind of mountain life. Kate considered it "the most blessed place in the world".
The Halfway Inn at Talysarn, home of Welsh-language poet Robert William Parry (01286 880433) has good food, views and a cosy fire. Ty Mawr tearoom in Rhyd Ddu at the foot of Snowdon offers bed and breakfast (01766 890837, snowdonaccommodation.co.uk, doubles from £52).
The Granite Way, Dartmoor
The 11-mile Granite Way (devon.gov.uk/granite_way) connects Okehampton with Lydford Gorge, along a disused railway line. Take a train to Okehampton from Exeter (weekends only, 40 minutes, dartmoor-railway.co.uk, single £4.90). Hire bikes from Adventure Okehampton (01837 53916, adventureokehampton.com) in the railway yard.
Traversing mighty Meldon viaduct is a highlight: it is one of only two wrought-iron truss-girder viaducts still standing in Britain. At the Lydford Gorge end, the White Lady waterfall, a 30m cascade of white water said to resemble long swishy skirts, provides more oohs and aahs, with, at its northern end, the scary Devil's Cauldron whirlpool.
Early birds can breakfast at the old-fashioned station tearoom at Okehampton then progress to a former railway buffet car beside Meldon viaduct. Stay at Okehampton youth hostel (01837 53916, yha.org.uk/hostel/okehampton, dorm beds £21) and you can fall out of bed, into your boots and onto the trail. For a more luxurious stay, try Dartmoor Inn (01822 820221, dartmoorinn.com, doubles from £95).
Narberth, Pembrokeshire
The market town of Narberth (Arberth) has been a meeting place for centuries: travellers on coaches from Caernarfon to Haverfordwest alighted here, while traders, locals and drovers gathered for business. The town brims with independent shops owned by people passionate about their wares. Among my favourites are Fay Philipps' vintage homewares (fayphillipsvintage.co.uk), and Giddy Aunt (giddyauntclothes.co.uk) where you can play the jukebox while perusing retro dresses.
In September Narberth has an annual Gwyl Fwy, or food festival (narberthfoodfestival.com). Beyond the town are the Preseli Hills (visitpembrokeshire.com) rich in Celtic legend. Pentre Ifan is Wales's most impressive megalithic monument. Watching the sun sink into the sea from this hilltop burial chamber is magical.
Stay at historic Plas B&B (01834 869089, plasfarmhousenarberth.co.uk, from £70), in the town (see Rhiannon Batten's review at guardian.co.uk/travel). For food, don't miss Tafarn Sinc (01437 532214, tafarnsinc.co.uk) at Clyderwen, a corrugated iron pub built in 1876 as a temporary watering hole beside the railway. Still going strong, it has sawdust on the floor and a soundtrack of steam trains.
• This is an edited extract from 52 Weekends in the Country (Virgin Books, £20), companion to 52 Weekends by the Sea, both by writer Brigid Benson and photographer Craig Easton. To buy a copy for £16, go to guardianbookshop.co.uk