People who live in the immediate vicinity have walked these moors for pleasure for the last 50 years or more, sometimes risking trespass in so doing. Attitudes gradually change, and recently the need for local recreation areas has been accepted and thus the West Pennine Moors Recreation Area was born. The area covers 90 square miles and is predominantly high moorland divided by broad valleys and steep-sided wooded cloughs, many of which contain the reservoirs of the North West Water Authority. This combination of lake, wood and moor produces scenery, that is particularly fine in the western part, and gives some of the best walks, not only in terms of scenery, but of the interesting things to be seen.