When friends who recently moved to west Devon invited us to see their new home, we decided to combine the visit with a brief autumn tour of the area, so we could explore the beautiful landscapes of Da

Roger Butler peers over steep slopes on a roller coaster along Offa’s Dyke

Walk through three counties visiting Cheshire’s Matterhorn, Derbyshire’s ancient bridge and Staffordshire’s secret church all in one Peak District hike.

■ Distance: 8 miles/12.8km ■ Time: 4½ hours ■ Grade: Challenging

■ Distance: 5½ miles/8.8km ■ Time: 3 hours ■ Grade: Moderate

■ Distance: 11 miles/17.5km ■  Time: 6 hours ■  Grade: Challenging