Dr Amir Khan shares his perfect place for a seasonal walk

Lots of folk come visit our wonderful county and head to hotspots like the North York Moors, Whitby, York and Malham, but for me it’s the hidden gems that make the area special.

Those places that only the locals know about, and I am going to let you in on one such secret - Northcliffe Woods in Shipley.

The woods form part of the 86-acre Northcliffe Park which is the perfect place for a weekend walk. The land that now makes up the park was owned by the Rosse family in the early 1900s.

They decided to sell up so they could concentrate on their family lands in Ireland. It then came under the ownership of newly elected Shipley MP, Sir Norman Rae, who offered it to the local council who, after a major restoration project opened it the public as a park in 1920.

A lot has changed since then, with the addition of tennis courts, bowling greens cricket pitches and a playground, but it remains a walkers and nature lovers paradise.

The woods themselves are relatively small, but no matter what time of year you visit, they offer a special experience. They used to form part of my running route, and in autumn the leaves turn intense shades of cooper and crimson and dance as the pirouette to the ground below.

As winter comes in, and we get snow, the woods transform into a wonderland that really does feel like you are walking through Narnia, just before Aslan defrosted everything.

Spring turns the area into a hive of activity as woodpeckers, blue tits and robins dart around collecting food for their young and in the summer the clearing in the middle of the woodland offers the perfect spot for a family picnic.

This all sounds pretty special (and it is), but I haven’t got to the best part yet. The centre piece of the woodland is a railway track that has a miniature train running on it. Operated by the Bradford Model Engineering Society; it takes children through a loop of the woodland and I have yet to see a child who has not been completely enchanted by the experience.

The woodland also boasts a large bandstand and grassy area where The Norman Rae Gala is held in the summer and is a great time to visit if you fancy a piece of homemade cake, a cup of tea and chat with the very approachable Friends of Northcliffe volunteers who maintain the park.

The park is also a haven for wildlife. It was quite normal for me to see roe deer, foxes, and rabbits still out when I went for my early morning runs in the summer.

It is more recently, home to a flock of ringed parakeets who can be heard squawking in the trees above the allotment at the top of the woods. These non-native but beautiful birds can be seen as flashes of bright green as they dart overhead.

The path that runs through the woods ends in a flight of stone steps that take you to the top of the park.

Here the area opens out into one of the most delightful meadows, complete with wildflowers in the summer.

As wildflower meadows are a rarity in this country, it feels like a special space to just be and listen to the insects as they busy themselves collecting pollen as they go from flower to flower.

The perfect end to time spent in these magical woods is to follow it with lunch at one of the many cafés in Saltaire village, which is just a short walk from the gates of the park.

The World Heritage Site village is packed to the rafters with artisan cafes, shops and restaurants, many of which don’t mind a few muddy boots and a friendly dog.

And whilst you are there, it is worth having a browse through the many little independent shops that sell local artwork and clothing.

So, whilst Yorkshire certainly does have some stunning tourist hotspots and these are deservedly lauded with praise, for us Yorkshire folk it is the hidden gems that really make the county special.

* Bradford-based NHS doctor Amir Khan is a best-selling author and a regular on ITV’s Lorraine.