Amicombe Hill

The walk up Amicombe Hill rewards you with proper views across Dartmoor - the sort of panorama that justifies the climb from Okehampton way. It's not a brutal slog, more a steady pull through moorland that opens up as you gain height. The summit itself is modest in the way of Devonshire peaks, but that's rather the point. You're not fighting crowds or paying a visitor centre fee; you're just walking onto open moorland and earning the vista.

Walkers will get the most from this one. Families with young legs will manage it fine, though toddlers might find the moorland a bit featureless for their attention span. The real appeal is for anyone who likes to move without ceremony - no rangers, no marked paths necessarily, just you and the moor. Allow a couple of hours if you're taking your time and soaking in the view from the top.

If you're staying at Lydford Caravan & Camping Park just down the road, this makes a cracking morning excursion before lunch. The park itself sits well for exploring this corner of Dartmoor, and the hill gives you that genuine sense of the landscape rather than a tame park loop. Go in decent weather - moorland mist turns this into a navigational exercise rather than a pleasure walk. The exposure isn't dramatic, but the wind can pick up, so come prepared.