Bailey Hill

Bailey Hill rises abruptly from the Derbyshire landscape near Sheffield - a steep-sided earthwork that's genuinely striking when you first spot it. This is a motte and bailey, one of those Norman fortifications thrown up after 1066, and what you're looking at is essentially the castle mound itself, a flattened summit ringed by banks. The bailey (the outer enclosure) is less obvious now, but walk around the base and you'll pick out the earthworks if you know what you're after.

It's a proper scramble to the top - muddy after rain, tiring if you're not used to hills - but the payoff is genuine. From up there you get a sense of why the Normans chose this spot: commanding views across the valley, decent sightlines to spot trouble coming. History types will find it worthwhile; kids aged eight and up might enjoy the climb and the achievement of reaching the summit, though there's nothing interactive or showy to detain them long. Expect twenty minutes to half an hour total.

Access is free and open, though there's no visitor infrastructure - no car park, no café, no information boards. Go on a dry day if possible. It sits well within striking distance of the Peak District's campsites; East Peak Campsite is barely two miles away, making it an easy morning walk from a caravan holiday. The site rewards curious visitors but won't convert casual tourists.