Barks Hill

The walk up Barks Hill rewards you with proper views across the Wharfe Valley - nothing dramatic, but on a clear day you can pick out the moorland rolling away towards Ilkley and beyond. It's a straightforward climb from Otley, steep in places but nothing that'll leave you gasping. Most people manage it in under an hour from the town itself.

This is walker territory, really. You won't find a café at the top or a tarmac path - it's boots-on grass and the occasional scramble over loose stone. Families with younger kids might find it a bit much, though teenagers who don't mind a proper hike will get something out of the effort. The views justify the leg work, especially if you time it for late afternoon when the light sits nicely across the valley.

If you're staying at one of the local caravan parks - Fairmead Farm Glamping or St Helena's are closest - this makes an easy morning or early afternoon excursion. It's free, obviously. Allow a couple of hours if you're taking photos or just standing about enjoying it. The best time is spring or autumn when the weather's more predictable and you're not melting in summer heat or slogging through winter mud.

Barks Hill itself is nothing fancy, but it's the kind of walk that reminds you why Yorkshire moorland gets people excited. Low-key, accessible, and genuinely pleasant. Worth doing if you're in the area.