Barrows Hill

The highest point on the Isle of Sheppey doesn't announce itself with fanfare, but Barrows Hill delivers a proper perspective shift once you've made the short walk up. Standing at just over 40 metres, it's hardly Alpine, yet from the top you get an honest view across the island and out towards the Thames estuary - surprisingly expansive for somewhere so modest. On a clear day, the sweep of water and distant marshland makes the effort worthwhile.

This is more of a local's detour than a destination in itself. The walk takes maybe twenty minutes from the nearest access point, through ordinary suburban streets before opening onto the hill itself. Families will manage it easily - kids won't find it challenging enough to complain, but they won't be bored either. History walkers might appreciate that you're literally standing on Bronze Age barrows, though there's precious little visible to trigger the imagination. Bring proper footwear if it's been wet; the path gets muddy.

If you're staying at Sheerness Holiday Park or Ashcroft Coast Holiday Park, Barrows Hill works as a half-hour morning excursion before heading elsewhere. It won't occupy an afternoon, and it's not worth a special trip from Shurland Dale further afield. What you get is a small perspective on the island's landscape and a bit of exercise - exactly what a local might do before breakfast.