BEACON HILL • HALIFAX

You'll spot it from miles away - that distinctive stone tower perched on the ridge above Elland, catching the light like a lighthouse in the Pennines. Beacon Hill is less a destination and more a proper focal point, the sort of place that makes you pull the car over and actually get out.

The climb itself is straightforward enough, maybe twenty minutes from the car park depending on fitness and how many times you stop to catch your breath. The payoff is genuine. From up there, you're looking across Halifax, Calderdale, and on a clear day you can trace the valley all the way down to where the land flattens out. The tower itself - built in the 1800s as a beacon fire point - is solid Victorian practicality, nothing fancy, but that's rather the appeal.

Historyheads will get something from it. Families with children who don't mind a modest walk will find it worthwhile; toddlers might grumble at the final push up. The real audience, though, is walkers. This sits at the junction of several proper footpath routes, so it works brilliantly as a waypoint rather than a destination in itself.

If you're staying at Elland Hall Farm Caravan Park just down the road, it's practically on your doorstep - an evening stroll without commitment. Hebden Bridge lot has a longer drive but the moorland walks around there are extensive, so Beacon Hill makes sense as one stop among many.

No facilities up top, so bring water. Admission's free, hours are essentially daylight, and you should allow around ninety minutes door-to-door if you're not rushing.