Beda Fell

The walk up Beda Fell from Penrith is a cracking afternoon outing that doesn't demand you wake up at dawn or spend eight hours on your feet. It's a proper Lake District fell - steep in places, grassy at the top, and the kind of thing that makes you feel like you've actually done something without the ego of bagging a Wainwright.

From the valley floor near Penrith, the path climbs through bracken and heather, and once you're up there the view across Ullswater spreads out genuinely impressive. On a clear day you can see enough to know why people move to the Lake District and never leave. It takes roughly two hours up and the same back down, so allow three to four hours all in.

Families with confident walkers aged ten and up will manage this fine. Younger kids might find the steep bits tiring, but nothing technical. History buffs won't find much up there - it's more about the fell-walking itself than any particular story. The real draw is the space and the views without the crowds you'd find on more famous peaks.

If you're staying at Ullswater Holiday Park or Crossgate just down the road, this sits perfectly into a week of Lake District rambling. The terrain is rough enough that you'll want proper boots rather than trainers, and the weather can turn quickly - take a jacket even if it looks fine at the start. Free to walk, of course. Worth the detour from Penrith if you've got the legs for it.