Berth Hill

The walk up Berth Hill outside Stafford is proper steep but rewards you with views that stretch across Staffordshire's rolling farmland. It's not a mountain - we're talking around 300 metres - but the climb is genuine enough that you'll feel like you've earned those vistas when you reach the top.

On a clear day you can see right across to the Pennines. The summit's bare and windswept, which is exactly why it works - no trees blocking the sightlines. The path itself is well-trodden and marked, though it does get muddy after rain. Allow about 45 minutes up, same coming down unless you're taking photos every few steps (which you will).

This is a walkers' hill rather than a casual stroll. Children can manage it if they're reasonably fit, but toddlers will struggle with the gradient. Serious hikers using it as a training route won't find it demanding enough to be interesting - it's the middle-ground climb that catches people out. Go early on weekends if you want any peace; it gets busy.

If you're staying at Fledgling Farm campsite nearby, this makes a perfect afternoon excursion - close enough not to feel like a drive, far enough away to feel like proper countryside. Spring and autumn are best; winter mud can be thick, and summer heat makes the exposed summit less pleasant than it sounds.