Bickerton Hill

The walk up Bickerton Hill takes about twenty minutes from the car park, and it's steep enough to warm you up properly. Once you're at the top - 460 metres, though it doesn't feel that high - you get proper views across the Cheshire Plain towards Wales on a clear day. The summit's modest: a trig point, some benches, the usual. What makes it worth the trip is the walking itself rather than some dramatic payoff at the top.

History types will get a kick out of it. There's an Iron Age fort up here, though you won't see much now beyond earthworks and bumps in the grass. The locals have been tramping up this hill for thousands of years, which gives the place a quiet weight to it.

It's a solid half-day outing from Chester, especially if you combine it with other walks in the Peckforton Hills nearby. The path's well-trodden and manageable for families with older kids, though younger ones might find it a slog. Go early or late in the day if you want to avoid crowds - weekends can draw a steady stream of local walkers.

Stay at Pitch & Canvas or Manor Wood if you're basing yourself in the area. Both are within three miles, making this a natural morning before you head elsewhere. It's not dramatic, but it's genuine - good views, decent exercise, and no faffing about with admission fees or opening hours. Free to walk, open whenever you fancy it.