Black Mountain

The walk up Black Mountain rewards you with a proper vantage point across Shropshire's rolling hills. It's not a scramble - more a steady climb through farmland before the ridge opens up - but the effort pays off when you're standing at the top looking towards Craven Arms and beyond. On a clear day you'll see Wales to the west, which feels a bit special.

This works best for hill walkers rather than casual strollers. You'll want decent shoes and an hour to ninety minutes depending on your pace and fitness. Families with older kids who don't mind a proper walk will get on with it fine. Younger children might grumble - there's not much at the summit itself, just the view and perhaps a bench if you're lucky. The real appeal is the walk itself and the sense of space you get up there.

There's no entry fee that I can find, which is a bonus. Hit it on a weekday morning if you can - weekends draw walkers and it loses some of its quietness.

Stay at Offa's Pitch Glamping or Black Hall Lodges nearby and you've got the Shropshire Hills on your doorstep. Black Mountain fits neatly into a walking holiday in this area - pair it with other ridges and you've got a few good days mapped out. The landscape here is proper walking country, nothing flashy, just honest hills and views that make you remember why you came.