Bleak Haw

Bleak Haw isn't the sort of fell that grabs headlines, but that's precisely why it's worth the effort. Standing at 590 metres above Hawes in Upper Wensleydale, it's a proper Yorkshire hill walk that rewards you with genuine solitude - no crowds, no cafe at the top, just open moorland and views that stretch across the Dales when the weather cooperates.

The ascent from Hawes itself is straightforward enough, though the name gives you a clue about what to expect weather-wise. Bring layers and a windproof. The walk takes a couple of hours there and back at a steady pace, making it ideal for anyone staying at the nearby campsites - Hawes Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite is barely two miles away. It's the sort of walk families with older kids will manage fine, though it's not a push-button experience; younger children might struggle with the moorland terrain.

What you get up there is landscape rather than monuments. Rolling fell-top views down into Wensleydale, across to Shunner Fell, the quiet satisfaction of having climbed somewhere relatively few tourists bother with. History buffs won't find much - this is geology and weather more than archaeology. The Hawes area itself has better draws if you want to combine walks with other attractions, but Bleak Haw is pure upland walking, just you and the wind. Go when you've got decent visibility; on a grey day it's rather grim, and that bleakness is earned rather than romantic.