Blue Haw

The walk up Blue Haw from Leyburn is straightforward enough, a decent pull through moorland that rewards you with proper sweeping views across Wensleydale once you've climbed roughly 600 feet. It's not a dramatic peak - the summit itself is fairly modest, topped with grouse moor and the usual North Yorkshire rough grass - but the vantage point is genuinely useful for getting your bearings across the dale.

This is walker territory, plain and simple. It's the kind of fell that families with teenagers will manage easily enough in an afternoon, though younger kids might grumble about the final steep push near the top. The real appeal is neither the summit nor any facilities (there aren't any) but the walk itself and what you can see from up there. Clear days are essential; come on a murky one and you're just trudging through cloud.

Allow two hours for the round trip if you're steady on your feet, longer if you're mixing in exploration of the wider moorland. There's no charge, of course - it's open moorland. Spring and autumn work best; summer can be surprisingly boggy despite the rough appearance.

If you're based at nearby Stablefell Holidays and Campsite, this makes a logical morning sortie before exploring the valley itself. It's the sort of local walk that puts the bigger peaks into perspective without demanding crampons or navigation skills.