Bull Barrow

Bull Barrow rises from the Dorset heathland like a minor crown jewel, and once you've scrambled up it, you'll understand why Bronze Age folk thought it worth defending. The walk itself is gentle enough - nothing steep or punishing - but the views across the heath towards Ringwood and beyond make the effort worthwhile.

It's a proper peak for the curious rather than the ambitious. You're looking at maybe twenty minutes from the car park to the top, where an Iron Age fort once sprawled across the summit. The earthworks are still visible if you know what you're looking at, though they blend into the landscape in a way that takes imagination to read. Bring binoculars and a decent map if archaeology gets you going.

Families with primary school kids will find it interesting for an hour or so - the scramble up keeps things lively, and there's space to run about at the top. Walkers crossing the New Forest area might easily combine it with nearby trails. What it isn't is a destination that'll occupy you all day.

The heathland setting means it's worth visiting when the gorse blooms in spring or when the light's low and golden in early autumn. Midwinter can be muddy. If you're based at Ashley Heath Caravan Park or Forest Edge Holiday Park, both within a few miles, Bull Barrow makes a decent morning excursion before heading elsewhere. Expect no facilities at the site itself - you'll need provisions from Ringwood.