Bull Hill

The walk up Bull Hill from Bury is steep and short - you can be at the top in under half an hour if you're reasonably fit. What makes it worth the effort is the view across the Irwell Valley when you get there. On a clear day you can see across to the Pennines proper, which puts the whole area into perspective.

It's a proper local's walk rather than a destination in itself. The path is well-trodden and clearly marked, taking you up through woodland and then onto open moorland. The summit isn't dramatic - no trig point, no cairn, just a high point with room to sit and catch your breath. Families with younger kids might find it a bit of a slog for what amounts to maybe thirty minutes at the top, though the woods are pleasant enough to make the ascent feel less like hard graft.

Historia types will appreciate that you're walking through landscape that's been worked for centuries - old quarrying marks are visible in places. Allow an hour return trip with a proper break at the top, or ninety minutes if you're ambling.

For a caravan holiday based at Dearden Wood or the Burrs Country Park Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite - both just a few miles away - this makes a solid morning outing. It's the sort of walk that works well before lunch: energetic enough to justify a proper pub meal afterwards in Bury town centre, but short enough that you're not wrecked for the afternoon.