Cherhill Hill

The walk up Cherhill Hill is short, steep, and rewards you with one of the better views across Wiltshire's chalk downlands. From the summit at 262 metres, you're looking out over farmland that rolls toward the Cotswolds, and on a clear day the visibility is genuinely impressive. The hill itself is crowned with an Iron Age fort - you can make out the earthworks if you know what you're looking at, though they're subtle enough that you won't feel like you're visiting some dramatic archaeological site.

It takes about twenty minutes to reach the top from the car park, which sits just off the A4 between Devizes and Calne. The path climbs steeply but it's not a slog, and families with reasonable walkers will cope fine. There's a white horse carved into the chalk face on the hillside - the Cherhill White Horse, completed in the 1780s - visible from the road below if you approach from the right angle. Free to visit, naturally, since it's open access land.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Blackland Lakes, Honey Bee Glamping, or Ridgeway Campsite are all within five miles - this makes an excellent morning walk before heading elsewhere. Don't expect facilities or crowds. Go for the view, the sense of proper chalk downland, and the fact it's genuinely quick. History buffs and keen walkers will get more from it than families after a long outing, but it does the job well for what it is.