Coaley Peak

The walk up to Coaley Peak takes about twenty minutes from the car park, and it's a proper leg-stretcher rather than a stroll. You're climbing through beech woodland on the Cotswold Edge, and the path can be muddy even days after rain. Worth it though. From the summit - and it is genuinely worth reaching the top - you get sprawling views across the Severn Valley toward Wales. On a clear day it's genuinely impressive; on a grey one, less so, but the woods themselves are lovely either way.

This is walkers' territory, really. Families with young kids might find the ascent a bit much unless they're keen hikers already, but older children who can manage thirty to forty minutes each way will find the views their reward. The area doesn't have tea rooms or visitor facilities at the peak itself - bring a flask if you want a brew up there.

If you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Riverside Caravan Park at The George Inn is closest at just over three miles away, or Tudor Caravan Park at 4.5 miles - Coaley Peak makes a cracking morning walk before lunch. It combines well with exploring the broader Cotswold Edge area. There's no entrance fee, no opening hours to worry about, and you can go whenever suits. Allow ninety minutes for the full experience including a proper look around at the top. Best visited autumn or winter when the beech trees aren't too leafy and sightlines are clearer.