Coomb Hill

The walk up Coomb Hill catches most people off guard. You're ambling through North Yorkshire moorland near Thirsk, nothing particularly dramatic about it, and then suddenly the ground drops away and you've got proper expansive views across the Vale of York stretching out below. It's not mountainous - we're talking around 370 metres - but what it lacks in altitude it makes up for in that sudden, almost theatrical reveal.

The summit itself is fairly bare, which means the wind can be bracing even when the lowlands are calm. On a clear day you can see for miles. On a murky one, well, you're basically walking uphill to stand in cloud. Worth doing anyway because the moorland walk itself is rather good - rolling terrain with actual paths, not just bog. Most people allow two to three hours return from the nearest car park, which makes it a proper half-day activity rather than a quick pop to a viewpoint.

Families with reasonably confident walkers will manage it fine. Young kids might find the final section tedious when they can't see the view yet. History types won't find much to sink their teeth into here - it's genuinely just a hill with a view. But if you're staying at Hillside Caravan Park, which is only 4.5 miles away, it's a cracking way to work off breakfast and stretch the legs properly.