Dry Gill Rigg

The walk up Dry Gill Rigg from Settle isn't particularly long, but it's steep enough that you'll feel it in your legs by the top. What makes it worthwhile is the sudden opening out onto moorland with proper views across Ribblesdale - the kind of spot where you can actually see why people moved to this part of Yorkshire. The fell itself is modest by Lake District standards, but that's rather the point. There's no queue, no visitor centre, no faffing about.

This is a straightforward fell walk for people who like their exercise without the tourist infrastructure. Families with older kids will manage it fine; younger ones might struggle with the gradient and loose ground. The round trip takes about two hours at a reasonable pace, so it fits neatly into a morning before lunch. Walkers serious about the hills will find it a useful leg-stretcher between bigger objectives. History types won't find much here - it's pure landscape work.

Stay at Ribblesdale Pods or Philpin Farm Campsite and you're well-positioned for a few days of proper walking. Settle itself is a genuine market town with actual life in it, which beats a lot of holiday park accommodation nearby. The ground can be boggy after rain, so don't come in peak wetness. Spring and autumn mornings are proper cracking - clear air, low sun, and not too many other people about.