Earl Seat

The walk up Earl Seat from Skipton takes you through proper Yorkshire fell country, and honestly, it's one of those climbs that rewards the effort without demanding mountaineering skills. You're looking at roughly 1,500 feet of ascent across moorland and limestone, and the views back towards Airedale and across to Pendle Hill on a clear day make it well worth the huff and puff.

Getting there means starting near Bolton Abbey - the ruined monastery makes a decent waypoint if you fancy combining a historical wander with your peak-bagging. The route itself is well-trodden, which is both good and bad. Good because you won't get lost. Bad because it can feel a bit crowded on weekends, especially bank holidays. Expect to allow three to four hours there and back, depending on fitness and how many times you stop to catch your breath.

It's the kind of walk that suits anyone who can handle sustained uphill slogging. Families with older kids will manage fine; younger ones might struggle with the distance. The summit itself is modest - windswept, a bit bare, and there's not much to linger at once you've taken the photos. But the walk there, through changing terrain and with the gradually expanding views, is genuinely pleasant.

Several campsites cluster nearby - Howgill Lodge is barely a mile away, making this a sensible afternoon outing from your base. Spring and autumn are cracking times to do it. Winter can be boggy and miserable.