Furmard Hill

The walk up Furmard Hill takes about forty minutes from Harrogate and rewards you with proper moorland views across North Yorkshire. It's not a dramatic peak - you won't find jagged rocks or death-defying scrambles - but that's rather the point. This is the sort of walk that feels like stepping back into the landscape, with heather and gorse giving way to wider vistas once you reach the top.

On a clear day you can see right across the Stray towards Knaresborough way. Families with teenagers manage it easily enough, though younger kids might find the steady incline tedious. The real appeal here is for walkers after a proper moorland feel without the full Yorkshire Three Peaks commitment. An hour and a half total is realistic if you're not stopping much.

Go in late summer or early autumn when the heather's flowering and you'll understand why people bother. Winter can be bleak and boggy - not the dramatic sort of bleak, just the damp sort. Spring's fine too, though the paths tend to hold water.

If you're based at one of the caravan parks near Harrogate - Rudding is closest at just over two miles - this works as a proper half-day outing. Combine it with a walk around Valley Gardens or a mooch through Harrogate town centre and you've got a solid day. The hills around here reward exploring, and Furmard Hill is as good a starting point as any.