Gains Law

The walk up Gains Law rewards you with proper Cheviot views, sprawling across Northumberland's border country. It's not a brutal climb - the peak sits at 628 metres - but the moorland path kicks up steadily once you leave the Wooler road behind. The summit itself is modest: a cairn, moorland grass, and on a clear day, sightlines that stretch toward the Scottish border.

This is walker territory, full stop. History types might appreciate that you're treading ancient ground between two kingdoms, but nobody comes here for interpretation boards or facilities. It's just you, the heather, and that particular Cheviot silence. Give yourself two to three hours for a steady circuit from the town. Early spring or autumn work best - summer can draw midges that'll drive you mad, and winter snow sits longer up here than you'd expect.

The approach from Wooler is straightforward enough, though parking can be tight on weekends. If you're based at Highburn House Caravan Park - just 1.8 miles away - you're perfectly positioned for an afternoon assault. Riverside Wooler Holiday Park works too, though it's a bit further out. Neither park will bore the kids on rainy days, which matters when you're depending on decent weather to make this walk worthwhile.

Is it essential? Not really. But if you're staying in Wooler anyway and fancy proper moorland without getting lost on the Pennine Way, Gains Law does the job well enough.