Gambledown

The walk up Gambledown is steep, proper steep, and the reward for your burning calves is a view that stretches across Wiltshire like someone's unfurled a map just for you. On a clear day you can pick out Salisbury Cathedral's spire poking up in the distance - that needle-thin landmark that's been drawing travellers for centuries.

It's not a long hike. Maybe 30 minutes up from the car park if you're not dawdling, but the gradient means you'll feel like you've earned your summit by the time you reach the top. The peak itself is fairly exposed - windswept in bad weather, absolutely brilliant in sunshine. Families with younger kids might find the climb tedious, but teenagers and keen walkers will get something genuine from it.

The surrounding countryside rolls away in every direction, chalk downland giving way to woodland and farmland. You're in classic South Wiltshire chalk country here, and Gambledown sits well within the walking circuit many people do when staying at places like Green Hill Farm Holiday Village or The Meadow Glamping - both just a few miles away.

Free to visit, naturally. No visitor facilities up there, so take water. Late afternoon on a settled day is your best bet - the light's lovely and there's fewer people about. Combine it with a walk around Salisbury itself if you're making a proper day of it. The town's only four miles away, so it works as a cracking spot if you're based at either of the nearby parks and fancy something with a bit of elevation to break up a holiday.