Gibb's Hill

The walk up Gibb's Hill takes about twenty minutes from the car park, and it's a steady climb through moorland that opens out properly once you crest the top. Standing at 396 metres, it's not high in any grand Alpine sense, but the views across the Cheviot Hills feel genuinely expansive, especially when the light's right and the mist isn't sitting low. On a clear day you can pick out the contours for miles - south towards the Coquet Valley, north across to the Scottish border country. The summit itself is marked with a cairn. Nothing fancy, but that's rather the point.

This works best for people who enjoy a straightforward hill walk without the crowds of more famous peaks. Families with kids aged seven or older will manage it fine if everyone's reasonably keen. Older walkers and serious hikers will find it a proper leg-stretcher, though nothing technical.

It's free and you can do the whole thing - walk, views, descent - in under two hours. Autumn's excellent here when the heather's turning, and spring's lovely too. Winter can be bleak and the ground gets boggy, so pick your season.

If you're based at River Breamish Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite just two miles away, this becomes an obvious half-day jaunt. Alnwick's close enough for supplies and a bit of culture afterwards. The walk itself has that quiet Northumberland character - less touristy than you'd get on better-known fells, which means you'll likely have the views mostly to yourself.