Gill Rock

The walk up Gill Rock isn't long, but it's steep enough that you'll feel it in your legs. Set just north of Skipton in the Pennine foothills, this craggy little peak rewards you with proper Dales views - rolling farmland, limestone outcrops, and on a clear day, sight lines that stretch for miles. The route itself winds through moorland and rough grassland, taking maybe forty minutes to the summit if you're not dawdling.

Walkers will get the most from this one. It's not a casual stroll, and the scramble at the top demands a bit of care, so it's better suited to families with kids who've done a few hills already rather than toddlers. The views aren't dramatic enough to justify a pilgrimage on their own, but it's a cracking spot if you're combining it with other Pennine walks or staying at one of the nearby parks - Thornton Hall is barely half a mile away, making it a natural evening excursion.

There's no visitor centre or facilities at the peak itself. It's free to access, and you can walk it in any season, though moorland gets boggy after rain. Allow a couple of hours if you're pottering about at the top taking photographs. The real value here is the leg-stretcher element - if you're camped at Holgates Ribble Valley or one of the other parks in the area and want to blow away the cobwebs without committing to a full day on the fells, Gill Rock does the job efficiently. It's not the Lake District, but it doesn't pretend to be.