Good Friday Hill

The walk up Good Friday Hill rewards you with proper views across the Dorset countryside - nothing dramatic, but genuinely pleasant on a clear day. It's one of those local spots that doesn't make the guidebooks but absolutely should feature in any walking holiday around Ringwood.

The hill itself sits on the outskirts of the New Forest area, so you're looking at beech woodland, open heath, and distant vistas toward the Test Valley. The summit isn't massive - you're talking maybe 200-odd metres of elevation gain - but the path is well-trodden and manageable for most abilities. Allow an hour there and back if you're taking photos and having a sit-down at the top.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's the sort of place where you notice the landscape rather than tick off a famous landmark. Family groups with young kids might find it a bit anticlimactic unless they're keen on the walk itself rather than arriving somewhere obviously impressive. If you're staying at Hill Cottage Farm Caravan & Camping Park over in Fordingbridge or one of the other sites nearby - Ocknell or Longbeech - Good Friday Hill makes a cracking half-day outing that doesn't demand much planning.

Go in the morning before the weather turns, bring a flask, and don't expect crowds. The real value here is combining it with other New Forest walks rather than treating it as a destination in itself. Proper countryside rambling, the sort that's quietly satisfying rather than spectacular.