Great Birkhouse Hill

The view from Great Birkhouse Hill catches you off guard - you're not expecting something quite so dramatic once you've scrambled up the slope from Penrith. It's a proper fell rather than a gentle ramble, with the kind of open moorland that makes you realise why people spend weeks walking around this corner of Cumbria.

What you get at the summit is a 360-degree panorama across the Eden Valley and out towards the Lake District fells. Clear days reward the effort; cloudy ones turn it into a slightly grim trudge with limited views. The walk itself takes a couple of hours round trip depending on your fitness and where you start from - there are various approaches, but none of them are particularly long or technical.

This works best for walkers who want something achievable without a full day's commitment. Families with teenagers will manage fine; younger kids might lose interest before the top. If you're staying at Park Foot Holiday Park or Ullswater Holiday Park nearby, it's a sensible half-day option that breaks up a longer holiday in the area.

Timing matters. Early morning or late afternoon light transforms the fell - midday can feel a bit flat and exposed. Autumn when the bracken changes colour is particularly worth the trip. Wind can be fierce up there, so come prepared. It's free to access, obviously, and the lack of crowds compared to the major Lake District peaks is something of a relief.