Great Hetha

Great Hetha rises 604 metres above the Northumberland landscape, offering views that stretch across the Cheviots and down into Scotland on a clear day. It's a proper fell, not a gentle stroll - the climb from Wooler takes most of an hour depending on your fitness, and the path can be boggy in places. The summit's bare, windswept, and rewards you with that specific kind of satisfaction that comes from actual effort.

Walkers make up the core crowd here. It's the sort of place where you'll encounter serious hikers with ordnance survey maps and fell runners doing laps, but it's never rammed. Families with younger kids might find it a bit steep; teenagers and active adults will get plenty from it.

There's no visitor infrastructure - no café, no car park attendant, just the hill itself. Head up from Wooler in the morning if the forecast looks decent, and allow a good three hours return. The summit's exposed, so wind and weather change things fast.

Stay at Highburn House Caravan Park, just outside Wooler, and you've got the Cheviots right on your doorstep. Great Hetha works brilliantly as part of a walking holiday where you're doing different ridges and peaks across the range. It's not the flashiest fell walk in northern England, but it's honest, and the views justify the slog.