Great Hetha Hillfort

The ramparts are still there, rising out of the Northumberland moorland like a giant's ring. Great Hetha Hillfort sits 370 metres up on open hillside near Wooler, commanding views that would have made it a formidable defensive position back in the Iron Age. What you're walking through is essentially an ancient fort - concentric circles of earthworks that once held timber palisades and roundhouses, though only the ditches and banks remain now.

It's a proper walkers' spot rather than a stand-around-and-gawp kind of place. There's no visitor centre, no interpretation boards crowding the view, just you and the Cheviot landscape. Allow 45 minutes to an hour to loop the perimeter and get a feel for the layout. The walk up is steady but not brutal, and on a clear day the vistas south across the border country are worth the effort. Families with kids aged eight upwards will find it engaging enough - there's something about scrambling over ancient earthworks that captures the imagination.

History types will appreciate the setting. This wasn't random - the Iron Age folk who built this chose a position that controls the high ground for miles. The nearest proper base is Wooler, about six miles away, and if you're caravan-based at Highburn House Caravan Park nearby, it's a manageable half-day excursion. Spring through autumn is best; winter rain can make the approaches boggy. Free to visit, obviously - it's just a hillside. Bring a map though, as signage is minimal.