Great Shunner Fell

The walk up Great Shunner Fell from Hardraw village is properly steep, which catches most people off guard. You're looking at roughly 2,100 feet of climbing over a few miles, and the fell top itself isn't some dramatic peak - more a broad, windswept plateau with exceptional views across Wensleydale and toward the Pennines. On a clear day, the sight line stretches for miles. On a misty one, you'll barely see your boots.

This is fundamentally a walker's destination. The fell doesn't have much in the way of facilities or attractions at the summit - no café, no viewpoint infrastructure, just moorland and the elements. Allow three to four hours for the round trip depending on fitness. It's free, obviously, since it's open country.

History types will note the fell sits in classic Yorkshire Dales terrain, the sort of landscape that shaped the region's farming and geology. But you're here for the walk itself and the payoff at the top, not interpretation boards.

Richmond is your nearest proper town, though Hawes is closer and worth knowing about. If you're camped at Usha Gap Farm or Hawes Caravan Club - both superb bases - you're well positioned for this walk. The moorland terrain is unforgiving in poor weather, so pick your day carefully. It's the sort of walk that genuinely rewards proper planning rather than a casual impulse. Not a family-with-toddlers proposition, but serious walkers will find it utterly worthwhile.