Hambledon Hill

The walk up Hambledon Hill from the village of Child Okeford takes about twenty minutes, and it's steep enough to leave you breathing hard. Once you're at the top, though, the effort evaporates. The iron age hill fort sprawls across the summit - you can still make out the earthworks and ditches that would have kept invaders at bay two and a half thousand years ago. It's not some reconstructed interpretation centre; it's the actual thing, grass-covered and real.

On a clear day the views sweep across the Dorset countryside towards Shaftesbury and beyond. Walkers will love this - it's a proper leg-stretcher with a payoff, not some gentle stroll. Families with children aged eight and up can manage it, though younger ones might struggle with the gradient. History buffs will find themselves genuinely absorbed trying to imagine what life looked like inside the fort.

It's free, takes roughly an hour return trip depending on how long you potter around the summit, and works brilliantly as a morning or late-afternoon excursion. The light in the late afternoon is particularly good for photographs if you're into that sort of thing. If you're based at Gold Hill Glamping nearby, it's an obvious addition to your park holiday - close enough to do without too much faff, far enough away to feel like you've properly ventured out. Bring water though; there's nothing up there and the exposed hilltop can feel exposed in the wrong sort of weather.