Hawk's Tor

Clambering up Hawk's Tor near Bodmin is one of those walks that rewards you properly for minimal effort. The granite outcrop rises abruptly from the moorland, and what strikes you first is how exposed and windswept it feels once you've scrambled to the top. On a clear day you can see for miles across Bodmin Moor - real Cornish moorland, the sort that looks deceptively wild and empty until you're up there realizing how much sky there is.

It's a short walk, probably thirty minutes up from the car park, and the path is well-trodden. Kids will manage it without drama, though younger ones might need a hand on the final rocky push to the summit. The actual tor itself is a cluster of weathered boulders - nothing technical, just scrambling. Walkers will find it satisfying rather than challenging, and it makes a crackling addition to a day exploring the moor.

The appeal here is straightforward: a proper vantage point without a gruelling hike. Go mid-morning on a weekday and you'll likely have the place to yourself. Weather is everything though - when the mist rolls in (which it does, regularly), you'll see fifteen metres of moorland and nothing else.

If you're based at Camp De Lank, just three miles away, this is an obvious morning jaunt before breakfast. Free to access, no facilities on site, and park where the locals do near the base. Best visited between April and September when the moorland doesn't feel quite so bleak.