High Forest

The walk up High Forest from near Penrith is steep, proper steep, but the fell's relatively modest height means you're not committing to a full day's slog. The summit reward is a 360-degree panorama across the Lake District fells - you'll see across to Helvellyn on a clear day, and the view south towards the Pennines is genuinely worth the huffing and puffing.

It's a walker's fell rather than a sightseeing attraction - there's no café, no information board, just open moorland and wind. The terrain underfoot is rough and often boggy depending on rainfall, so decent boots matter more than here than on some Lakeland peaks. Allow two to three hours return from the nearest parking.

Families with older kids (say, eight-plus) will manage it fine, though younger ones might find the relentless ascent tedious. History enthusiasts won't find much - this is about the landscape itself, not heritage. The fell works brilliantly as part of a broader walking holiday based around Penrith. Park Foot Holiday Park sits about six miles away and makes a solid base for exploring the northern lakes, and High Forest slots neatly between easier valley walks and the bigger hitters like Helvellyn.

Go midweek if possible. Weekends bring the crowds, and on High Forest's open slopes there's nowhere to hide from other hikers. Dawn walks are magic if you can manage the early start - the light across those valleys is something else.