Hill Top

The New Forest's highest point at just 417 metres, Hill Top is less dramatic peak and more gentle rise - but that's precisely why it works. You get proper views across the forest towards the Solent from the summit, and on a clear day you can make out the Isle of Wight. The walk itself is straightforward, maybe 20 minutes from the nearest car park, through beech woodland that's particularly striking in autumn when the whole forest turns copper and gold.

This isn't a scramble or a technical climb. It's a solid woodland walk that rewards you with genuine views without breaking a sweat. Families with kids aged six upwards will manage it fine, though the terrain can be muddy after rain. History types might appreciate that you're walking through one of England's oldest managed forests - William the Conqueror declared it a royal hunting ground in 1079, and that shape the landscape you're seeing today.

Going first thing on a weekday beats weekends by miles. The New Forest gets rammed in high season, and Hill Top's popularity means a sunny Saturday can feel crowded. Allow an hour total including the climb and a proper look around at the top. Free, naturally - it's common land.

Stay at Lepe Beach Campsite or Roundhill Campsite nearby and you're perfectly placed for a morning hike here before exploring the wider forest. It's the kind of walk that doesn't demand much but gives you genuine forest and sky in return.