Hill Top

The walk up Hill Top from Leyburn takes about forty minutes if you're not stopping for breath, and the views across Wensleydale once you reach the top make every steep bit worthwhile. It's a proper fell rather than a gentle stroll - the kind of walk where you know you've earned the view at the end.

What you get is moorland and open countryside in all directions. On a clear day you can see right across the valley. There's nothing elaborate here, no café or visitor centre, just grass, sky, and the satisfaction of having climbed something. History types won't find much to chew over - it's geology and landscape rather than castles or ruins.

Families with older children who can handle a steep climb will do well here. Younger ones might struggle with the incline, and it's not a push-buggy job. Serious walkers will find it a cracking introduction to the Yorkshire Dales if you're based nearby - not a full day commitment, but enough to blow the cobwebs away.

If you're staying at one of the glamping pods or caravan parks dotted around the area - Coxons Farm is closest at just over three miles away - this is the sort of walk you'd do of a morning before heading to somewhere more substantial. Free to access and open year-round, though winter can be muddy and windswept. Go on a dry day or you'll regret it.