Horseshoe Hill

The walk up Horseshoe Hill rewards you with proper moorland views across County Durham, and on a clear day you can see right across to the Pennines. It's not a particularly long slog from Bishop Auckland - most people knock it out in an hour or so - but the climb is steady enough to get the blood pumping.

What you get at the top is exactly what the name suggests: a horseshoe-shaped ridge that feels genuinely isolated despite being close to civilisation. The surrounding moorland is rolling and open, the kind of landscape that makes you remember why you bothered with walking boots. In spring and early summer the heather comes through and it's rather lovely. Winter is bleaker but somehow more dramatic.

Walkers will get the most from this one. It's not a destination with facilities or visitor attractions - there's no cafe, no visitor centre, just you and the hill. Families with older kids who don't mind a proper walk will find it engaging enough, though younger children might flag on the way up. The views make the effort worthwhile.

From the nearby caravan parks - Belle Vue Farm and Greenfoot Holiday Home Park are your closest options - Horseshoe Hill makes a solid morning or afternoon outing when the weather's on your side. Check conditions before you head out; moorland can turn bleak quickly. Free to visit, naturally. Allow two hours to be comfortable, or three if you want to linger and actually look at the view rather than just ticking it off.