Hunger Hills

The walk up Hunger Hills takes about ninety minutes from Kirkby Stephen, and it's genuinely one of those Pennine ridges that rewards the effort without requiring mountaineering skills. The fell itself isn't dramatic - no jagged peaks or crumbling edges - but once you're up there the views across the Eden Valley are proper expansive, stretching east towards Cross Fell and west towards the Lake District fells on a clear day.

It's a straightforward moorland walk, grass underfoot mostly, with the kind of wind that'll either invigorate you or convince you to turn back. The summit sits at around 550 metres, high enough to feel genuine achievement without the scrambling that puts off less experienced walkers. Families with reasonable fitness will manage it fine, though younger children might need coaxing on the final push.

The best approach is to allow a full three hours including a decent rest at the top - you'll want time to sit and actually absorb the landscape rather than just bagging the peak and heading down. Early autumn is ideal: summer crowds thin out but the weather's generally kinder than late autumn. Winter and early spring can be bog-heavy and muddy.

If you're basing yourself at Gillcumber Glamping Pods, this works well as a morning expedition, leaving the afternoon for less strenuous exploring around Kirkby Stephen itself. The walk is free, naturally, and you'll likely have the fell largely to yourself even during peak season.