Ice Hill

The walk up Ice Hill, just outside Dorchester, is a proper Dorset workout that rewards you with views across the chalk downlands towards the coast. It's not a massive peak - more of a decent climb that takes twenty minutes or so from the car park - but on a clear day you can see right across to Weymouth Bay. The hill itself is chalk, white and steep in places, which explains the name's origins in the Ice Age landscape rather than anything you'll find frozen up there now.

This is really a walk rather than a destination where you'll spend hours. Walkers and families with older kids will get the most from it; the paths are well-marked but can be muddy after rain, and it's not the sort of place to drag toddlers up unless they're keen. Allow an hour return trip if you're not rushing. The views are genuinely worth the effort, particularly in autumn when the light's golden and the crowds are thinner.

It works well as a half-day outing alongside a stay at one of the nearby parks - Parkdean Resorts Warmwell is just a few miles away - or as a break from a longer Dorset holiday. Dorchester itself has enough Roman history and market-town appeal to fill a couple of hours before or after. Free to visit, naturally, with no facilities at the top, so bring water and a decent pair of boots.