Islington Hill

The walk up Islington Hill from near Barnard Castle rewards you with proper Pennine views - moorland stretching out in all directions, with the River Tees valley dropping away below. It's not a massive elevation gain, but the climb is steady enough that you'll feel you've earned the summit.

What you're doing here is straightforward: following a well-trodden path to the top of this moorland peak. The summit itself is relatively modest - you won't find a cairn or viewpoint marker, just open moorland - but that's rather the point. This is walking without the fuss, the kind of place where you can see for miles on a clear day and actually hear yourself think.

Walkers will get the most out of this. It's not a destination peak in the way Ben Nevis is, but for anyone staying at one of the nearby caravan parks like Hill Top Huts or Mickleton Mill, it makes a cracking half-day outing. Families with younger children might find it a bit of a slog without a payoff - there's no café at the top, no viewing platform, just wind and grass. Allow a couple of hours return trip from the base of the hill.

Timing-wise, go earlier in the day rather than late afternoon. The weather on the Pennines can turn quickly, and once the mist rolls in, the whole point of the walk - those views - vanishes entirely. On a decent day, though, it's exactly what a moorland walk should be: honest and satisfying.