Ivinghoe Beacon

The walk up to Ivinghoe Beacon takes about twenty minutes from the car park near Berkhamsted, and it's steep enough to leave you slightly breathless - but worth every step. This Iron Age hill fort sits 760 metres up on the Chilterns, and from the summit you can see across three counties on a clear day. The earthworks themselves are subtle; you're not looking at dramatic ramparts but rather gentle undulations in the turf that mark where ancient defensive ditches once ran. It's the view that properly grabs you - rolling farmland stretching out, the North Downs visible if you're lucky, and on hazy afternoons the whole landscape seems to blur into watercolour shades.

History enthusiasts will find the site rewarding, though you'll need to use your imagination. The beacon itself - the actual beacon structure - is long gone, but locals have used this spot as a signalling point for centuries. Families with older kids manage the walk fine; younger ones might grumble. Allow two hours return from the car park.

It's completely free and you can visit any time, though spring and autumn are best - summer weekends draw day-trippers from London and the paths get rammed. The wider Chilterns are dotted with excellent campsites: Hill Farm And Orchard sits just 2.7 miles away, while Chiltern Yurts at 3.2 miles offers something different if you want bells and whistles with your camping. It's the sort of place that works brilliantly as a morning walk before breakfast, not a destination in itself.